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

2- MAN'S CRUELTY TO MAN

Man lives in society where his acts have mutual consequences. All human beings are interdependent. Their individual or collective life shows them the fault not to commit. In fact, a form of regulations takes place between individual and collective interests. These rules make the world livable with cultural identities that we call morals. Thus, these moral values constitute the social barriers which make it possible to live harmoniously in society. But, when people violate these moral principles, they directly plunge into a perpetual anarchy.

In fact, these moral values are transgressed, as one can see, by pearl buyers in The Pearl or by landlords in The Grapes of Wrath who privilege personal interest. Selfish behavior creates social disarray and can be regarded as a frame of mind characterized by an acquisitive behavior. This covetous conduct exploits and violates the rights of other people. Such a behavior is often immoral. Therefore, talking about disorder is tantamount to carelessness and disrespect for moral tenets in a society. In other words, there is a strong incapacity to comply with the social norms. Thus, this confusion results from a greedy attitude of rich property-owners who seek merely to get rich. This materialism is more visible through The Pearl and The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck describes this chaotic situation with prosperous landowners and pearl-buyers who resort to repellent acts in order to satisfy their individual needs. These rich people believe that their victims, that's to say, the farmers in The Grapes of Wrath or the poor people in The Pearl are weak and deserve to be exploited. That is why capitalists are insensitive and act regardless of the consequences.

Thus, solidarity and sincerity lose their places to the detriment of opposite behaviors which do not honor the human being. Consequently, the conduct of every man for himself reigns.

A - SELFISHNESS AND HYPOCRISY

Indeed, one can clearly see that these two terms (selfishness and hypocrisy) converge towards the wrong side of human life. It is in this regard that Steinbeck points to the fact that the migrants' great suffering is caused not only by bad weather or simple misfortune but also by the attitude and behaviors of their fellow human beings. Steinbeck's work is nourished by his experience that he amplifies in order to denounce the secret pain of a community who is victim of self-interest, crime, dishonesty and extreme search of profit.

As one can notice in The Grapes of Wrath, these misbehaviors cause farmers' migration towards unknown countries in which they think as the favorable place to find a solution to their problems. Thus, migrant farmers found at their great surprise a city in which competition, insincerity, lack of consideration for others and excessive quest for material comfort are the main behaviors. In other words, an intense individualism resulting from an extreme greediness was the source of all evils that American society had endured during the thirties.

In fact, Steinbeck shows how the American materialism is so terrible in a country we're used to considering as a reference. This extreme materialism makes people heartless because rich landowners exploit small cultivators. Thus, farmers are paid so lowly wages that they can survive and keep on working for wealthy property-owners.

It is significant to remark that through The Grapes of Wrath, the structure of the urban setting favors also landlords to the detriment of migrant farmers. This is quite reminiscent of the thirties when the capitalists lived in the most attractive and breathtaking places whereas the poor farmers dwelt in unlikely places. This brings about a feeling of inferiority but also of frustration among the farmers relegated to a lower status. Thus, most of them lived in poverty and in the fringe of society like Rosharon Joad who starts fantasizing about the attractive things that seem elusive to her and cannot help finding optimistically ways to acquire the comparable privileges as the rich landowners (p 180).

Having been oppressed for a long time by rich people, poor farmers are desirous of reversing the miserable condition into which they are inhumanely plunged.

In The Pearl, the Doctor is cut off from his social norm. He is morally corrupted when he sets his heart on having money. This indecent and acquisitive behavior is also visible through the Priest who turns a blind eye to the moral values. The Doctor, just like the pearl-buyers and the priest, unabashedly adopt unfair conducts to get money. The horrible thing is that they all grow into deviants and intentionally ignore the social norms.

Extreme aspiration of social success can be compared with self-destruction. In other words, wealth, instead of bringing happiness, jeopardizes one's life. This fact is noticeable through the dialogue between Kino and his wife, Juana :

«Kino, this pearl is evil. Let us destroy it before it destroys us.

Let us throw it back in the sea where it belongs. Kino, it is evil, it is evil.

