Moral Disintergration of America Exposed in The Winter of Our Discontent

Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker” illustrates how an individual’s corruption results from their ability to resist temptation, the virtue to act generously, and the self-discipline to perform genuinely. Temptation, symbolized by the Devil and characterized by desperation in this prose, is that catalyst that forces Tom’s proverbial ball to roll. First and foremost, Tom chooses a shortcut home out of ease and lack of time that “like most shortcuts... was an ill-chosen route (280);” along his path of “smothering mud (280)” and “half-drowned, half-rotting [hemlocks and pines] (280)” –likely representative of the comeuppances of giving into temptations–Tom confronts the Devil for the first time and eventually ends up selling his soul

Stubborn and passionate about becoming part of the prosperous capitalist economy (which is the tone Steinbeck carries out throughout The Grapes of Wrath), they forget about humility, honesty, and selflessness. The tone, along with the repetition of the three dollars a day the aggressors earn, reflects their cold-hearted determination to risk all that ever mattered to them in order to savor the wealth. They become part of the meaningless crowd that, blinded by dollar signs, believes that affluence leads to happiness, making money their number one priority.

America may be a young nation compared to those around those around the world and we as a nation have achieved a lot in our years. One battle that we have been fighting since the birth of our nation however is one against our own people. For years we have been divided by the colors of our skin and our heritage. Although Caucasian people may be the majority of our population, individually there are just as diverse of people in their origins as the minorities of this country. It just isn’t as apparent as having a culture branded into a skin tone. America is known as a melting pot of races from all over the globe. A lot of people seem to have forgotten where they came from after generations of searching for the “American Dream,” thus creating a typical “white American”. One instance where the white Americans banded together and discriminated against one race occurred after the bombing at Pearl Harbor. The racism that occurred against Japanese Americans is not as talked about as slavery, but the fact that it is talked about so little just goes to show that Americans are willing to sweep horrendous acts against our own people under the rug.

When Ethan passes by his family’s graveyard, the narrator says, “For years that quiet company had mocked his restlessness, his desire for change and freedom” (Wharton 30). Ethan reflects on his year attending college in Worcester and working for an engineer in Florida before his marriage to Zeena. After his marriage, Ethan makes plans to move with Zeena to a big city where they can “see the world,” yet his circumstances stand in his way of his success (Wharton 42). Ethan never forgets his desire for a better life. The fifty-two year old Ethan Frome continues to buy a copy of the Bettsbridge Eagle, a magazine that tantalizingly displays ads for “Trips to the West,” business success stories, and the latest scientific discoveries (Wharton 9). However, as the young Ethan grows wiser and realizes the impossibility of life beyond Starkfield, his dream

He is even more afraid of losing his father’s trust after Abner hits him “hard but with out heat”(280) not for telling the truth, but for wanting to. Sarty is conscious of the fact that if Abner knew his desire for “truth, justice, he would have hit”(280) him again and that Abner’s recommendation that he “learn to stick to” his “own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you”(280) is more of a threat rather than fatherly advice. Sarty learns to stifle any qualms he has and overlook his own developing morals in order to defend his father’s cold-blooded attacks. In the face of Abner’s “outrage and savagery and lust”(286) and the ever-present conflict these emotional outbursts cause, Sarty’s sense of obligation to his father out weighs his desire to “run on and on and never look back”(286). He hopes being forced out of town will transform the side of Abner that possesses an “inherent [ly] voracious prodigality with material not his own”(279) and he will be satisfied once and for all. As father and son walk within sight of an impressive manor “big as a courthouse”(280) owned by Major de Spain, a wealthy landowner with whom Abner has struck a deal to farm corn on his land, Sarty knows at once that “they are safe from him”(280). His father’s “ravening”(281) envy could not possibly touch these “people whose lives are part of this peace and dignity”(281). But, Abner is seething with “jealous rage”(281) at the sight of the de Spain

Through the various primary sources, a theme of hypocrisy is introduced, revealing the constant contradiction of freedom in America during the 19th century. This theme is exemplified in “America”, a poem written by James Whitfield. The poem begins with the lines, “America, it is to thee, / Thou boasted land of liberty, - / It is to thee I raise my song, / Thou land of blood, and crime, and wrong” (Whitfield “America” 1- 4). Within the first four lines of the poem, Whitfield introduces the notion that America, albeit boasting of freedom, is truly a land of wrongdoing. This idea is further enhanced later in the poem, as it is mentioned, “Oh no; they fought, as they believed, / For the inherent rights of man; / But mark, how they have been deceived / By slavery’s accursed plan” (Whitfield “America” 37 -

As a first generation child whose parents immigrated from another country, I was fortunate enough to receive excellent education and opportunities that was not offered to them. During that era, those privileges may have been difficult to obtain due to racial segregation, poor living circumstances, and/or lack of time and commitment due to work. As of today, these issues are no longer a major problem. Although, education has never been better and opportunities have been even more achievable, David Brooks argues that the upper/middle classes are preventing the lower class from “joining their ranks” because of the egocentric methods that modern day families now utilize to their advantage. In his New York Times editorial “How We Are Ruining America,” Brooks explains how we (as the upper/middle class) have been ruining America by preventing the lower class from receiving the same privileges. Brooks then elaborates his argument by giving several examples like: improved parent supervision and planning, zoning restrictions, cultural codes, and even gives a personal experience. Even though Brooks provided a substantial amount of evidence, he mostly utilizes his powerful tone and writing skills to support his argument.

