Ethan Allen Hawley, of The Winter of Our Discontents, lived for many years in New Baytown as a man who wanted nothing more than to make his wife and children happy. He was a simple man created by John Steinbeck, who had many dreams as a man. Dreams of money and power. Ethan might have had the money and power he desired if it weren't for his father, who had lost the family fortune. As a result, he was forced to work as a grocery clerk for a living. He felt as if his wife was embarrassed to be married to such a destitute man. Ethan wanted to be a man of power and fortune so badly that he went to extremes. He made an anonymous tip to an Immigration and Naturalization Service about the shop owner to get him into trouble for his own benefit. Additionally, Ethan gave money to his childhood friend who had become a drunk, evidently knowing what he would do with the money. Everything he did was not wrong of his own accord. He was becoming a degrading man who lived for money. Ethan could not be blamed for all his decisions to acquire wealth. He was influenced by Margie-Young Hunt who told him to be more outgoing and ruthless. And the local banker who told him to do business. Also, his friend Joey, a bank teller, taught him how to rob a bank. Ethan was thinking of carrying out this action one day, but luckily he was interrupted by a man before proceeding. His morals were starting to regress, just like the rest of New Bayton. This was not only demonstrated through Ethan, but also through his son. Steinbeck showed what America was becoming through this story: a country full of people more focused on material wealth rather than honesty and ideals. It was the beginning of America's moral degeneration. Ethan had terrible anger at the boss of the g... middle of paper... that's where everything went wrong for Ethan and his son. If they had noticed it earlier perhaps they could have saved themselves. However, Ethan and his son weren't the only ones with decadent morals in the neighborhood. Mr. Baker, the man who owned the town bank, allegedly performed the same actions as Ethan. In fact, Baker was the one who came up with the idea for Ethan to make an anonymous tip to the Immigration and Naturalization Service; to have Marullo deported. The fact that Steinbeck asked Baker to encourage Ethan to have a man deported shows that Steinbeck wanted to express that the morals of others were decaying too, not just Ethan's. Someone as willing to kill for money as Ethan could end up dead. If Ethan had focused on his principles, he might have lived another day to see his family. Ideals are something that can last forever, unlike material wealth. Ethan Allen Hawley learned it was too late.