Morality In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

Literature allows the reader to discover more about the world in which we live in and can contribute to the ethics and morals of a person. John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath (1939) gives insight to the struggles of the migrant workers in California and the difficulty to maintain their morality during the hardships they faced. Set in the contextual backdrop of the Great Depression era, the text explores the inhumanity of man towards another man as a result of greed whilst still emphasising compassion and humans’ innate ability to be kind to one another. Similarly, Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See (2014) provides insight on the challenges faced by children experiencing World War Two and how these challenges cause a person to lose
Steinbeck's novel explores the adversity faced by migrant workers and their struggle to sustain their moral view. Through the use of characterisation, Steinbeck tells the story of the Joad Family who migrate from dustbowl Oklahoma to California while also addressing multiple differing perspectives to give a broader view of the life and times. The Joad Family is depicted as proud and honourable and remain so throughout the novel regardless of the challenges faced. Despite the discrimination and hatred towards the family in California, they still maintain their sense of morality. The fearful tone in the quotes "Ma - I got to get away from 'em. I'm scairt I'll kill one." and "Yeah, an' after a while I won't have no decency lef'." shows the difficulty to maintain one’s decency and moral view in the face of adversity. The honest confession stated by Tom Joad to his mother emphasises the effect of a prejudice and hostile environment on a person’s sense of morality. Steinbeck also depicts the broader community of migrant workers that struggle to sustain their moral view. As a result of the tribulations they have encountered in a foreign environment many have been forced to break their moral views in order to survive. This is shown through the quote “to beg for food, to cringe and beg for food, to beg for relief, to try to steal, to lie.” The repetition of the word ‘to’ places emphasis on the desperation of the people and how they must give up their integrity and pride. This draws attention to how morality is shaped as a result of the challenges presented in a certain environment. (It is arguable that a person cannot be forced to break their moral view but it is choice as some choose to retain their morality such as the Joad Family. However, some circumstances