' `No he said.' I will fight thing. I will win over it we will have our chance» ^1(*)1

Thus, the attachment of Kino to the pearl constitutes a threat for his life and that of his family. Moral corruption is one of the highest expressions of materialism because man simply adopts demeaning aspects such as hypocrisy, egocentricity and brutality in order to get rich. And worst of all, this materialism turns to humiliate human nature and create a feeling of rivalry.

It is viewed that extreme materialism and selfishness go hand in hand. One cannot be extremely materialistic without deeply being selfish. Money incites man to turn one's back on moral values. This incentive is visible through Connie Rivers' behavior in The Grapes of Wrath who lonely preferred go looking for money than keep the stability of his family.

Steinbeck's novel, The Pearl, lays emphasis on a greedy country that is riddled with violence and social unrest. Kino and his family are harassed by what Steinbeck calls «greedy behavior». They are torn by constant violence that hampers all attempts to have a decent life. The only disturbance is that they are overwhelmed by a feeling of selfishness and extreme competition for material achievement. They cannot help being mistreated by the cruelty of La-Paz community in The Pearl who had an extremely money-oriented and selfish behavior.

As an eyewitness of the thirties era, Steinbeck pinpoints the strained tension between rich landowners and poor farmers. The deprived cultivators suffered from an «economic and psychological degradation» and are engaged in a rough struggle against this ruthless agricultural system. And unavoidable is this violence when the poor farmers have had enough of this humiliating and heartless oppression and as a result, resort to other ways to survive.

In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck points out the importance of land especially in America to enhance its development, as it is visible through this paragraph :

«It's our land we measured it and broke it up.

We were born on it, and we got killed on it, died on it.

Even if it's no good, it's still ours.

That's what makes it ours, being born on it, working it, dying on it.» ^1(*)2

It is significant to notice through this paragraph above, how important the land was. Although they have mere harvests, these farmers live in solidarity. This situation makes farmers feel comfortable and avoided violence which played havoc with the welfare of each and everyone. But during the removal of their lands a feeling of dissatisfaction, bitterness and unavoidable violence spawned. Actually, the agrarian system is cruel as Steinbeck says : «The bank is something more than man, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it but they can't control it. » ^1(*)3

Here one can remark how cruel the situation is. The prosperous landlords know how to establish at the same time clever systems on which poor farmers remain always oppressed. The poor laborers are left to their own lots with no economic and political power on which they can lean in order to improve their living conditions.

Similarly, Steinbeck's fictional work, In Dubious Battle^1(*)4 also describes the account of a strike by agricultural laborers in order to better their living conditions. One can see that the endless pursuit of material possessions increases the disparity of the American population between affluent landlords and poor farmers. Therefore, this discrepancy creates the poverty of farmers who are obliged to borrow money from the rich. One can remark that landowners avail of this situation to behave dishonestly. Consequently, man is no more the cure of man because everyone tries jealously to gain the maximum of possession to the detriment of someone else.

This frame of mind turns the American culture into an individualistic society. This individuality was often the source of all difficulties happening to the migrant workers as well as for all immigrants who plan to come to the supposed Promised Land (California).

One can also notice that the removal of farmers in chapter twelve is full of troubles. By lack of means to survive farmers preferred take the road «highway66» which is regrettably the favorable place to undergo the corruption and the self-interest of rich landowners. Thus, this harsh competition for material success makes the American area hostile. As one can see also in Abdoulaye Sadji's novel: Maimouna, which is very descriptive, for Abdoulaye Sadji depicts his town as: « in Dakar we didn't pay attention to anybody, every house counted about twenty tenants all as indifferent as the others, selfishness was the rule»^1(*)5, meaning everyone minds one's own business. The desire to acquire more profit encourages rich people to adopt egocentric behaviors to the point of defining man according to his possessions. This fact is also visible through this paragraph : «The last clear definite function of man_ muscles aching to work, minds aching to create beyond the single need_ this is man.»^1(*)6

In other words, this definition obliges rich landlords to consider only their own interests. This fact is as well noticeable in the episode where Kino finds the great pearl which is tantamount to wealth. Thus, all the community tries acquisitively to have Kino's pearl even if is necessary to hurt him. Steinbeck shows how rich property-owners create a situation in which everybody focuses on one's own interest. This misbehavior allows also landlords to exploit individual interests in order to prevent the possibility that the combined interests of farmers generate a revolt.

