The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck

Set in Steinbeck’s contemporary 1960 America, the novel explores the tenuous line between private and public honesty that today ranks it alongside his most acclaimed works of penetrating insight into the American condition. Then one day, in a moment of moral crisis, Ethan decides to take a holiday from his own scrupulous standards. With Ethan no longer a member of Long Island’s aristocratic class, his wife is restless, and his teenage children are hungry for the tantalizing material comforts he cannot provide. GradeSaver, Web.Goodreads Synopsis: Ethan Allen Hawley, the protagonist of Steinbeck’s last novel, works as a clerk in a grocery store that his family once owned.

'The Winter of Our Discontent Study Guide: Analysis'. Next Section Symbols, Allegory and Motifs Previous Section Quotes How To Cite in MLA Format Shaw, Elizabeth. Will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback. You can help us out by revising, improving and updatingĪfter you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. He suggests that Ethan is an allegory for American people who are generally good but find themselves caught in a downward spiral, trying to obtain wealth and status. This statement suggests that this story is not about a specific person or a specific location, but is instead a universal message about the ills of American culture and society at the time Steinbeck was writing. 'Readers seeking to identify the fictional people and places here described would do better to inspect their own communities and search their own hearts, for this book is about a large part of America today.' As Steinbeck states at the beginning of the novel, in a message to the reader: The overriding message of the novel is that American society has lost moral strength due to materialism and greed, resulting in a society where people trample on one another to succeed. As a result of this social pressure, people become desperate and commit immoral actions as Ethan does in the novel.

Ethan is also motivated by external pressures, as his wife convinces him to try and earn more money so they can enjoy a higher social status.Īs such, through Ethan's story, Steinbeck illuminates the social ills of society, where a person's worth is based on their wealth and status. The protagonist is motivated entirely by greed, power, and shame, as his ancestors previously possessed a large fortune and even owned the shop that he now works at. He also gains capital and land by abusing the trust of his friends, making him a difficult character to like. In the novel, Ethan does not rob a bank, but he considers it.

The Winter of Our Discontent is a full-length novel, however, it is originally based on the author's short story How Mr. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck