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Of Greed And Selfishness In John Steinbeck's Grapes Of Wrath

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In Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, a main theme would be greed and selfishness brought on by cultural and economic pressures. The Grapes of Wrath is set in the dust bowl era and depicts a time period in which jobs were scarce and homelessness was prominent. The story is centered around the Joads family who are forced off their land due to the money hungry businessmen. In addition, one of the men driving a tractor for the land owners happens to be a former tenant farmer. When asked by the Joad’s family why one of their own is working for the banks the driver explains, “I got damn sick of creeping for my dinner- and not getting it. I got a wife and kids. We got to eat” (Steinbeck 50). As a result, we see a formerly decent man influenced by

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