Reyna+Duran

** Societal Issues ** “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Individuals often experience different types of emotions…anger, fear, frustration, when faced with difficult situations. The different types of emotions may cause an individual to forget what really is important, unity. In //The Grapes of Wrath// by John Steinbeck, he portrays how difficult it was for the migrants to try to survive the changes that were occurring during the 1930’s. //The Ways We Lie// by Stephanie Ericsson//, Civil Disobedience// by Henry David Thoreau, and //On Compassion// by Barbara Lazear Ascher each analyze and write their point of views on their specific topic and find reasons for that subject, as well as depicting their injustice. No matter what type of injustice one is dealing with, one must not confront it on their own but rather as a whole with people in the same situation.

An example of how Steinbeck reinforces the idea of uniting to form as one is in chapter three with the turtle on the road. The turtle has a hard-outer layer that he can go into whenever trouble is presented. Therefore, the turtle overall represents the families struggling to overcome the injustices presented to them. In one occasion, the turtle was hit by a truck driver, “And now a light truck approached, and as it came near, the driver saw the turtle and swerved to hit it.” (22). The truck driver had no reason to hit the turtle that was just trying to get to its destination. Here, the truck could represent industrialization; it represents the change going on. It is modern, new, and industrial, while the turtle is old fashioned and steady but still manages to get to its destination. After being hit, the turtle still gets on its feet and moves forward toward his journey, “Lying on its back, the turtle was tight in its shell for a long time. But at last its legs waved in the air, reaching for something to pull it over.” (22). The shell protects the turtle while family is the protection from each other. In other words, they become one single individual piece. The truck is a model for injustice while the turtle is the model in confronting injustice; which makes them both be in duality with one another. The families, as well as the turtle, still keep going even when faced with difficult obstacles, showing the reader that they persist on going on. While the families need to move forward, they also have to forget about their past in order to achieve to their destination.

Before moving to California, the families had to either sell their belongings or leave them behind. In chapter three, Steinbeck writes how the men went out to sell what they could for almost no price; the buyers took advantage of their situation because they knew the farmers needed whatever money they could get. Unfortunately, the farmers could not do anything about this particular injustice because of the fact that they needed money for the long trip to California. “Sell ‘em for what you can get…No more use for anything.” (117). The people had to get rid of everything because they had no room to take it all, even though it meant leaving a piece of themselves behind. In order to move forward and live their lives, the people had to forget their past or else they would not be able to overcome the obstacles ahead of them. It seemed as if the people were living in their past without hope of ever forgetting it, “How can we live without out lives? How will we know it’s us without our past? No. Leave it. Burn it.” (120). They wanted to move forward but had no clue how. They confronted their problems by selling and burning their possessions, they were somehow letting go of the past and were able to move forward with the changes happening in their lives. The only way to get to California was on the road and the migrants saw how corrupt society really was.

Steinbeck describes Highway 66, Chapter twelve, in great detail in order for the reader to imagine the road and the struggling migrant farmers. Seeing how the farmers needed car supplies and other necessities, the car salesmen took advantage of them and charged them more for the things they needed. They had no other choice but to pay the overpriced parts since that was the only way they could continue their journey. “They look a fella over. They know he got to go on. They know he can’t wait. And the price goes up.” (162). Instead of helping the farmers and charging them less, the salesmen increased the prices. This goes to show how the salesmen were only looking out for themselves and going against the farmers rather than joining them in their struggle as well. In other words, they made the farmer’s journey much harder than it already was. “What do ya think a guy in business is...Fella in business got to lie an’ cheat, but he calls it somepin else. That’s what’s important…They call that sound business.” (164). If the farmers stole from someone, they would be considered thieves, however, if someone tried to charge more than the regular price, that would be considered business. Everything was corrupt and the only way they could confront the injustice would be to stop buying car supplies and join together as a whole. In the end however, it is up to the individual to accept or decline the corrupt business that is occurring throughout their journey.

Anger towards the Okies was presented in Chapter twenty one. The Californians blamed the Okies that, because of them, there was more competition for jobs. Not realizing that they were both in similar situations, needing money in order to keep food on their table. It was a competition for survival; the Okies just wanted to survive with what little they had. “The local people whipped themselves into a mold of cruelty. Then they formed units, squads…We own the country. We can’t let these Okies get out of hand.” (386). They had more fear than anger towards the Okies; they thought they would overrun everything they had lived for. In reality, the Californians did not own the land but felt as if they did. They felt as if they were a level up than the Okies but they were both in the same situation. The real injustice would be if they came together, they would have to sacrifice more than what they already had. They had no motive in fighting each other; there was enough land for everyone. They were not fighting for the details but rather then the scraps that were left behind. One way to overcome the injustice of fighting for scraps was to focus on the larger structure, put behind their differences and join together. “And this was good, for wages went down and prices stayed up. The great owners were glad…” (387). The owners were pleased to see the people fighting for jobs and asking for lower wages. They did not care for the people, only for themselves and how much money they were making. Even though struggles cause a person to grow and develop, they do not have the resources to survive and the owners were taking advantage of their situation. It is nearly impossible to survive alone, which is why we need the company of others.

