The Rise of Materialism Exposed in the Winter of Our Discontent John Steinbeck showed alarm and disapproval at the rise of materialism and the post-World War II capitalist morality found in America during the 1960s. These views were expressed through various characters in his novel The Winter of Our Discontent. This book was about the downward spiral of a good man, Ethan Allen Hawley. Pressured on all sides by influences once considered immoral, but now accepted in the 1960s, Ethan, a grocery store clerk from a family of sea captains and wealthy businessmen, "...traded a habit of conduct and an attitude with comfort, dignity, and a cushion of security" (257). Ethan's son Allen embodies the ideals of the emerging 1960s generation. Growing up in the era of supermarkets, game show scandals, and fixed traffic fines, Allen's vision of "Something for Nothing. Effortless Wealth" (91) represented the exact opposite of his father's. Ethan, a man perhaps too concerned with the past, was a character Steinbeck used to express his voice. Ethan was a man accustomed to honesty, business and respect. Allen lived in a very different world than Ethan. Allen grew up thinking that being dishonest, immoral, and devious was accepted. "Everyone does it. That's how the cookie crumbles." (353), Allen said when confronted by his father for plagiarizing famous speeches for the "I Love America Contest." The only real opposition came when a person was captured. It almost seemed like society allowed these illegal actions as long as the person or people avoided punishment. The only reason Allen seemed upset was because he was caught, not because what he did was wrong. Steinbeck seemed to demonstrate that he thought family history was very important. Ethan showed great persistence in asking Mr. Baker about the sinking of the Belle-Adair, which Ethan's predecessors believed had been purposely burned by the Baker family for insurance money. Ethan's primary motivation in making some unethical decisions came from the internal pressure he felt to live up to the Hawley name. He seemed very awkward and perhaps even ashamed of the fact that he was a lowly grocery clerk in a foreign-owned store that his family had once owned. Ethan began to hate Mr. Baker when he discovered that the Baker family had exploited the Hawleys' trust in them to gain more land in New Baytown by giving bad investment advice..

Topic > The Rise of Materialism Exposed in the Winter of Our Discontent John Steinbeck showed alarm and disapproval at the rise of materialism and the post-World War II capitalist morality found in America during the 1960s. These views were expressed through various characters in his novel The Winter of Our Discontent. This book was about the downward spiral of a good man, Ethan Allen Hawley. Pressured on all sides by influences once considered immoral, but now accepted in the 1960s, Ethan, a grocery store clerk from a family of sea captains and wealthy businessmen, "...traded a habit of conduct and an attitude with comfort, dignity, and a cushion of security" (257). Ethan's son Allen embodies the ideals of the emerging 1960s generation. Growing up in the era of supermarkets, game show scandals, and fixed traffic fines, Allen's vision of "Something for Nothing. Effortless Wealth" (91) represented the exact opposite of his father's. Ethan, a man perhaps too concerned with the past, was a character Steinbeck used to express his voice. Ethan was a man accustomed to honesty, business and respect. Allen lived in a very different world than Ethan. Allen grew up thinking that being dishonest, immoral, and devious was accepted. "Everyone does it. That's how the cookie crumbles." (353), Allen said when confronted by his father for plagiarizing famous speeches for the "I Love America Contest." The only real opposition came when a person was captured. It almost seemed like society allowed these illegal actions as long as the person or people avoided punishment. The only reason Allen seemed upset was because he was caught, not because what he did was wrong. Steinbeck seemed to demonstrate that he thought family history was very important. Ethan showed great persistence in asking Mr. Baker about the sinking of the Belle-Adair, which Ethan's predecessors believed had been purposely burned by the Baker family for insurance money. Ethan's primary motivation in making some unethical decisions came from the internal pressure he felt to live up to the Hawley name. He seemed very awkward and perhaps even ashamed of the fact that he was a lowly grocery clerk in a foreign-owned store that his family had once owned. Ethan began to hate Mr. Baker when he discovered that the Baker family had exploited the Hawleys' trust in them to gain more land in New Baytown by giving bad investment advice..