As Tom’s political involvement increases, the reader notes
a change in his character. At the beginning of the novel, Tom asserted that
he was interested only in getting through the present day; thinking
about the future proved too troubling a task. Now, however, devoted
as he is to his family and his fellow migrants, Tom begins to look
toward the future and its possibilities.
The Weedpatch camp changes not only individual characters
but also the interactions among groups of characters. Thus, we witness a
shift of power taking place within the Joad clan. Always a source of
strength and indomitable love, Ma Joad begins to move into a space
traditionally reserved for male family members: as Pa Joad suffers
one failure after another, Ma is called upon to make decisions and
guide the family. The altered family structure parallels the more
general revision of traditional power structures in the camp. The
farmers now make their own decisions, delegating duties according
to notions of fairness and common sense rather than adhering to
old hierarchies or submitting to individual cravings for control.
As Jim Casy had predicted in Chapter 10 when he insisted on helping
Ma salt the family’s meat, when faced with unprecedented hardship,
people can no longer afford to stratify themselves according to
gender, age, or other superficial differences.
