Grapes of Wrath Interview
With Pa Joad |
Mason: I feel privileged you granted me this interview to help my readers better understand how living through the Great Depression changed family dynamics. The Grapes of Wrath has certainly made your family well known. Let’s start by explaining how your family members interacted with each other before you lost your farm and had to immigrate to California.
Pa: A course Ma held the fambly t’gether. But when we left our lan’ on Oklahoma, the men was in charge. The eldest did the decidin’. Nex’ thing I knowed things were chang’n.
Mason: It sounds like you had a patriarchal family with the eldest man in charge for many generations on your farm. What was the first sign you encountered that dynamics were changing in your family.
Pa: The nex’ thing she done, Ma revolted. She jus’ boiled up on us and went cat-wild. We was all amazed. Ma made up her min’ and refused to go without a whuppin’. So goddamn sassy she wuz. She wouldn’ let the fambly be bust up. I tol’ her she won, an’ to put the jack handle away ‘fore she hurt somebody.
Mason: How did that make you feel, Ma taking control of the family?
Pa: I wus shocked! Jus’ the way she talked was shockin’. The fambly separatin’ was eatin’ on her, and she kep’ the fambly together. Also, I ain’t proud like some fellas. I knowed she won. Ma only done what she had t’ do. It was awright. I jes’ kept peaceful.
Mason: Were you back in charge as the patriarch following that incident or were your family dynamics permanently changed?
Pa: I was back only for a while. After we got acrost the desert, she layn’ with gran’ma, dead all night long, we knowed her strength. Ma asked to set up front with the men. She was awful tar’d and times was changin’.
Mason: Tough times like the Great Depression will change people and their relationships with their families. It sounds like this was just the beginning, though.
Pa: Ever’ dam’ fam’ly was strugglin’. We was hungry and it was getting’ purty mean out there. The fambly come mighty near fall’n, and the fambly ain’t clear no more. There was a time when a man said what the fambly would do. Seems like women doin’ the tellin’ now. An’ I begin to see its need that makes change.
Mason: What was the end result?
Pa: I lost my place. Times a’ chang’n. A fella changes. But people is goin’ on. I ain’t the head of the fambly no more. Woman takin’ over the fambly. Ma sayin’ to do this here, and that there. An’ I don’ even care.
Mason: Thank you for speaking with me. Your explanations will help readers to understand the decline of patriarchal relationships in families in America during the time of the Great Depression. Good luck!
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