Abstract
The following paper is a study of moral principles like social responsibility and ethics present in John Steinbeck’s novels. Moral values have an important role in improving the quality of life. John Steinbeck’s novels have all the moral themes and present social commentary through them. He evidenced a serious interest and background in moral principles especially in ethics and social responsibility in his novels. This article explores the traces of social responsibility and ethics in John Steinbeck’s works.
Materialism and Moral Values
During the thirties the American society was thoroughly altered by an extreme desire to acquire wealth. Steinbeck’s perspective seeks to reconstruct the Americans’ cultural, political and social policy. His novels The Pearl (1947) and The Grapes of Wrath (1939) reflect the unsettling mind of American citizens and the atrocious materialistic land owners. Steinbeck through his characters educates the whole mankind that materialistic pleasures do not last long and states that being compassionate gives a better understanding of life.
Social Responsibility and Group Behavior
The theory of social responsibility and ethics applies in both individual and group capacities. Steinbeck declares that people will always have a better quality of life if they focus on the community around them. He stresses that people need to stick together and help each other if they want to survive and prosper. One of Steinbeck’s recurrent symbols which expresses this concept is sharing the food with the children in the camp by Ma Joad.
Steinbeck says in Tortilla Flat (1935), “Happiness is better than riches,” said Pilon. “If we try to make Danny happy, it will be a better thing than to give him money” (p. 92).
Conclusion
Being morally good gives us huge strength and perseverance to endure challenging situations. Throughout Steinbeck’s novels it is obviously clear that if ethics and being socially responsible is incorporated into daily actions and decisions it not only helps us but also the lives of people around us.
Works Cited
- Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. USA: The Viking Press (1939).
- Steinbeck, John. The Pearl. USA: The Viking Press (1948).
- Steinbeck, John. Tortilla Flat. USA: The Viking Press (1935).
- Durst Johnson, Claudia. Understanding of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, and The Pearl. A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.
- Heavelin, A. Barbara. The Critical Response to John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000.