The moral disintegration of America exposed in the winter of our discontentThe winter of our discontent The life of Ethan Allen Hawley, who for so long was held to an irrefutable ethical standard, was about to undergo an unexpected and irreversible change. Likewise he was not alone; progress was descending across New Baytown like the planes swarming “with increasing regularity” (196) at nearby Templeton Airport. With them, a new race was being born, increasingly focused on material wealth rather than honesty and principle. Ethan's fourteen-year-old son Allen was the embodiment of this new morality that money was God and "morals are a painting on the wall and scruples are money in Russia" (from the film Sabrina, 1995). There was only one goal for this “far-sighted group” (141): money; and as Allen clearly states, to them “it's all money, no matter how you get it” (91). Ethan had always believed that there were some “immutable rules” (217) of basic kindness and decency that had always, and should always, govern men. He lived his life simply and honestly, guided by the visions of his grandfather and Aunt Deborah who, from his early youth, had instilled in him this strong moral foundation; he was “the guy with the built-in judge” (153). The rules, however, were changing, and changing quickly. Virtue would no longer be the decisive factor in the face of temptation; if you wanted to take advantage of a situation, "who gets hurt? Is it against the law?" (34). By contrast, under the new standards, acting on one's own behalf would be a crime. The moral consequences were irrelevant; the only consideration was success, and “success is never bad” (239). Those again... in the middle of the paper... in the end, Ethan's plan was a success; the store was his, and the most important property in town was now under his name. The name Hawley would once again command respect in New Baytown. He had only needed to adopt the new morality for a moment, like a man trying on a different suit. . . The only “problem with a well-made suit, it lasts too long” (233), a truth Baker knew all too well. Too late, Ethan realized that abandoning his entire code of ethics was not such a simple matter; even if he returned to his old principles, as if he had never strayed from them, his conscience would be forever marked by his indiscretions. Without the rest of the world noticing. There may have been a little blood on his fingers, but Ethan had fought the battle; and, most importantly, he had won. “After all, in the end” is all dough, no matter how you get it" (91).