Greed In The Grapes Of Wrath

Jacob Spaulding
Carolyn Grimm
Great Literature
Mar 13, 2023 Underlying Issue of Greed and it’s Consequences
The society in which we live is devoured by greed in many forms. From large corporations maintaining a stronghold over certain types of businesses to a simple upcharge of rent, this deadly sin seems to be inescapable. This plague however, can be seen throughout the entirety of recorded history, as greed is only part of human nature. The three novels that we have read so far, The Odyssey, Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Grapes of Wrath, are prime examples of greed throughout history.
One may argue that greed is most prominent in The Odyssey, as much of Odysseus and his crew’s suffering stems from simple acts of greed. The first expression of

This event is what sparked Odysseus’ great adventure, as he was a great general of sorts in the Spartan army. And though he fought valiantly within the war showing little flaw, the integrity of his men could be stated otherwise. Just one example of greed that can be observed within Odysseus’ crew when they find themselves in possession of a strange bag and open it, eager to see the wealth they have gained out of coincidence. Alas, the bag was filled with wind intended to carry them home, gifted to Odysseus by Aeolus. Exercising great patience, Odysseus simply orders his crew to keep rowing home. Yet another example of his crew’s apparent greed is seen through their consumption of cattle owned by Helios. Despite being ordered by Odysseus not to harm any cattle they see, they sacrifice many to the gods and feast daily. Helios convinces Zeus to smite the sinners upon the sea,

To begin, Connie, the man Rose of Sharon marries, runs away from the caravan, including his wife, rather early on in the story. It is implied within the story that Connie left the group for personal gain, abandoning his wife in the hopes that he would make a better life for himself. Another example is seen through the greed of the bankers and those who owned the land the poor farming families were living upon. Due to a lack of return, the owners of the land would kick off it’s residents, as seen by the Joad family’s situation. Yet another instance of greed involves the landowners that employed the Joad family after they successfully made the migration to California. It was often seen that, due to the abundance of workers willing to work for a miniscule amount of money, these landowners would lower their wages to an almost unlivable amount of money. Very often, in fact, the wages paid were not in fact livable. Once again, this problem plagued the Joad family throughout the entire story. And though these many atrocities plagued the Joad family, they persevered throughout the novel, and in many ways were the antithesis of the