John Steinbeck Social Inequality Quotes

Social inequality is a situation where some members of the society enjoy different amounts of wealth prestige and power. The society has placed its members in rankings through unequal economics rewards and power. American society like all other nations has had its systems of socially stratifying its inhabitants. This began from the era of slavery where there was legalized inequality and human ownership among other forms. Zinn portrays this inequality even up to the present where racism acts continue to occur as indicated by the various killings carried out by the police to the black young men with an excuse that they were caught in an act of crime. In the present society, the social class system has dominated the American society. The upper class includes those who are extremely wealthy and they are few, the upper-middle class includes those who have affluent professions like the doctors and lawyers. The other group is the lower-middle class which includes the nurses and small business owners among others with less affluent professions. The others are the working class where most people lie and finally the lower class who are mostly dependants. According to Zinn, American children become conscious of their social class through

Social inequality is an uncivilized ranking scale which was created by simple minded people who held the fear being surpassed. The argument made by Harper Lee in her work To Kill a Mockingbird is that social inequality is a hierarchy that is complex and affects everyone. More specifically, the author argues that the racial boundaries put between the black and white during the 1930’s caused great stress. This is proven in the novel multiple times. The people of Maycomb judge one another based on the background and wealth of their families. Not only do they judge each other within the community, they discriminate against anyone different than them. Social inequality does not only exist in the form of racism, there are many forms; some of the major ones appear in this book. Social inequality based purely on family background, social inequality based on the wealth of the individual and family, and racism. These are three of the major forms of social inequality that appear numerous times in the book.

The only way this novel should be used in curriculum is to teach about privilege and how it can have a positive impact on very few individuals, but an extremely negative impact on far more. Kerouac uses characterization, a specific style and tone, and structure to show how Sal lives his life as a privileged white male in the late 1940s. Each of these topics help to prove how his privilege becomes ignorance, and how he glorifies the unfair lives of the less fortunate and those of color. The story is very unique and helps to provide insight on these topics, but often does so in an unsuitable way. Overall, this novel portrays privilege in a way that exposes how it can cause the romanticization of the unfair and impoverished life of those who are oppressed or a

As William Shakespeare once said “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits, and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts”. Shakespeare's word capture the pure essence of social roles and how people act. In John Steinbeck’s book The Grapes of Wrath prejudice issues are shown throughout the whole book. From how people view certain peoples descent, to the way people talk and how their belongings and needs reflect on how much money they have. Prejudice issues still are around today but are seen more based off of gender, skin color and social class.

Society as a whole is something you make of it, thus if one wants to denounce the society they live in because it is “phony” that is because they’ve made the world around them phony. Looking at Holden Caulfield his a prime example of one being stuck in the idea that society is unchanging, society is just how one’s perceptions of the world in front of them. The eye of the beholder is the one that creates the society of their choice. Therefore, in the end Holden Caulfield is the problem not society, but that should not be a surprise because Holden is in fact the most scalawag to ever have the ungranted, unnecessary fortune of having an entire book written about him.

One of the greediest and meanest characters in the book is the doctor. “‘Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for ‘little indians’? I am a doctor, not a veterinary’”(11). In this quote of The Pearl, the doctor makes it clear that Kino will not be treated because of Kino’s race and doesn’t even regard Kino as a human. A lower class in people’s minds are regarded as intellectually lower, and Kino is not different.

Social inequality is the issue pertaining to the lack of housing, health care, education, employment opportunities, and status. It is the dismissal of people from participation in what we, the members of society distinguish as being valuable, important, socially desirable, and personally worthwhile. There are many different perspectives on social inequality within our society; the three areas I am going to focus on are those of the Functionalist, Conflict and Symbolic-Interactionist.

Social inequality was the unfair treatment based on status. During the late 17th century, the three social classes were the royal and the commoners. The commoners were in extreme poverty while King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were living luxurious lives off their taxes. (Doc 1). The idea of two-head monster that only cared for wealthy and ignore the poor was illustrated in document 7.

Steinbeck utilizes the novel as a form of social protest by enunciating the brutal and inhumane way the wealthier class treat the migrant workers. For instance, in order to not loose any profit from the fields, the affluent bankers decide to forcefully drive the families off the fields using tractors to “bite into the house corner, crumble the wall, wrench the little houses from its foundation”(39). However, the working class does not have the opportunity to refuse this decision because of the desperate

Inequality is a theme that runs throughout all of history. Harper Lee uses the theme of inequality in her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson must deal with inequality when he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit because no one will trust a black man over a white man. The Cunningham family must face discrimination because of their lack of money. Scout even faces inequality when she tries to play with Jem and Dill. The theme of inequality is a strong one in Lee’s book, and her use of inequality doesn’t only define racism, but also discrimination based on wealth and gender.

Doctor Adams goes to a place distant from civilization to deliver a baby. Darkness, wilderness, and dirtiness are images presented throughout the story that apply to the appearance of the India Camp. The description of the Indian Camp highlights racial inequality between the two cultures. After Dr. Adams delivers the baby, he feels exalted: A word that connotates a rise in status, dignity, power, honor, and wealth (Strong 23). This usage of the text is an example of how Dr. Adams sees himself superior than everyone in the room. In addition, he has an immediate desire to record thee operation into the medical journal. His medical journal symbolizes an ultimate authority: a removed, consecrated sign of medical, legal, and institutional power (Strong 23).

In his Second Treatise of Government, John Locke creates an argument that details how individuals attain private property and how some can end up with more property than others. He attempts to justify the resulting economic inequality, but is unsuccessful, failing to address many of the problematic issues that arise from his claim.

     It is stated by John Locke that in the state of nature no man may take more then he can consume. “…make use of any advantage of life before it spoils…whatever is beyond this is more than his share and belongs to others. Nothing was made by God for man to spoil or destroy. (Locke 14)” Locke then goes on to say, “God gave the world to man … for their benefit and the greatest conveniences of life they were capable to draw from it, it cannot be supposed he meant it should always remain common and uncultivated. He gave it to the use of the industrious and rational- and labor was to be his title… (Lock 15)”

Kino and his town are Indian people who have been conquered by the Spaniards, and they considered Kino and his people to be animals. Kino describes, “This doctor was of a race which for nearly four hundred years had beaten and starved and robbed and despised Kino's race.”(15). This quote shows us how cruel the Spaniards. Also, the doctor complains, “Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for 'little Indians'? I am a doctor, not a veterinary.”(17). This explains how the doctor really felt about the town. Even though Kino and the town have suffered through almost every oppression in the world, they still have hope.

Toni Morrison shows social injustice within a one or two line sentence many times in the book. One example of these inconspicuous lines tells about the discrimination towards blacks: “ And although the hair of the first class of colored nurses was declared unseemly for the official Bellevue nurse’s cap...” (p.7 and 8) Another line that shows a social injustice is :“ ...it was the tissue required if the management was generous enough to let you try on a blouse (but no hat) in a store.” (p.54) Toni Morrison tells the reader in these simple few lines the hardships of black people living in the 1920’s.