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**//The Grapes of Wrath Synthesis Essay//**
Everyday individuals go through experiences in which they must judge between what is right and what is wrong. Often times their decision may be determined by what they believe to be just. Most individuals tend to use their morals and beliefs when it comes making a decision on a choice that they are dealt. These individuals use their morals and beliefs to differentiate between rights and wrongs. Often times individuals will choose the option in which the outcome will be better for them, but not for the others that that decision would also affect. This choice is the selfish choice. Individuals must learn to determine if it is just to be selfish or if it is more just to be more concerned for others than oneself. In John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Eighner’s “On Dumpster Diving”, Ericsson’s “The Ways We Lie”, and Perkin’s “Homeless: Expose the Myths” the characters and individuals make decisions in which the determine right from wrong.

In The Grapes of Wrath many characters took the selfish choice when it came to making a decision. In Chapter 5 the land owners were forced to kick the tenants off of their land even if they had lived lived there for over fifty years. “Some of the owner men were kind because they hated what they had to do, and some of them were angry because they hated to be cruel...” (The Grapes of Wrath Chapter 5) The owners were losing money because of the tenants inability to pay their rent and taxes. Even though they did not want to kick the farmers off of the land, they did what they had to do in order to save themselves. In Chapter 11 the other farmers were forcing farmers who still lived on the land to leave. It was one of the only thing that the farmers could do to make money for their families even though they were putting the same pain and suffering onto others just as someone had just done to them. “ But the machine man, driving the tractor on land he does not know and love, understands only chemistry; and he is contemptuous of the land and of himself.” (The Grapes of Wrath Chapter 11) By being selfish for themselves these men were forced to give up all and any compassion and guilt that they had concerning the lives of others. In Chapter 19 the farm owners began hiring people that they could pay barely anything in order to make a greater profit for themselves. “They imported slaves, although they did not call them slaves: Chinese, Japanese, Mexicans, Filipinos. They live on rice and beans, the businessmen said. They don't need much. They wouldn't know what to do with good wages. Why, look how they live. Why, look what they eat. And if they get funny---deport them.” (The Grapes of Wrath Chapter 19). The individuals all became selfish. They began thinking more about themselves and less about others. By making the decision to be selfish, these individuals gave up all morals and believes that they previously had in order to make life better for themselves. These individuals believed that their decisions were just and that what they did was the right thing to do.

Some individuals also gave up all morals and beliefs that they had in an attempt to make their lives even a little better. These individuals were willing to go against all of their morals and beliefs to have a better life. These people resort to new lows and see these decisions as just and completely necessary. In “The Ways We Lie” Ericsson discusses the reason why today’s society lies so often. She believes that there are many different kinds of lies and that many individuals use lies in their everyday lives. She believes that it is just to lie under certain circumstances. Others times, however, lying should not be used. When Ericsson attempted to go an entire week without telling a lie she responded to the experiment by saying, “I discovered that telling the truth all the time is nearly impossible. It means living with some serious consequences: The bank charges me $60 dollars in overdraft fees, my partner keels over when I tell him about my travails, my client fires me for telling her I didn’t feel like being on time, and my friend takes it personally when I say that I’m not hungry. There must be some merit to lying.” ( “The Ways We Lie” ) Lying is often used by individuals to make their lives a little bit easier. Although many see lying as injustice, others see it as a just a necessary action under certain circumstances. In Chapter 29 of The Grapes of Wrath some characters felt that they had to go against their morals and beliefs in order to make their lives better. “They splashed out through the water, to the towns, to the country stores, to the relief offices, to beg for food, to cringe and beg for food, to beg for relief, to try to steal, to lie. And under the begging, and under the cringing, a hopeless anger began to smolder.” (The Grapes of Wrath Chapter 29) They knew that doing these things went against their morals and that under normal circumstances, doing these things would be unjust and that is what made them angry with having to go through with doing such things. However, since the farmers had hardly any money and they had done everything to try and make any money that they could, they felt that it was just to perform those acts. Even though many individuals consider their morals and beliefs when making decisions, others make their decision depending on whether the decision that they are hoping to make is just considering the circumstances. In both cases the individuals knew what they were doing was wrong, but they did it anyway because they knew that it would either help them in the long run or make their life a little easier.

Desperation is another large factor in making decisions. Many people will do anything because they are so desperate. These individuals are not sure if the decisions that they make will end up hurting hem or helping them, but they are so desperate that they are willing to try anything that has any possibility of helping them. In “On Dumpster Diving” Eighner speaks about searching for food in dumpsters. He explains the different rules that he has for finding safe food and what types of foods are not safe to eat. H e also stated, “I have no special knowledge and I have been wrong before.” ( “on Dumpster Diving” ) His desperation for food caused him to eat rotten food from the dumpster. The decision that he made to eat that certain food did not help him, but rather hurt him. In “Homeless: Expose the Myths” Perkins explains why many people have become homeless and how it was the last resort. Perkins explained what he viewed as he studies the homeless, “What I did see were dozens upon dozens of pitiable men and women who were suffering from some disfunction or another.” (Homeless: Expose the Myths) He explains that the homeless had become homeless because it was their only option. In The Grapes of Wrath the farmers also become desperate in trying to make an income to support their families. They must make a choice whether to leave the land and head westward to a place that they know nothing about or to remain on their land and die. “And the migrants streamed in on the highway and their hunger was in their eyes, and their need was in their eyes.” (The Grapes of Wrath Chapter 21) The majority of the farmers chose to head west in a search for money as well as hope. The desperation in the individuals does not really give them a choice. They do whatever they can to continue on with their lives. Often times the choice is to either live or die. When making this decision the individuals do not consider any of their morals or their beliefs and they do what ever they can to keep on living.

Individuals make decisions everyday. The majority of the time these individuals use their morals and beliefs to make their decisions. They use their judgement between right and wrong. Under certain circumstances, however, the individuals must only determine if their choice is just rather than if it is morally right. Individuals must determine if their selfish decisions, decisions that make their lives a little better, and decisions made in times of desperation are just.

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