Throughout The Grapes of Wrath, Rose of Sharon serves as a minor character that seems to not have much of a purpose. In earlier chapters, the audience is told that she is Tom’s sister, is married to Connie Rivers, and is pregnant. She occasionally speaks her mind but never says anything of great importance. Usually, she is either making an obvious observation or is complaining about the conditions and the possible effects that they could have on her own health and the health of her baby.
Her biggest worry is that her baby won’t be healthy or won’t even be born. This means that she must stay healthy as well. When the dog is hit by the car, Rose of Sharon isn’t worried about the dog. She instead fears that her seeing such a sight will somehow affect the baby. It is hard to tell if this reflects selfishness or selflessness toward the baby. Another example of this possible selfishness is when Al announces that he will be getting married. The rest of the family celebrates while Rose of Sharon is discomforted. Instead of feeling happy for Al she thinks of herself and her own failed marriage. These examples of Rose of Sharon thinking of herself before others make it hard for the audience to connect with her character.
In the last chapter of the novel, Rose of Sharon does something that stuns the audience and makes them question any presumptions that they had about her. At this point, Rose of Sharon’s baby has just died and the group is leaving the flooding town. They then encounter a starving man in a cave and without saying anything Rose of Sharon signals for the others to leave. She then proceeds to breastfeed the man. This ending forces the reader to reflect on Rose’s character and can be interpreted in many different ways. My own interpretation is that this event is meant to serve as a reminder of the kindness and humanity within the people who were called “Okies”. All in all, Rose of Sharon’s character is truly one of a mysterious nature, and it is evident that it goes through some definite changes throughout the novel. From her baby’s death to the odd smile that comes across her face in the end, there are many pieces of Rose of Sharon’s character that people can only hope to understand.
Great American Novels 2020 