Ma was heavy, but not fat; thick with child-bearing and work. She wore a loose Mother Hubbard of gray cloth in which there had once been colored flowers, but the color was washed out now, so that the small flowered pattern was only a little lighter gray than the background. The dress came down to her ankles, and her strong, broad, bare feet moved quickly and deftly over the floor. Her thin, steel-gray hair was gathered in a sparse wispy knot at the back of her head. Strong, freckled arms were bare to the elbow, and her hands were chubby and delicate, like those of a plump little girl. She looked out into the sunshine. Her full face was not soft; it was controlled, kindly.
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 8. When the Joads are forced from their home and have to migrate west in search of a better life, it is soon clear that Ma Joad is the rock that binds the family together. In this physical description of her, the power and strength of her character shine through. Note the use of words like "strong" and "delicate" and "soft" and "controlled" and "kindly." In a challenge to traditional gender roles, she is described in almost a masculine way. She is depicted as a natural leader, strong yet nurturing ahd mothering, determined yet kindly and selfless.