ection. They include the blood relatives of the Joads, plus Rose of Sharon's new husband, Connie, and the community's former preacher, who has lost the calling and is invited to throw in his lot with this migrant band. Connie, who has married into the family, never really becomes one of them, while the preacher eventually proves his worth by sacrificing himself to save his adopted family.
By the time they reach the high desert at the California border, they have lost some members. Grandpa is the first to go, dying along the side of the highway grasping a handful of dirt. Grandma soon follows him, and Connie turns out to be unworthy of marrying into the family, abandoning his pregnant wife in the face of the hardships that bring the others closer together.
As Ma surveys the desolate landscape and the unknowns ahead, she vows, "The family's got to get across." Ford makes clear the power of family bond
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