How Steinbeck's Character Doesn't Understand Herself

So, Rose of Sharon is so stereotypically pregnant it's terrifying. It's stated that, before the pregnancy, she was apparently very bold and outgoing, yet now she's rather secretive (it even says on page 129 that she's "all secrets now that she was pregnant") and somewhat quiet. I first listened to this book on tape and then scanned the physical book for extra detail, and the narrator depicted Rose of Sharon with a very quiet and almost nervous voice.
In Chapter 13, she witnesses a dog being hit by a car and almost constantly asks, "D'you think it'll hurt?" or "You suppose it might of [sic] hurt?", both referring to her unborn child. Being afraid that witnessing something gruesome is bad for a child is like thinking the sound of jackhammers is bad for a child.

Though this happens a decent bit later, she also is terrified by a zealous woman (something I will also have to talk about in a future post) who tells her about women who were doing some form of "evil" dancing who died suddenly. This causes her to be absolutely horrified, and almost inconsolable, until her mother explains to her how nonsensical it all was.