"I was afraid we wouldn’ get acrost," she said. "I tol’ Granma we couldn’ he’p her. The fambly had ta get acrost. I tol’ her, tol’ her when she was a-dyin’. We couldn’ stop in the desert. There was the young ones – an’ Rosasharn’s baby. I tol’ her." She put up her hands and covered her face for a moment. "She can get buried in a nice green place," Ma said softly. "Trees aroun’ an’ a nice place. She got to lay her head down in California."
The family looked at Ma with a little terror at her strength.
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 18. Ma Joad reveals to the family that Granma died earlier and she sat with her body through the night while they crossed the desert. Granma was dead when stopped by border guards at an agricultural checkpoint, Ma says. She admits lying to the guards that Granma was very ill and needed a doctor. But her lie was for the greater good, so that the Joads could continue their journey across the desert. This passage shows Ma’s great strength and powerful instinct for survival. It shows the individual’s willingness to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the family. For Granma knew she was dying and beyond help and went along with Ma’s plan. Ma also demonstrates her tender side when she speaks about Granma being buried with dignity amid the lush green beauty and trees of California.