Ma Joad is one of the main characters in John Steinbeck's novel Grapes of Wrath. Ma is a strong, wife and mother who is the leader of the family. She does anything to keep the family together. In Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck uses two literary techniques, direct description and portrayal of characters behavior, to create the character, Ma Joad. With the use of the literary technique, direct description, Steinbeck describes Ma's physical appearance. He describes her as, "heavy, but not fast; thick with childbearing and work." "Her thin, steel gray hair was gathered in a spore wispy knot at the back of her head.