O Inverno do Nosso Descontentamento

"The Winter of Our Discontent" is John Steinbeck's last novel and portrays the moral decay of American society through the story of Ethan Allen Hawley. Ethan Hawley is descended from a proud family of whaling captains from Long Island, but now works as a mere clerk in a grocery store that once belonged to his ancestors. His wife and children are frustrated by the family's loss of financial and social status, subtly pressuring him to climb the social ladder at any cost. Trying to regain his lost dignity and wealth, Ethan abandons his scruples and plans dishonest schemes—including betraying his friend and boss (an Italian immigrant) and robbing a bank. As he achieves material success, Ethan realizes he has lost his integrity and that the society around him is governed entirely by hypocrisy and the cult of money.