Exploration Eight
     I interpret the book's ending as Steinbeck reinforcing what was said by Ma earlier.  There are no families, just people coming together, that's what being poor has done to the Joads/all of the Okies.  Rose of Sharon's act at the end has two meanins.  Literally, she's saving the life of the man by giving up her breast milk - sort of like she's taking care of her baby.  But on the other hand, Rose of Sharon's act represents something greater - Steinbeck is reinforcing that the poor will survive through tribulation because they know what it's like to have nothing, and therefore they share everything.  Rose of Sharon's looking away mysteriously is meant to make the readers think, it's meant to make debate, bring about thought.  To me, the whole situation made me smile because Rose of Sharon has come full circle in the novel - she's changed.  It made me satisfied, because Steinbeck's points were all tied together - the Okies survive because they're one in the same.
     We can learn from The Grapes of Wrath countless life lessons.  Each chapter has its own lessons that are just subtle enough to be considered a story.  Steinbeck does a marvelous job at concealing these lessons enough for the reader to immerse in the story - but still take away the lessons.  I think the most important thing to take away from the book is the idea that people unite under bad situations.  When problems arise, government or no 'government', people will overcome obstacles for the bigger better deal.  It would be well to remember the Joads because they embody virtually every niche one could fit in, in the American family.  The Joads are characters everyone can relate to in one way or another, they're people we know, without knowing.  When we go into their shoes, we see the way to get past obstacles.