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comparing and contrasting capitalism and communism
comparing and contrasting capitalism and communism
comparing and contrasting capitalism and communism
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In 2008, Rudra Sabaratnam, the CEO of the City of Angels Medical Center, committed health care fraud when he attempted to extort money from Medicare and Medi-Cal. He was wealthy, yet, his greed for more money led him to cheat the taxpayer-funded healthcare programs of millions of dollars, depriving the people who actually need the help and money. The greed that Sabaratnam had was partly caused by the profit seeking capitalist system. The desire for wealth in capitalist society leads to corruption and causes a divide between the rich and the poor, so perhaps a system that supports equality and fairness is a better choice. The Eastern-European expression,“Capitalism is man exploiting man; communism is just the opposite,” summarizes one of the main ideas in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck’s aversion to a capitalist society is a motif that appears in several of his literary works, but in The Grapes of Wrath he attacks capitalism constantly and he exposes the poverty, cruelty, and greed found in our capitalist system. By emphasizing the wealthy’s insatiable appetite for profit, which forces the migrants to face hardships, Steinbeck accentuates the inequitable aspects of capitalism, and promotes communism as an alternative.
Steinbeck criticizes capitalism by portraying the banks and companies as insensitive monsters who, for the sake of profit, heartlessly force the farmers off their lands. When the Dust Bowl hits, the small farmers lose profit and could barely survive on the little they have, but since the bank “has to have profit all the time,” it callously forces the farmers off their land (pg 42). Capitalism, built on the idea of making profit, gets rid of anything that hinders financial gain. The bank could have a...
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...ving his heroes combat it. In a way, Steinbeck is advocating communism since his heroes have turned to the path that completely diverges from capitalism.
The novel focuses on the negative aspects of capitalism and sheds a positive light on communism. Steinbeck proves that there are many problems in capitalism with the way the migrants suffered during the era of the Great Depression. The economic slump, which many people assume affected the urban populations, was even harsher on the migrants. Steinbeck, throughout his novel, reveals the plight of the migrant workers during the Depression and how capitalism has crushed them. He reaches out to his readers and plants the idea that the glorified capitalism in America is not what it seems, and that any path, even communism, is preferable.
Works Cited
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
In paragraph twenty-five, he consecutively asked questions that brought the entire passage together. By saying, “Is it possible that this state is so stupid, so vicious and so greedy that it cannot feed and clothe the men and women who help to make it the richest area in the world?” the reader's immediate reaction would be yes! They would ask themselves why would the government want those many people to suffer? Why won’t help reach those seriously ill until it’s too late? This not only brings more questions to the imagination but a sense of emotion towards those who struggle daily. His final question in this article suggests that no issue has been in the process of being solved until enough is enough. “Must the hunger become anger and the anger become fury before anything will be done?” Again, we internally answer in the way Steinbeck had intended giving more of an upper-hand on his argument, the government is responsible for the well-being of the
In the world of economic competition that we live in today, many thrive and many are left to dig through trashcans. It has been a constant struggle throughout the modern history of society. One widely prescribed example of this struggle is Upton Sinclair's groundbreaking novel, The Jungle. The Jungle takes the reader along on a journey with a group of recent Lithuanian immigrants to America. As well as a physical journey, this is a journey into a new world for them. They have come to America, where in the early twentieth century it was said that any man willing to work an honest day would make a living and could support his family. It is an ideal that all Americans are familiar with- one of the foundations that got American society where it is today. However, while telling this story, Upton Sinclair engages the reader in a symbolic and metaphorical war against capitalism. Sinclair's contempt for capitalist society is present throughout the novel, from cover to cover, personified in the eagerness of Jurgis to work, the constant struggle for survival of the workers of Packingtown, the corruption of "the man" at all levels of society, and in many other ways.
...he yield of the harvest. Yet there is a failure that Steinbeck perceives. He sees the hungry and starving people. How is it that despite the achievements of the best and brightest of humanity there still exist starving children? The answer that Steinbeck implies in the course of the chapter is that it is the system that is to blame. Any system of commerce that utilizes the best of human knowledge and pools the resources of humanity in its drive to make a profit, but is unable to prevent a child from starving to death, is a failure. It is a great and despicable failure in Steinbeck’s eyes. "There is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize" (p. 349).
Steinbeck manages to create a novella comprising of mainly just conflict but uses it on numerous levels to allow not just the characters but their stories as well to develop as a whole. All of the characters have suffered conflict in one way or another, whether inner or outer conflict but all caused by the conflicted period of time, the Great Depression. Steinbeck's wide variety of literary techniques and effective use of the conflicted time period in a novella manage to create an almost domino effect of conflict, transferring from one to another.
Throughout history, less fortunate people have been set apart or shunned from the general public. In the Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, this statement holds true. Throughout the whole book, all of the less fortunate people are treated like they aren’t even human. This is not much different than how our society is now. In the news article “Major Cities Get Tough With Homeless”, by Angie Cannon, Judy Appel said, “We are saying it is your fault that we have created a structure where there aren’t enough jobs and housing for you to lead a decent life.” (Cannon 1) Appel is saying the same thing Steinbeck was saying in his book. Many homeless people are homeless because they were forced to be that way, and the general public doesn’t realize it.
