Selfishness in The Grapes of Wrath

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Indeed, one can clearly see that these two terms, selfishness and giving, converge towards two opposite sides of human life. It is in this regard that Steinbeck points to the fact that the migrants' great suffering is caused not only by bad weather or simple misfortune, but also by the attitude and behaviors of their fellow human beings. Steinbeck's work is supported by his experience that he amplifies in order to denounce the secret pain of a community who is victim of self-interest, crime, dishonesty and extreme search of profit. As one can notice in The Grapes of Wrath, these acts cause farmers' migration towards unknown countries in which they think as the favorable place to find a solution to their problems. Thus, migrant farmers found at their great surprise a city in which competition, insincerity, lack of consideration for others and excessive quest for material comfort are the main behaviors.

In other words, an intense individualism resulting from an extreme greediness was the source of all evils that American society had endured during the thirties. In fact, Steinbeck shows how the American materialism is so terrible in our country, we're used to being considered as a reference. This extreme materialism makes people heartless because rich landowners exploit small farmers. Thus, farmers are paid so lowly wages that they can survive and keep on working for wealthy property-owners.

It is significant to remark that through The Grapes of Wrath, the structure of the urban setting favors also the landlords to the impairment of migrant farmers. This is quite reminiscent of the thirties when the capitalists lived in the most attractive and breathtaking places, whereas the poor farmers dwelt in unlikely places. This brings abou...

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...ragraph above, deputy and farmers collapse into a fatal quarrel to preserve their life. The given definition of selfishness above suggests that materialism identifies itself like a productive conception. In fact, materialism is related to selfishness because it is a belief in which one has to get more profit, no matter how. This materialistic conception is clearly exposed through “The Grapes of Wrath”.

Works Cited

The Pearl- "Novels 1942–1952." John Steinbeck: : Note on the Texts (The Library of America). N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.

"The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck." Libcom.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.

"Archival Vintages for The Grapes of Wrath." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.

Crockett, H. Kelly. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.

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