Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors
used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Rose of Sharon’s Pregnancy
Rose of Sharon’s pregnancy holds the promise of a new
beginning. When she delivers a stillborn baby, that promise seems
broken. But rather than slipping into despair, the family moves
boldly and gracefully forward, and the novel ends on a surprising
(albeit unsettling) note of hope. In the last few pages of his book,
Steinbeck employs many symbols, a number of which refer directly
to episodes in the Bible. The way in which Uncle John disposes of
the child’s corpse recalls Moses being sent down the Nile. The image
suggests that the family, like the Hebrews in Egypt, will be delivered
from the slavery of its present circumstances.
The Death of the Joads’ Dog
When the Joads stop for gas not long after they begin
their trip west, they are met by a hostile station attendant, who
accuses them of being beggars and vagrants. While there, a fancy
roadster runs down their dog and leaves it for dead in the middle
of the road. The gruesome death constitutes the first of many symbols
foreshadowing the tragedies that await the family.