...however, feels that to solve the plight of the Okies, land should be set aside for them to start their own small farms, since farming is all they know. He also suggests that local committees set wages and labor needs before the harvests to protect the rights of the workers and prevent them from being extorted (Pgs 58-59). While Steinbeck’s ideas made sense and had good intent, the grim reality still remained that the corporations controlled the agriculture industry and that they were going to save every nickel and dime they could, even if it meant a lower standard of living for the Okie. Today, we have unions that attempt to prevent things like this from happening again, but the plight of illegal immigrants demonstrates that the reality of this country’s need for cheap labor remains.
The Grapes of Wrath is a novel written by John Steinbeck, which focuses on an Oklahoman family that is evicted from their farm during an era of depression caused by the Dust Bowl. The Joad family alongside thousands of other refugees (also affected by the dirty thirties) migrates west towards California seeking employment and a new home. John Steinbeck’s purpose for writing this novel was to inform his audience of how many of their fellow Americans were being mistreated and of the tribulations they faced in order to attain regain what they once had. As a result, The Grapes of Wrath triggered its audience’s sympathy for the plight of the Dust Bowl farmers and their families.
In the novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck the author uses excessive profanity, religion, and migrants to show the hard times family’s had to go through in the 1930’s. Most people believe that Steinbeck novel is too inappropriate for high school students because of its content. This novel should be banned from the high school curriculum.
The media makes a significant contribution to the depiction of today 's society. Unfortunately, the news coverage focuses only on the misdeeds and crimes that people commit. Although it has been 76 years since John Steinbeck published The Grapes of Wrath, his argument exploring the reason behind humanity 's tendency to be evil during the Dust Bowl migrant flight to California is applicable to the motivation behind crimes committed today. Throughout Chapter 25 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, he uses the progression of Utopia being destroyed by men through the allusion to the Garden of Eden and the event of Eve biting the apple. The tone shift from harmony to chaos through the aid of the connotations implied by imagery, in addition
Karl Marx 's writing of ‘The Communist Manifesto’ in 1848 has been documented by a vast number of academics as one of the most influential pieces of political texts written in the modern era. Its ideologically driven ideas formed the solid foundation of the Communist movement throughout the 20th century, offering a greater alternative for those who were rapidly becoming disillusioned and frustrated with the growing wealth and social divisions created by capitalism. A feeling not just felt in by a couple of individuals in one society, but a feeling that was spreading throughout various societies worldwide. As Toma highlights in his work, Marx felt that ‘capitalism would produce a crisis-ridden, polarized society destined to be taken over by
The Joads moved across the country towards California. As they went through the state of Arizona, they pulled off the side of the road towards a river. As the men were floating in the river, two more men came up and joined them. As the men got to talking, the topic of California came up. He told the Joads that “‘She's a nice country. But she was stole a long time ago...You never seen such purty country-all orchards an' grapes, purtiest country you ever seen. An' you'll pass lan' flat an' fine with water thirty feet down, and that lan's layin' fallow. But you can't have non of that lan'. That's a Lan' and Cattle Company’”(279). The men the Joads are talking to are explaining how the large corporations and businesses own all of the land in California. Even though all the land in California is not being used, it still can’t be farmed on by all the farmers. Steinbeck uses the word “stole[en]” to describe the land in California. By using this word he is criticizing the large corporations for taking all the land. They didn’t just take any normal land but the “purty country” full of “orchards” and “grapes”. This imagery reveals how fertile and luscious California is. Describing California in this way, demonstrates how all the people there should be thriving, while instead they are living in slums and starving to death. According to this passage the farmers should have food to spare, but because of the large industries this is not the case. So ultimately, Steinbeck is critiquing capitalism. First, he shows how the family farmers, which are the majority of the population, can’t make a living any more. Next, he demonstrates that when the power is in the hands of the few rich corporations, the majority of the population is starving without jobs. Steinbeck uses the poor farming families to demonstrate the terrible side of our
` Even though Steinbecks essay could be considered a dated opinion being written in the 19 hundreds. it goes to show his considerably harsh outlook hasn't sadly strayed from our reality all that much from its original publishment. He makes a statement “We are restless, a dissatisfied, a searching people.” Steinbeck may seem brutal and disappointed. but when reading you get a surprising tone of disapproval that doesn't sound hateful. It’s cruel but almost disapproving in a condescending way. He also makes a statement “We are self-reliant and at the same time completely dependent. We are aggressive, and defenseless.”
"In the novel, how does Steinbeck present the lives of ranch workers at that time?"
Labor Unions are not new to the world; in the past, they were simply known by many different names. For instance Guilds, a group of people that band together to protect their goods and services were predominant in medieval Europe and carried over into the American colonies in the eighteenth century. Labor strikes were also prominent in the Northeast, happening as early as the late sixteen hundreds (“A History”). However, labor unions were not as prevalent until after the Civil War when the National Labor Union and the Knights of Labor were founded to combat rapid industrialization. These unions slowly grew larger as conditions grew worse for workers across America. They were constantly held back by pro-business governments, like those of the Gilded Age, and the large corporations that would do anything to make a larger profit. In John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath the Joad family travels to California to escape the Dust Bowl and the stranglehold of large corporations. When they reach California they realize that the prospects in the West are not any better than
One final contradiction that Steinbeck uses in his essay that I have personally witnessed is, "In no country are more seeds and plants and equipment purchased, and less vegetables and flowers raised." It seems like every other week my neighbor two houses down brings home bags of seeds for plants, trees, fruits, and vegetables, yet their back yard still looks like all they plant are weeds. They even hire landscapers to come and work on their yard.