In this chapter, we see how the deterioration of the Joad family parallels the downward spiral of their economic fortunes. Granpa, unable to tear himself from the land, died the moment they left the farm. Without Granpa, Granma's health also fails rapidly, and Rosasharn shares that once they get to California, she and Connie want to branch out on their own. Ma sees her family crumbling and begins to fight desperately to keep them together. Her desperation to keep the family together is so great that she responds to any immediate threat with drastic measures. When the broken-down car prompts Tom to suggest that the family split up for a short time, Ma reacts with violence, grabbing the jack handle and demanding the family remain intact. She realizes that outside forces are tearing them apart; without their home, nothing is left to bind them together. With this recognition, Ma again restates the theme of survival through group unity, "All we got is the family unbroken. Like a bunch of cows, when the lobos are ranging, stick all together."
With Ma's revolt comes a shift in familial power. Although she had deferred to the men in the group, Ma had always been a reckoning force in the family structure. Recall that at the truck-side family conference she had roamed the perimeter of the men's circle, but decisions were not made without her input. Yet it must be noted that Ma was not an early feminist. Quite clear about her traditional role as comforter, nurturer, and protector of the family, she also realizes that something of Pa's strength was taken when he lost the ability to provide for his family. For the sake of family unity, she must temporarily take control.
