You are on page 1of 8

David 1 Victims of capitalism? An idea can spark a revolution. A revolution can change the status quo.

No time is better than this to discuss the ideas of economic change opined by John Steinbeck in his novel The Grapes of Wrath. The economic alternative suggested in this novel, when observed in the limelight of history, proves that capitalism with all its problems is the best system man has ever devised. The Grapes of Wrath was written during the Great Depression, a time when poverty was the only possession bequeathed by man. This book portrays capitalist institutions as the culprits for the hardships suffered by the Joads; however, it is the choices made by the Joads and the scarcity of moral values in humans that actually lead these migrants through their misery. As every action has a reaction every choice has a consequence. The Grapes of Wrath discusses the choices made by the Joads and the consequences they suffer due to the choice they made. At the very moment they decide to belittle Benjamin Franklins advice their fall to misery begins. Ignoring the advice The borrower is a slave to the lender and the debtor to the creditor the Joads and a majority of the migrants decide to borrow money. The reader can understand when and why the Joads have to borrow money. Even though the explanation on how banks survive is true, it does have a negative undertone that suggests a grave injustice on the part of the banks: A man can hold land if he can just eat and pay taxes; he can do that. Yes, he can do that until his crops fail one day and he has to borrow money from the bank. But you see, a bank or a company cant do that, because those creatures dont breath air, dont eat side meat. They breathe profits; they eat the interest on the money. If they dont get it they die (Steinbeck 33)

David 2 This quote from the book raises the question of whose money does the bank have? Where did the bank get the money from in order to lend the farmers? It is clear that the money loaned is from the initial capital investment done to create the bank or the money invested by other people in the banks. Now, is this money invested to make profit or to help those who need money? The bank and the investors need profit to survive. If they do not care about profit then these institutions are like charity organizations. Nobody invests money in banks for a charitable cause. If done, it is a donation and not an investment. The banks did not go to the Joads it was the Joads who went to the banks in the first place. It is true that the Joads never foresaw such a future, but it must be taken in to consideration that the world does not turn according to peoples will. In such a situation man is forced to think of removing such institutions by applying alternative economic systems for capitalism. When survival comes into play not only do banks act unethically but also humans share the same trait. Man, to subside the hydrochloric acid that burns in his and his familys belly, is forced, at times, to take immoral decisions. This is evidently seen when Joe Davis son comes to demolish the houses. When he is confronted with the question of the ethics of his actions he says, Cant think of that. Got to think of my own kids you got no call to worry about anybodys kids but your own. You get a reputation for talking like that, and youll never get your three dollars a day (Steinbeck 39). The entire novel discusses how people have lost their values and how they try to exploit another mans helplessness. The very exploitative mind in people itself is more than enough to prove that it is the scarcity of moral and ethical values in humans that lead the migrants to their misery. In order to get one hundred workers the farm owners print two hundred advertisement sheets and bring in three hundred applicants. This creates a competition among the applicants, which results in hiring the person who is willing to work for the least wages. This

David 3 way the owners capitalize the money earned through such an immoral act into their profit. This is the main highlight of exploitation that can be found in The Grapes of Wrath. Other than this there is a plethora of other incidents that prove that the greed for wealth has made man go insane. Even though exploitation is seen at its peak through the treatment of the migrants in California, it is not circumscribed to the migrant experiences in Californian alone. For example: the incident where the car dealer using his rhetorical skills, pushes the customer to buy a junk car, the place where the tire dealer sells tires for more than its worth by looking how desperate the buyer is, the conversation between people where they say, I hear business man talkin about service, I wonder whos getting screwed. Fella got to lie an cheat, but he calls it somepin else steal that tire an youre a thiefthey call that sound business (Steinbeck 131), the explanation on how the one-eyed mans boss sets the price for a commodity, and, the place where Mr. Thomas explains to Tom Joad how wages are decided and how increased wages will cause unrest can be seen as the exploitative episodes the Joads and the migrants go through. All of these incidents tell the reader how brutal and selfish man is. This is what Steinbeck wants to correct. This is why Steinbeck is trying to remind the reader of the old lost values that once made man humane. During a time when the very founders of capitalism must have lost their faith in it, John Steinbeck calls for a different economic system in The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbecks exposure to socialist philosophy was during 1932 when the American Communist Party decided to help the migrant workers in California. It was through Francis Whitaker, a well-known sculptor, that Steinbeck got acquainted with many communist and socialist thinkers (Meltzer, 77). The economic system suggested in The Grapes of Wrath is socialism (Barry, 111). Steinbeck suggests that people ought to help each other and uproot that selfish devil in them. The most

