The United States has, since it’s founding, been a capitalistic society and its citizens have always been frightened of proponents of other “-isms” such as communism and socialism. This political climate made it difficult for socialists, such as John Steinbeck, to become popular writers. His book, Grapes of Wrath, was popular because, instead of promoting Socialist philosophies, he showed the faults of Capitalism. Steinbeck portrayed in his work his perceived faults of capitalism: It’…showed first 75 words of 868 total…

…showed last 75 words of 868 total…do. They could have stayed on the farm like Muley Graves, or ran tractors for three dollars a day, or they could have just given up and died on the side of the road. They had the freedom to make any of those choices, and if they were in a Socialist or Communist society, like Steinbeck would have preferred, they would not of had those inalienable rights provided for in our great country’s constitution.