Tim Simson, a man that Oakhurst took money from in gambling, showed up with his fiance Piney at the outcasts’ camp. Oakhurst “won the entire fortune . . . then handed [Tim] his money back” (3). This represents Oakhurst as a hypocrite himself because a gambler’s purpose is typically to earn as much money as possible, and instead he gives the money back. This transaction of money between a good gambler and a careless gambler reveal John Oakhurst’s true identity as a kind, caring man.

The professor sums up a theme common across all three texts discussed in class, the concept of Americans being “bankrupt of love” (Dauphinee, 4). This bankruptcy of love remains undiagnosed for much of the story, though is often hinted at. The professor bristles at any challenge to her book, the only true proof that she exists in the world she is so detached from and finds it hard to accept deviations from her clean-cut sense of ethics. Her strong adherence to her ethics is two-fold: an example of American arrogance and an indication of how adrift she is in the world, with only her work to provide an anchor. She remains loyal to her understanding of ethics because she considers herself an authority in the field, rightly so, and sees others as inferior to her in that respect. But she also uses her knowledge as a shield against the raw emotion of the outside world from which she feels disconnected. Any flaws in her analysis and understanding had to be disregarded or her sense of world order would crumble.

While some historians have dubbed the period after the War of 1812, an “Era of Good Feelings”, the continuous increase of events such as the Missouri Compromise, strengthened the sectionalism in the country and led to a contradiction in the title given to that time period. Politically, America grew more divided as more parties arose, separating the people by their different opinions on how the government should be run and ultimately, who should become our next president. Economically, there was tension between agriculturalists who continued to sink deeper and deeper in poverty as manufacturers continued to grow affluent, due to economic laws passed by the government which favored their growth. Therefore, while the period was labeled an “Era

Everyone, in this swooping vision of a post-apocalyptic Chicago, is divided from birth into one of five factions, like high-school cliques or college fraternities, except that they’re built around valuing a single human virtue. Amity are peacenik tree-huggers who tend the land; Candor tell the truth and – this really must be a brave new world – go into law and politics.

Although some consider material wealth to represent one’s worth, no financial measure can express the value of personal integrity when an individual encounters moral challenges. In Toni Morrison’s A Mercy, the author explores this concept through the behavior and character of Jacob Vaark, a white farmer trying to make a living in the New World. Initially committed to avoiding slave trade, he involves himself by accepting Florens, a fourteen year-old, from the affluent D’Ortega to repay a debt. This decision begins his spiral from modest sustenance farmer to obsessed, narcissistic landowner who then destroys himself and his legacy. Consumed with building a mansion as a monument to him, Vaark loses his path and his moral clarity and

Just like in the book Montana 1948, I would like to write to you about how human nature is explained through loyalty and justice. As we have gone to school together for seven years, I would like to show you how the faults of our human nature can be explained through what has happened in Montana 1948. Throughout the book, the faults of human nature are seen as loyalty outweighs justice as seen through Frank molesting Native American girls. His loyalty to his brother, Frank, and his prejudice towards Native Americans questions the belief of justice. He has received all his power from his parents, so it is nearly impossible for him to go against his family. However, Wes is stuck between his father, a powerful, intimidating man and his wife,

Through the use of foreshadowing, the story has suspense to carry out the main message of importance of benevolence to the readers. In the novel, Ethan meets a man by the name of Link Hornsby, who has a bad reputation. He also meets Ike, a cook at the Chow Down diner warns Ethan about hanging out with Link, saying, “You wanna screw up your life hangin’ with the likes a’ Hornsby, you go right ahead.” (Aker, 253) This foreshadows how Ethan’s life was controlled largely by Mr. Hornsby, as he introduced gambling to Ethan and he became addicted to it. By the end of the book, his life was on the

Many people try to argue that there is not a moral decline going on. I have heard things such as, “the ratio of moral people and unmoral people is the same as fifty years ago; as the population grows the amount of moral and unmoral people grow too.” And what about “life around us is changing, we just have different priorties and values which determine our morals.” Everyone has their own idea of morality, what’s right and wrong and what is causing this moral decline, if there even is one.