David 4 outstanding episode where the human quality of helping and sharing is seen where the incident that takes place in the sandwich store when Mae gives the man candy for lesser than its price and the truck drivers pays her more than the price of what they buy. This is the kind of value that Steinbeck is trying to reintroduce to us. This is not an isolated incident that takes place in the novel. The novel has many incidents that show goodness in people just as it also shows evil in them. Steinbeck by incorporating many good moments of kindness, love and sharing tells the reader that hope is not lost. This novel has several instances where people who have lost everything help each other. For example when Sarry Wilson shares her tent she says, People needs to help, the Joads and Wilsons share their vehicle, the free will of the campers to help each other, and, the time when the Joads help fix the Wilsons vehicle all show Steinbecks vision for a perfect society. Steinbeck wants people to change the I and mine attitude to we and ours (Steinbeck 165). Through these incidents it is evident that Steinbeck is trying to instill some sort of value in us. However, these suggestions recommending socialism do not help to fill the vacuum created by the greed of people. When The Grapes of Wrath was written, socialist philosophy was at its peak in popularity. Incidents like the Bolshevik Revolution sparked a fire of rebellion against the blood sucking bourgeoisie. The message of The Communist Manifesto spread like a wildfire with an inspiring call to the youth as well as to the proletariat to take up arms and break the bonds that tied them to the lower ends of society. These calls for revolution are echoed in this novel written by Steinbeck. The call for an economic change from capitalism to socialism, as observed now, proves that socialism is a failed utopian or egalitarian dream that never made it to reality. During its popularity socialism was a flower that mesmerized people with its fragrance, but today this

David 5 flower has faded and is now drowning in history. History itself can attest to this sad fact of socialism. Several people, conservatives and those who align with the left have pronounced the death of socialism (Newman 117). The very fact that the existence of communist countries has diminished itself is more than enough to prove that socialism was a story of the past. Communist countries like China and Vietnam have an economy based on capitalist principle, and by hugging socialism North Korea has been able to feed her population with poverty (Newman 117). The collapse of Soviet communism has been a severe blow to socialism (Newman 129). Ralf Dahrendorf author of Reflections on the Revolution in Europe concluded that the historical law of Marxism had been inverted, for it was capitalism that succeeded socialism. (Dahrendorf qotd. in Newman 130). With all these evidences and expert observations it is evident that socialism is a failed economic principle, no matter what the values it puts forth. Therefore, Steinbecks suggestion of an economic change to socialism is not the solution to the problems people face, but a system that can be used to maximize growth and a society that will not fall for greed is what this nation needs. Capitalism has been a tool to enhance the principles of individual liberty, a value that this nation has been built on. In short capitalism is a system which involves the investment of money to make more money (Fulcher 18). Capitalism has been evolving to accommodate the needs of the people. It has undergone many changes from anarchic capitalism to managed capitalism and to remarketize capitalism (Flucher 55- 56). The current state of capitalism in America is a result of the remarketized capitalism which helped produce a strong growth (Flucher 71). The superiority of capitalism is evident with the global acceptance of capitalism (Flucher 99). Even though capitalism is successful today the time when Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath

David 6 capitalism was in a crumbled state. Capitalisms success in the present time has come from several falls that caused people to look into other directions. Every economic system man created has had ups and downs. Capitalism, however, comes back with added glory and power after every fall. By the collapse of socialism and communism, capitalism has emerged as the sole alternative for our times. The Great Depression, the 1970s crisis, capitalisms instability, and the present economic recession are all examples of the crisis that capitalism faces (Flucher 106-116). Capitalism becomes a problem and vulnerable to failure when people decide to abuse it. Capitalism is a system that can motivate people to accumulate money through amoral methods (Flucher 124). The major weakness of capitalism is the motivation to obtain wealth through amoral means. It is this problem of capitalism that pushes the Joads and the migrants through their exploitative situation. Due to the dominant presence of capitalism in this world, it is hard to find an alternative. In order to reform this economic system people should focus for a change within capitalism (Flucher 127). The only change that can come to capitalism is a change in human values. If people are willing to learn from their failures and move themselves away from their greed the risks that lurk behind capitalism can be reduced to a great level. Now, since our faith in capitalism has been shattered, we need to investigate the causes and act upon remedial measures. An economic change to socialism is naive especially when history attests to the fact that socialism is an utter fiasco. Marx, Lenin and Steinbeck are not results of capitalism, but results of mans failure to respect values. As the Joads made their choice and suffered its consequences, the leaders of our economic instituitions are also suffering the consequences of their decisions. The exploitative episodes the migrants had to go through were not caused by capitalism, but by the scarcity of moral values in man. Exploitation is a result

David 7 of the loss of values in humans. When greed takes control of people, exploitation and abuse become mere tools to facilitate the accumulation of wealth. A viable preventive strategy is to reeducate our people to value moral and ethical values more than they are valued today. The best way to carve a good society is by investing in tomorrows citizens by making sure that they will not deviate from their onus and values.

David 8 Works Cited Primary Sources: Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Bantam, 1946. Print. Secondary Sources: Meltzer, Milton. "Chapter 4." John Steinbeck: a Twentieth-century Life. New York: Viking, 2008. 76-77. Print. Barry, Michael G. "Degrees of Meditation and Their Political Value in Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath." The Steinbeck Question: New Essays in Criticism. Ed. Donald R. Noble. Troy, NY: Whitston Pub., 1993. 108-24. Print Fulcher, James. Capitalism: a Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2004. 18+. Print. Newman, Michael. Socialism: a Very Short Introduction. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ., 2005. 2+. Print.

You might also like