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Defiance is a word that often has negative connotations. When people hear about defiance in modern society, they often think of rebellious kids kicking over garbage cans and spray-painting graffiti on the walls of church buildings, or university students protesting government actions. Defiance is often associated with destruction of property, materials, or government policies. However, defiance can produce positive effects, and may be necessary for society. If people did not push the boundaries and go against the accepted norms, everything would always stay the same. Some people choose to defy small actions, such as a punishment given by an angry parent, while others defy larger aspects of society, such as position in life, religion, or the way that a class of people treats others. The theme of defiance is a common thread in several literary works including the Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Grapes of Wrath is a novel about the Joads, a family who migrates from the dust bowl of Oklahoma to the golden valleys of California. The Great Gatsby tells of a smitten young man, Gatsby, who changes his life in order to impress a woman. In The Grapes of Wrath and The Great Gatsby, the theme of defiance for self-interest and the good of society is woven into the plot.
Defiance of one's current social status can contribute to changes in lifestyle and society. Gatsby defied his current social status to acquire Daisy's love. He accomplished this through illegal means of bootlegging, and succeeded in his venture to transform his life from poor to rich. He changed his entire demeanor to truly become one with the rich class as he left his family and developed a hate for poverty. He defied his place in society, but in the end lost his wealth and status, and his dreams of love when he took the blame for a murder he did not commit. On the other hand, the Joads migrated across the country in order to have a better lifestyle. At their home in Oklahoma, they were forced from their land for profit the "machine" (big business), and decided to go to California to find something better for the family. They journeyed on a quest for a life in which there was food to eat and opportunities to work. On their pilgrimage they lost close family bonds as sons left, grandparents died, and babies were lost. At the end of The Grapes of Wrath, there was still hope for the Joads to succeed, unlike in The Great Gatsby, where in the death of Gatsby, the dream was over. People often defy their station in life in order to fulfill the human desire to surpass their current status
The main characters in The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath defy the idea that money automatically equals happiness. In capitalistic nations, such as America where both stories take place, an objective of one's dreams is often to obtain large quantities of wealth. Gatsby achieved this common desire, but displayed that his true dream was to win the love of Daisy. His money was just the means to reach that objective. Even with a glamorous house and car, and large drunken parties each night, they were meaningless to him. He is a prime example that money does not equal happiness, as he shows that with money he was dissatisfied with life, and was only truly happy with Daisy by his side.
"He (Gatsby) hadn't once ceased looking at Daisy and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes." (Pg. 7, Fitzgerald)
It is important that those in a position of indigence realize that to be happy, money is not a vital factor, and that one only needs the companionship of his fellow humans.
The Joads went against the machine of big business, and thus, the people of the well-to-do society. They were angry against the machine as it kicked them off of their farm, caused them to have trouble getting jobs, and ruined food just to keep a profit. They, specifically Tom and Casey rebelled along with other people of their social order by fighting in camps and disobeying police officers who were of a higher class. Throughout The Grapes of Wrath, the poor helped one another to defy the big business from becoming successful, while the rich class worked to conquer them. Ma offered soup to other family's children even though her family didn't have enough to spare, Rose of Sharon saved the life of an old man, and a fellow migrant warned the Joads of the Farmers Associations plan to raid the squatters camp. Another man gave them discounted car parts from a junk yard, and a restaurant owner bestowed candy upon the children of the Joad family. On the other hand, the lite always attempted to break down the poor. The car dealer gave the Joads a lousy deal on their truck, there were sky-high prices at the store on the peach farm, and strikebreakers were hired to keep down the wages of the migrants. The moneyed people of society are often portrayed in a negative light due to their generally uncaring actions to the destitute. Defying the insolent actions of the wealthy is a necessary response which will help bring down the wall between the rich and the poor in society.
Religion is a common issue for people to defy. The Joads and Gatsby defied religion, but in different ways. Grandma Joad thought she was devout, but truly just said prayer from habit.
So many years she has timed her responses to the pauses. And it was so many years since she has listened to or wondered at the words used." (Pg. 104, Steinbeck).
Casey the preacher traveling with the Joad family had new ideas about religion. Instead of believing that God is one divine being, he saw God everywhere and in everything, especially when people worked together.
"I got thinkin' how we was holy when we was one thing, an' mankin' was holy when it was one thing. An' it on'y got unholy when one mis'able little fella got the bit in his teeth an' run off his own way, kickin' an draggin' and fightin'. Fell like that bust the holiness. But when they're all workin' together, not one fell for another fella, but one fell kind of harnessed to the whole shebangthat's right, that's holy." (Pg. 105, Steinbeck)
Rose of Sharon defied the orthodox religious beliefs of a woman in the squatter camp when she danced with a man who was not her husband. The woman warned that it would make her baby a stillborn, and although the baby was born dead, it was no fault of Rose of Sharon. Gatsby went against the common belief that God's subjects are humble, and lucky to be worthy of the attention of the Lord for one minute of the day. Instead, he saw himself as the Son of God, and a man who was practically divine himself. This defies the first commandment of the Holy Bible, "You shall not have other Gods, and you shall not make yourself an idol." (Exodus 0 1-17)
"The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of Goda phrase which, it if means anything, means just thatand his much be about His Father's Business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. (Pg. 104, Fitzgerald)
He defied the second commandment of the Holy Bible; "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God." (Exodus 0 1-17) when he used the Lord's name while telling a lie about his past.
"'I'll tell you God's truth." His right hand suddenly ordered divine retribution to stand by. "I am the son of some wealthy people in the middle-westall dead now. I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford because all my ancestors have been educated there for many years. It is a family tradition.'…he hurried the phrase…as though it had bothered him before. And with his doubt his whole statement fell to pieces and I wondered if there wasn't something a little sinister about him after all." (Pg. 6, Fitzgerald)
Gatsby defied religion by disrespecting all of its boundaries and regulations. An uncommon portrait of God was displayed through Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, a wall advertisement in The Great Gatsby. The customary view of religion is to view God as a mighty and all-powerful being, but the painting Eckleburg show
"His eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground. (Pg. 8 Fitzgerald)
It showed that "God" felt defeated and unable to repair the moral and spiritual problems of society during the 10s. Religion is a means by which many people deal with difficult situations, and everyday life. Both The Grapes of Wrath and The Great Gatsby defy the common principles of religion as they venture on their journey to self-awareness.
People throughout the world defy aspects of their society and culture that cause dissatisfaction. It is important to speak one's point of view, even if others consider it a form of defiance. Defying one's position in life, religious practices, and common idea of success are just a few examples of defiance that can lead to better things in the world. Gatsby died for his dream of the love of Daisy. At the end of The Grapes of Wrath, the Joads are still working for their dream even in the face of despair (a flood). Nick Carraway, the narrator of The Great Gatsby, relates defiance to the ocean when he comments
" So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (Pg. 18, Fitzgerald)
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