Materialism and Inhumanity in John steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl

CONCLUSION

The study of Materialism and Inhumanity has a prerogative that consists in reinterpreting and rewriting American people's behaviors during the thirties that are thoroughly altered by an extreme desire to acquire wealth. American people culture is overdetermined by money-making attitudes so much so that they are deeply affected by a lack of moral values.

Having no ethical peculiarity owing to the extreme acquisitiveness of social success, the American society during the thirties had difficulties in reconstructing the much fragmented society. As a result, they were less committed to impose upon themselves a worthwhile conduct so as to live properly in solidarity. The American society is confronted with a problem of material success. They have no true moral values and focus on wealth which warps their human nature. The result of this extreme materialism is that the American nation remains morally and socially in a state of regression and its inhabitants are far from privileging and conserving the respect of human values.

In a materialistic society, there can be no solidarity because everyone tries to get money to the detriment of someone else in order to get better one's life. So, there is a position of exploitation, debasement and brutality. The American society, conscious of it, but does not appear to get rid of the perpetual and cruel yearning for social success. Steinbeck's perspective seeks to reconstruct the American nation's cultural, political and social policy in order to provide the American people more civilized conducts.

Steinbeck's writings exemplify the question of human values in America during the thirties. He contends that his nation is doubly affected by the power of money and the craving for modernity. A sense of human anxieties and loss of moral values are rife in the American society. The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl reflect the unsettling state of mind of American citizens. These people cannot live decently in adopting an acquisitive frame of mind which is based on a system that does not extol the virtues of moral values. Thus, working classes have undergone the brutal effect of materialistic landowners. And this materialism causes what George Lamming calls «fractured consciousness.»^6(*)8 In his autobiographical novel, he underlines the terrible change of cultural values that occurs in his village in Barbados where the poor villagers used to lead a peaceful existence. Now these village dwellers live in a country where material comfort and personal interest prevail. This is the stark reality during the thirties in America whose most of its inhabitants lost their ethical values and led a selfish existence.

In The Pearl as well, Steinbeck depicts a community that is in the throes of critical situation. The people of La-Paz village in The Pearl are equated with opportunist people who live in a country where material success and self-interest are the main concerns. Not only is money a priority, but it plunges also the whole country into violent behaviors. People are unable to quench their intense desire for money and solve their social turmoils. Just as the landlords in The Grapes of Wrath, they are divided by personal interests. These opportunist landowners are stimulated by economic privileges. Their sense of selfishness does not create good conditions for a better existence in the country

The story that Steinbeck narrates in The Grapes of Wrath is an attempt to delineate his painful experiences next to the migrant farmers and to impose order on his society. He lived in a society that was under the influence of money. Steinbeck was dissatisfied with his society for being torn by an extreme wish for material gain. It is interesting to remark that the lust to get money is not only the cause of man's inhumanity in America. The truth is that American people attach less importance to the virtues of dignity and solidarity and their leaders just work selfishly for themselves monopolizing resources and obstructing any gateways to social and political progress for poor people. This fact is paradoxical to modernity because the latter is synonymous with progress.

The American nation is still victim of extreme materialism and consequently, cannot be socially in advance. This fact leads the country in a situation that offers no way out owing to the excessive exploitation of the economy by rich people. Thus, wealthy people, irresponsible and passive landowners were not up to alleviate such difficulties as unemployment, poverty, social unease, etc that inevitably lead to an expansion of brutality and backwardness.

In The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl, Steinbeck highlights through this issue, the consequences of materialism on American people who are short of moral principles and of a worthy economic system that favors social progress. At the same time, Steinbeck criticizes these landowners for adopting selfish behaviors and political backwardness. The American society is doomed to remain in an acquisitive state for good so long as its population turns their backs on moral values and makes material achievement a priority. This conduct creates a heartless disorientation through people's acts. The landowners in The Grapes of Wrath or the pearl-buyers in The Pearl are «materialistic» and/or adopting «inhumane» ways to satisfy their financial desires.

The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl represent the vanity of rich people. It's true that material success brings comfort but it causes also sorrow and fatality. The greatness of Steinbeck's work is that at any level the two novels are well told to make us think about the future in a materialistic world. In every case, many people believe that material prosperity can solve all their problems, which is not exactly right. In short, a loyal and rational consideration should be granted to the quest for wealth in order to live placidly together.

* ⁶⁸ George Lamming, In The Castle of My Skin, New York, Schocken Books, 1983, p. XI.