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Spirited and fiercely-religious, Granma Joad is the matriarch of the family, as cantankerous and stubborn as Grampa Joad. In addition to adding to the realistic depiction of a multigenerational family, Granma Joad adds to the discussion of religion in the novel. She is constantly shouting, “Praise God!” or promising hellfire and damnation to any who oppose her, including Grampa Joad. Her religious fervor often reads comically because at first glance, her religious sentiments seem at odds with the situation, as if she has gone slightly senile. She shouts, “Praise God,” in the middle of Jim Casy’s secular grace, and for all the times she calls Grampa Joad “damned,” there’s no real malice in her threat. However, the novel portrays her religiosity with more fondness and kindness than some of the other fervently-Christian characters, such as Mrs. Sandry. Her recognition of the spiritual wisdom of Jim Casy’s humanism and the lack of venom in her chiding Grampa has more reason and proportion than Mrs. Sandry’s condemnation of people for dancing. Alternatively, we can read Granma’s version of Christianity as folk practices done out of habit, slightly empty but charmingly traditional and, above all, harmless to others.
