The Creed of Greed: Ethan's Abandonment of Moral Standards Mihika Sathe 11th Grade

Succumbing to the influence of one’s surroundings is a natural human tendency, and although external factors aren’t always negative, they can have the effect of completely altering an individual’s personality. Nowhere is this theme more evident than in John Steinbeck’s works. In seeking to paint an authentic picture of the American reality, Steinbeck explores the theme of external factors determining one’s outcomes when faced with adversity. The Winter of Our Discontent by Steinbeck exemplifies this theme, as the main character Ethan Hawley transforms from being honest and hardworking to being greedy and corrupt due his family’s dissatisfaction with their low economic status, and Ethan’s friends pressuring him to regain the wealth he once had. This societal influence pressures Ethan to ruin many relationships, and it completely reshapes his identity. Ethan’s moral degradation isn’t caused by his own desire for change, but rather, it is caused by the internalization of the shame of those around him.

Ethan recognizes his undesirable situation, yet he does nothing to change it, as he wants to maintain his morals. Ethan describes himself as “the grocery clerk, the failure, the man without real hope or drive…. caged by habits and...