Family Unity

Ch.16-19, Assignment D

"the twenty families became one family, the children were the children of all. The loss of home became one lose, and the golden time in the West was one dream...the twenty were one" (193).

At the beginning of their journey the unity between the Joad family was very strong. The idea of family unity was a fundamental element in the Joad's life. However since embarking on their journey the idea of sticking together no matter what occurs has crumbled.
At first, their fundamental idea of sticking together is what seemed the most beneficiary to the Joads. But as their journey progressed, the obstacles the Joads  faced have made their unity fall apart. The first sign of a loss of unity are the deaths of both Granpa and Granma. Later, Noah leaves when reaching the river, for he does not feel like a true part of the family anyways. Rose of Sharon and Connie continuously speak about going into town and starting their own business when reaching California, which further adds to the break in family unity. However, not everyone in the family is alright with the break in unity. Ma, unlike the others, refuses to split the family apart and constantly worries about the lack of unity the family is beginning to have. A final example of the loss in unity is when Tom offers to stay behind with Casy to fix the truck, even though Ma refuses, Pa on the other hand is completely fine with the family breaking apart even more. As the journey progresses, the willingness to leave others behind (something the Joads would have never done before) indicate how the unity is lost between the Joad family.