It is visible to remark from the beginning of The Grapes of Wrath that an egoistic rule is imposed on the car drivers. The system obliges the car drivers to carry nobody as it is said through this dialogue:

«The hitch-hiker stood up and looked across through the windows.

«Could ya give me a lift, mister?» The driver looked quickly back at the restaurant for a second.

» Didn't you see the NO Riders Stickers on the win'shield?» ^1(*)7

This regulation permits to keep the car driver alone and fed up to the point of becoming insane. This fact prevents the truck driver to have no contacts with the people in the course of his journey in order to do his job mechanically and efficiently. It is clear that man has a feeling of appropriation because he is naturally egoist and wants always to preserve one's ownership for fear to lose it. That is the reason why man has tendency to mark the boundary of one's possession. In this regard, Pa Joads endeavours to behave altruistically but one can see that his selfish nature betrays him in such a way that he thinks only about himself. This egocentric nature is a feeling of security as it is well illustrated in this part:

«Joad pointed to the boundary fence. ` That there's our line.

We didn't really need no fence there, but we had the wire, an' Pa kinda liked her here.

Said it give him a feelin' that forty was forty.»^1(*)8

In other words, man naturally wants to protect one's property in order to be more sheltered. That is the reason why Pa Joad wanted to enclose his house to better know the limit of his dwelling. As one would expect, this fact is as much normal as each of us needs to secure one's belongings in order to be at ease. But, this self-interest is healthy contrary to what Steinbeck wants to demonstrate through The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl. Thus, the selfishness that Steinbeck denounces is the behaviour which thrusts people to use heartless acts to reach one's objective.

Viewed from this angle, it is clear that in The Grapes of Wrath, the false tactic done by rich landowners to attract more farmers in the city is a way to create a situation in which the demand for work becomes higher than the supply. Thus, this fraudulent method allows landlords to decrease wages. The selfishness of wealthy landlords turns into a feeling of racial intolerance and fear. The intolerant feeling goes so far as to marginalize migrant workers because rich people are afraid of migrant farmers whom they consider as an obstacle, as it is illustrated in this paragraph: «She hesitated a long time. «Tom, this here police- man he called us_Okies. He says,' we don't want you goddamn Okies settling' down»^1(*)9

In other words, prosperous people marginalize poor farmers in order to make their integration more difficult in the city. Thus, many of the evils that infect the Joads in The Grapes of Wrath and Kino's family in The Pearl come from egoism and corruption, hence their countries become hostile. All those misconducts are due to an excessive desire to satisfy one's personal interest. Similarly, in The Pearl, Kino led a modest and calm life until the day when he finds a pearl of great value and the whole community starts interesting in his family. In this way, Steinbeck presents the American way of life which is based on making greedily money even it is required to resort to unreliable conducts in order to achieve one's objective. Thus, this misconduct is also perceptible through the Doctor's deeds in The Pearl. As one knows, the role of a doctor is to heal people regardless of race, ethnic group or wealth. In reality, a doctor does not have to compromise the ethic of his profession. However, the Doctor in The Pearl forgets the deontology of his job because he does not worry about the recovery of the boy when bitten by a scorpion. Thus, when the Doctor hears about the pearl, he acted as if he was really concerned with Coyottito's health. In fact, the Doctor's wish is to gain only money. As well the priest who, after having heard about the pearl, immediately starts to think about the repairs in the church that can be made thanks to the great pearl. Thus, the priest who wants to extort money from Kino's family displays hypocrisy by putting the material goods beyond the spiritual values. It is clear that the quest for money guides the doctor and the priest not to fulfill their duty. Money represents the only key capable to facilitate one's needs. Thus, whether you get a misfortune or to be in poor health, the main importance is to get enough money, if not people do not take care of you. On this account, dishonesty becomes a clever way to reach one's objective. Therefore, greediness motivates landowners to maintain an organization that drives thousands of farmers into poverty besides the selfishness that reigns between migrant farmers.

