The Winter Of Our Discontent Character Analysis

Liberty, opportunity, and equality are the main and core values for American people. By this elements, they can reach economic stability, make a nice family, work in an appropriate job, have a prestige status, and a beautiful house, which are main clues for happiness to American people. Otherwise Americans become agitated more with material possessions, disregarding their spiritual ones, including the dignity and honesty. Such a victim is a main character of Winter of Our Discontent ,Ethan, who works as a grocery clerk, has low salary, old house and a lack of house needs. Without money he never feels complete, therefore does not have a chance to fulfill his American dream. John Steinbeck in The Winter of Our Discontent, shows the lost-spirited American man, Ethan Hawley who becomes dishonest by his wife's, children's and his Boss, Marullo's psychological influence, pushing him to achieve the American Dream. Ethan breaks and loses integrity because he is eaten away by his wife Mary. Instead of support she ''dreamed of good fortune, of the money, she wants to be proud''(36),and forces Ethan morally all the time to take risks and become rich no matter in which way. She is dissatisfied with her husband because he is not earning enough money,''everybody is laughing at you. ''A grand gentlemen without money is a bum''(34), these words affect Ethan and he is hurt. That is why, he starts changing himself from honest and pure to dishonest and irresponsible man, who takes care only of himself not thinking about others. Ethan gives Danny thousand dollars to rehab, but actually to drink himself to death and own the land near airfield. In a second time, he writes an illegal letter to the government that Marullo has illegal entry and so, Alfio is deported, leaving his grocery for Ethan. Above all, Ethan takes revenge on Mr.Baker, by owning a grocery store and taking fifty-one percent of the income, because of whom Ethan's father had lost all his money. Ethan shows integrity by compensating the lost money. Another pressure which influences Ethan is coming from his children. Allen Hawley shows the future generation, by lacking work ethic and ignores the family's past history, Aunt Deborah and Captain ''ears may have gone wonky toward the end of his life,but not his memory''(43), who represented morality and ethics. Allen is obsessed with their social …show more content…
Throughout his miserable life, he periodically ''felt the darkness of the world''(23), and sorrow, which is destroying his inner light,''My light is out. There's nothing blacker than a wick''(275). Fortunately, Ellen saves him from suicide, when he totally loses control over himself and can not find any positive in his life, because she knew when he was going out, he would not return. Ellen quietly puts their family's valuable talisman in his coat, and when Ethan's inner self is finally destroyed trying to attempt a suicide, and he finds it, Ethan becomes motivated to return this talisman to its ''own owner''(276). Another person, who determines him and gives a right direction by doing illegal things ,is Alfio Marullo, his boss. Nevertheless, Ethan behaves incorrectly towards him, Marullo always concludes him as the most honest and ideal man.That is why Alfio leaves grocery store to him, because of belief in an American dream, working hard and achieving