Rose of Sharon, also referred to as Rosasharn, is a sister of Tom’s. She is pregnant, and married to Connie Rivers. Rosasharn often falls victim to superstitious concerns about the health of her baby-to-be, and loves to wallow in her guilt. At the book’s close, Rosasharn serves as an iconic symbol of the text by breastfeeding a grown man to rescue him from starvation.
Rose of Sharon Quotes in The Grapes of Wrath
The The Grapes of Wrath quotes below are all either spoken by Rose of Sharon or refer to Rose of Sharon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 10
Quotes
And now they [the Joads] were weary and frightened because they had gone against a system they did not understand and it had beaten them.
Related Characters:
Tom Joad, Ma Joad, Pa Joad, Rose of Sharon, Grampa Joad, Granma Joad, Al Joad
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18
Quotes
“They's a time of change, an' when that comes, dyin' is a piece of all dyin', and bearin' is a piece of all bearin', an bearin' an' dyin' is two pieces of the same thing. An' then things ain't lonely any more. An' then a hurt don't hurt so bad, cause it ain't a lonely hurt no more, Rosasharn. I wisht I could tell you so you'd know, but I can't.”
Related Characters:
Ma Joad (speaker), Rose of Sharon
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Rose of Sharon Character Timeline in The Grapes of Wrath
The timeline below shows where the character Rose of Sharon appears in The Grapes of Wrath. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8
...his family. Uncle John has gone into town with Ruthie and Winfield, Tom’s youngest siblings. Rosasharn (short for “Rose of Sharon”), Tom’s sister, is now pregnant and living with her husband,...
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Chapter 10
The rest of the family comes back from town with Rosasharn and Connie in tow; the men are disappointed that they only managed to get eighteen...
(full context)
Chapter 13
...vehicle only slows down briefly to survey the damage it has done before speeding off. Rosasharn worries that watching the dog’s gory death might hurt her unborn child. The gas station...
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Chapter 16
Rosasharn tells Ma that once the group arrives in California, she and Connie plan to live...
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Chapter 18
Granma raves in the stifling heat, yelling out at Grampa Joad. Rosasharn looks after her, and is distressed, but Ma Joad explains that birth and death are...
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A sheriff pokes his head into the tent that houses Ma Joad, Rosasharn, and Granma. He calls the family “Okies” and tells them that they aren’t welcome to...
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Chapter 20
Rosasharn and Connie argue about their future. Connie remarks that if he had known things would...
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...tells Pa that they need to leave, because the camp will likely be burned tonight. Rosasharn cannot find Connie, and Al reveals that he saw him walking south along the river—he...
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Chapter 22
Rosasharn is approached by a religious zealot named Mrs. Sandry, who warns Rosasharn about the dangers...
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The three women in charge of the camp’s Ladies’ Committee visit Ma and Rosasharn and explain how their committee regulates some aspects of camp life, particularly sanitation. The three...
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Chapter 24
...dance, Al flirts with a girl, but is chased away by the girl’s mother. Meanwhile, Rosasharn agrees to come to the dance with Ma, but on the condition that she can...
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Chapter 26
Rosasharn complains that she is undernourished and worries for her child. Ma gives Rosasharn her gold...
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Chapter 28
...and the Wainwrights’ sixteen-year-old daughter, Agnes, are going to get married. The families rejoice together. Rosasharn is discomforted by the news, and is determined to try and pick cotton the next...
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...in the morning. As the family drives back to their boxcar, a heavy rain begins. Rosasharn shivers violently and complains of feeling ill, and the family rushes to make her comfortable.
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Chapter 30
...go with the Wainwrights if the families split up. On the third day of rain, Rosasharn goes into labor. The Joads have no option other than to stay.
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...Pa returns from the failed effort to build the dam, Mrs. Wainwright tells him that Rosasharn’s baby was stillborn. Pa agonizes to Ma about his responsibility for the failed dam, but...
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...food down. The boy begs for milk or soup to give his father. Ma and Rosasharn exchange a wordless glance, and Rosasharn says “Yes.” The family leaves the barn, and Rosasharn...
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