However tough materialism is, it does not only thrust property-owners to adopt individualistic behaviors but it drives also migrant farmers to be insensitive. Consequently, every migrant farmer thinks merely about one's own interest without worrying about the collective goods. This eccentricity is also visible within the Joad's family. For example, when Tom Joad goes out of prison he is far from being altruistic, although he had a strong love for his family. Steinbeck really points out the fact that the suffering of the migrants is caused by climatic facts but also by their own mates. One should not forget that historical, social, and economic circumstances separate the humanity into rich and poor, ruler and dominated. Thus, people in the dominant role struggle hard to preserve their positions. This fact permits actually to understand the concern of The Grapes of Wrath which deals with the eviction of farmers while relating their anger as well as the nation's inheritance of an extreme selfishness. Thus, material success does not always mean human progress. In fact, a few people monopolize the wealth and become regardless of poor people. This selfish accumulation causes a lack of solidarity which generates a antagonistic climate because everyone cares only about oneself. And what really matters for everyone is to survive at all cost. In chapter fifteen, the people who work at «the diners on Route 66» adopt deceptive behaviors towards migrant farmers in order to get rid of them quickly.

In the same way, certain people like the intruders in The Grapes of Wrath preferred break farmers' association because of the money they get from rich landowners. Thus, such a shameful behavior is frequently adopted by tractor drivers or by property-owners^2(*)0. Thus, the life that poor farmers expected in California is nothing but a dream because once there they face only difficulties and sadness. Some farmers leave their families in order to find better conditions. But, a number of migrant cultivators consider their families as an obstacle to their own development. Connie is an illustrative example in chapter twenty, leaving his family out of selfishness because he thinks he can make a better life for himself away from the Joads. Connie's selfish conduct is also visible in Uncle John's deed because Uncle John preferred wasting his money instead of giving it to his family who were in need. Thus, extreme greed drives these people in a way that they have no alternative but adopt self-centered conducts. This misdemeanor is more visible in this dialogue between a tenant farmer and a tractor driver in chapter five where the tractor driver replies selfishly :

«Sure the Driver said `well, what you doing this kind of work for - against your own country?

`Three dollars a day'. I got damn sick of creeping for my dinner - and not getting it.

I got a wife and kids. We got to eat...» ^2(*)1

This hard situation obliges the tractor driver to mind only his personal need rather than concern with the communal interests. In fact, property-owners create a situation in which everyone focuses on the achievement of one's own desire. Thus, poor farmers' selfishness is almost caused by landowners' mistreatments. The vice of materialism changes what defines the real nature of man. Therefore, the moral values are relegated to the background while making immoral acts such as insensitivity and deception a priority. Thus, these iniquitous conducts constitute the essential condition to become rich.

This immorality is the result of obsessive materialism. In this respect, moral codes that are built on emotional nature and good manners are disdained because they constitute an obstacle to landowners' wish for social success. Yet, it is this lack of moral values that incites Steinbeck to answer on the way one should behave in society. The owners, therefore, forget or refuse to understand that immorality leads to brutality. And this fact is a source of terrible conflicts which can bring about the destruction of human life. In other words, the fact of being extremely selfish towards one's fellows is a part of the price that prosperous landowners have to pay for having become too cynical. Thus, rich landlords resort to drastic means to undermine the unity of farmers. Those bad acts plunge these people into ceaseless conflict as it is illustrative through this paragraph :

«The deputy stager and Tom put out his foot for him to trip over. The deputy fell heavily- and rolled, reaching for his gun...The deputy fired from the ground....suddenly, from the group of men, the Reverend Casy stepped. He kicked the deputy in the neck and then stood back as the heavy man crumpled into unconsciousness.» ^2(*)2

