When Rose of Sharon is first introduced in The Grapes of Wrath, we learn that she is expecting a child from her new husband, Connie Rivers. She is described as a mystical being whose primary concern is the well-being of her child, even at the almost ridiculously early stage of her pregnancy at the start of the novel. It is this concern that illustrates Rose of Sharon?s transformation from misfit to Madonna through the Joad?s journey.

Rose of Sharon incessantly asks Ma Joad if ?it?ll hurt the baby? throughout a majority of the novel, and adopts an attitude of superiority over others with her precious possession. She all but refuses to help the family pack the truck for California for fear of disturbing her fetus, even though she knows her help is needed. Her selfish antics and complaints are patiently absorbed by Ma, who tolerates her primarily because of her condition. Rose of Sharon knows that she is now an exception to the normal rules and exploits

Rose of Sharon?s dreams of a perfect life start to fall apart when Connie deserts her suddenly. She can no longer find comfort in shared thoughts of a white-picket fence, and is forced to face reality. However, instead of concentrating on the Joad family crises, she diverts her worries fully to her baby once again. She reverts to childish antics such as refusing to dance at Weedpatch because she thinks it might be bad for the baby. Her life becomes superficial now, rather than illusory, in order to escape her harsh reality once again.

When Rose of Sharon?s baby is finally born, she expects to be rewarded for every moment and thought devoted to the life of her child. Instead, the baby is dead; her energies have been wasted, overcome by the reality she tried so hard to avoid by plunging her actions into the care of her child. She finally, truly sees that she must accept and take on reality in order for life to go on. So, when the Joad family comes across the starving man and his son, Rose of Sharon sees

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Approximate Word count = 679
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)