Chapter twenty five is very vital to the novel overall. Steinbeck grasps all of America into his novel; it is everyone’s story. “The decay spreads over the state, and the sweet smell is a great sorrow on the land.” (476). It is one piece of land, therefore everyone is poisoned by the system; center or end, it is all attached to one whole piece. In the end, the farmers, the Okies, and even the salesmen are all the same because they are affected by the corrupt system. It is similar to grapes in a vine, where the people are the grapes. One vine with many grapes is connected to one soil, where the soil represents society. Unfortunately, when one single grape is damaged, the whole vine is no good anymore because it affects all of them. The injustice is that one cannot escape corruption. The very nature in our society causes injustice where it is inevitable to beat. It is as if the system is somehow locked up and every person in the novel is caught up in it. However, Steinbeck advocates that the “soil and system” have to be fixed and coming together is the goal.

Towards the end of the novel, specifically in Chapter thirty, where Rose of Sharon delivered a “blue shriveled little mummy” (603) signified how there was no hope for the family. Yet, there is limited kind of hope when Rose of Sharon saves the dying man’s life. This shows how even though people have literally lost everything, there is still some hope left in them to try and survive. Without hope and people still standing next to someone, they will not survive in an unjust society.

Lying is the form most used as an injustice to people. Stephanie Ericsson describes in her essay //The Ways We Lie//, the different types of ways a person can lie. Telling lies to people is corrupting society, but as Ericsson put it, “Four lies in the course of a day, none of which I felt the least bit guilty about.” Everyone is so used to saying lies that it becomes a part of our daily lives and people forget about what is right from wrong. In Chapter twelve on The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck states how the car salesmen were omitting the fact that the cars were not in good conditions. “You wanta charge us four bucks for a busted casing.” (Grapes of Wrath, 164). The car salesmen were business men that only cared about making profit for their own benefit. They did not care if they were harming the migrants and lied to them about the cars they were selling. The only way this injustice can be stopped from happening is by stop saying lies, but as Ericsson points out, “…telling the truth all the time is nearly impossible.” It seems as if society is so corrupt that people have to lie in order to get ahead. Their pride and stature is more important than helping others.  Henry David Thoreau thought strongly about justice and how injustice should not be permitted. He was imprisoned for one day because he failed to pay his taxes; however, this did not bother him for he states, “under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.” He advocates the need for justice and how even just men should also be imprisoned. Although he did not make much of a change, he still persisted on what he thought was right, which was that people should not follow unjust laws. “Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?” Thoreau believes that people think they should wait until they are the majority, but really, when is it time to stand up for one’s self? Although the government has the majority of the power, and chances are they always will, one should stand up for what they believe in, for example how Thoreau did. His willingness to try and stop injustice did not succeed, if only he had support from other people and joined as one, the effect could have been greater.

Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is suffering by misfortune while feeling a strong desire in alleviating the suffering. That is what Barbara Lazear Ascher wanted to know where it came from, from a desire to help others in need or for pity? Is it unjust for someone to feel pity or not? Ascher retells the happenings of two different occasions where she witnessed compassion. However, were both situations for compassion or care? In one instance, Ascher sees the true meaning of compassion when a coffee shop owner gives coffee and bread to a man standing outside. After analyzing the situation, Ascher came to the conclusion that is was true compassion that compelled the woman to give the man coffee. “We cannot deny the existence of the helpless as their presence grows. It is impossible to insulate ourselves against what is at our very doorstep. I don’t believe that one is born compassionate.” As Ascher pointed out, one must learn to be compassionate towards others. If we are not, society as a whole will never excel.

Injustice is fought off as a whole rather than a single individual or else it might not be as successful. Injustice comes in many forms, yet it still has the same meaning to it. It is the violation of the rights of others. Unity and hope are the most important factors in surviving in an unjust society. **Works Cited** R. Duran Ascher, Barbara Lazear. "On Compassion." 29 Mar. 2009 <[]>.  Ericsson, Stephanie. "The Ways We Lie." 29 Mar. 2009 <[]>. __Injustice Quotes__. 29 Mar. 09 .

Steinbeck, John. __Grapes of Wrath__. New York, N.Y: Penguin, 1992.

Thoreau, Henry D. "Civil Disobedience." __The Thoreau Reader__. 29 Mar. 2009 <[]>.