In other words, material comfort constitutes a cause of disagreement and sometimes leads to crime. In the paragraph above, deputy and farmers collapse into a fatal quarrel to preserve their life. The given definition of selfishness above suggests that materialism identifies itself like a productive conception. In fact, materialism is related to selfishness because the latter is a belief in which one has to get more profit no matter how. This materialistic conception is clearly exposed through The Grapes of Wrath. Thus, in chapter five Steinbeck qualifies rich owners like a «monster that breathes profits and never be satisfied». Through the excerpt above, Steinbeck shows that the acquisitive system is cruel and offers a situation with no solutions. This fact is more visible through this part: «The driver said `Fellow was telling me the bank gets orders from the East. The orders were, `Make the land show profit or we'll close you up'. But where does it stop? Who can we shoot? I don't know. May be there's nobody to shoot. Maybe the thing isn't men at all...» ^2(*)3

Thus, Steinbeck lays the emphasis on the tenacity of the bank to make more profit. Through the paragraph above, one can notice that farmers are in a deadlock. Thus, what really matters is to get more money. This fact creates a passionate competition for wealth. As one can see, property-owners consider individual achievement and egoism like integrating parts of success. Hence, one should resort to Marx Weber's thesis^2(*)4in order to better understand this self-seeking conduct. For Marx Weber, «the American nation has been mainly Protestant since its origin and many of its economic leaders have contributed their own success in business with a set of convictions that Weber calls 'Protestant ethics'»^2(*)5. In other words, these beliefs encourage American people to adopt inconsiderate behaviours and focus on material possessions as if there was an insufficiency of goods. And due to this scarcity people fight continually.

In fact, the people of La-Paz village in The Pearl as well as the landowners in The Grapes of Wrath grant more importance to material success. This strong attachment to money motivates these people to act brutally. Consequently, one can notice that human rights are based on «war of all against all» ("Bellum omnium contra omnes") according to Thomas Hobbes's view.^2(*)6 In other words, landlords as well as pearl-dealers consecutively in The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl have a narcissistic and insatiable desire which drives them to act maliciously.

In The Pearl, a manifest selfishness is visible through pearl-buyers' behaviours. These pearl-dealers do many tricks to prevent Kino from becoming rich. The life of Kino and his family are changed by the greed of his community who want to deprive him from his treasure. It goes for rich property-owners as well in The Grapes of Wrath who elaborate insensitive strategy to keep small farmers always poor.

According to Steinbeck's viewpoint, rich people are animated by a great sense of acquisition. This intense desire is the cause of the excessive egocentricity among people. Thus, this acquisitive behavior can be destructive and plunges the American society into disaster.

* ¹¹ John Steinbeck, The Pearl, op. cit., p. 61

* ¹² John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, op. cit., p. 35

* ¹³ John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, op. cit., p. 35

* ¹⁴ John Steinbeck, In Dubious Battle, New York, Penguin Book, Edition, Covici, Friede, 1936

* ¹⁵ Abdoulaye Sadji, Maimouna, Présence Africaine Edition, 1958, chapter xiv, p 153

* ¹⁶ John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, op.cit., p. 164

* ¹⁷ John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, op., cit., p. 7

* ¹⁸ John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, op., cit., p. 30

* ¹⁹ John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, op. cit., p. 236

* ²⁰ John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, op.cit., pp. 380 - 381

* ²¹ John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, op. cit., p. 38

* ²² John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, op. cit., p. 292

* ²³ John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, op. cit., p. 40

* ²⁴ Saparta Marc, The American Ethos, public Attitudes towards Capitalism ad Democracy, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, Translated by Herbert MC Closki, Capitalisme et Démocratie l`Amérique juge de ses valeurs, Russiere and Saint Armand Edition, Septembre, 1990, p. 22.

* ²⁵ Marx Weber, The Protestant Ethics and the spirit of capitalism, translated by Charles Scribner's son, Edition Lyceum, 1959, p. 122

* ²⁶ Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, or the Matter, Form, & Power of a Common-Wealth, Ecclesiastical and Civil, London Andrew Crooke, 1651, Chap. XIII. p.117.