The Flood and the Boxcar Camp

Describes the final crisis of the novel: the winter floods that destroy the boxcar camp and lead to the stillbirth and the final act of charity.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Rising Water

The Threat The Rain Begins The winter rains start. The Joads are living in a boxcar camp. The stream beside the camp begins to rise. The men build a levee to hold back the water. The Labor Pa Joad, Uncle John, Al Joad, and other men work through the night. They pile mud and willow branches. The levee holds for a while, but the water continues to rise. The Break A fallen cottonwood tree crashes into the levee, breaching it. The water pours into the camp. The men are exhausted. The flood is unstoppable.

The Stillbirth

The Tragedy Rose of Sharon's Labor Rose of Sharon goes into labor during the flood. Ma Joad and Mrs. Wainwright attend her. The baby is born dead. It is a shriveled, blue mummy. The Grief Rose of Sharon is devastated. Ma Joad hides the baby in an apple box. Uncle John takes it away and sets it adrift in the flood. The family mourns in silence. The Impact The stillbirth is the culmination of the family's suffering. It represents the death of hope. But it also clears the way for the final act of compassion. The family's grief is profound.

The Barn and the Starving Man

The Final Act The Shelter The Joads wade to higher ground and find a barn. Inside, a boy sits beside his starving father. The man has not eaten for six days. He is near death. The Decision Ma Joad looks at Rose of Sharon. The girl understands. She sends the others out. She lies down beside the starving man and offers him her breast milk. The Mystery Rose of Sharon smiles mysteriously. The act is both shocking and sacred. It is a gift of life from death. The novel ends on this note of profound humanity.

during the winter rains, near the end

during the flood

after the flood, the final scene