Hoover

A detailed Summary of Hoover

Oppression is one of the most barbaric traits that humans posses. Taking advantage of a another human for some sort of gain is just plain selfish. Those who are oppressed often look weak, meek and helpless in hindsight. Yet one truth remains, throughout human history oppression has ultimately failed. That leaves the question of why. In Kate Chopin's The Awakening, Toni Morison's Beloved, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, groups are belittled in an effort to assert control. Oppressors justify oppression by dehumanizing the oppressed, yet the oppressed never fully become acceptant of their subordinate roles and eventually rebound to become fully functional human beings, if not more.

Edna Pontellier of Chopin's The Awakening, is denied the chance to aquire her desires because society puts her in a cage, trapped and on display. Edna husband, Leonce complains to a friend that Edna is "making it devilishly uncomfortable for him" because "She's got some sort of notion in her head concerning the eternal rights of women." (Chopin 70). The way that Leonce tells his friend about his martial troubles, it is obvious that he does not take Edna's opinion seriously. He says that Edna does not have the principle o

The quest for profit at the price of humanity does not end with slavery as seen in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. The predicament of the migrant during the great depression starts even before he hits the California border. He or she is subjected to broad blanket statements that characterize one or two migrants. One story owner was quoted to say that all migrants "come in, use water, dirty up the toilet, an' then, by God, they'll steal stuff an' don't buy nothing'" (Steinback 240). Just the fact that he singles out a particular type of person shows that the migrants as a group suffer. The mass generalizations that are made about them are largely exaggerated. By refusing to allow the travelers water, this merchant separates himself from his fellow human allowing him to let other injustices go by with out a second thought. This sentiment was common among not just merchants but Californians as well. Native Californians' in an effort to save what little property they have sided with the owners, striking terror throughout the land, believing that they are justified in their actions because, "god-damned Okies are dirty and ignorant. They're degenerate, sexual maniacs. God damned Okies are thieves and they'll steal anything. They have no sense of property rights" (363). The truth is that 'Okies' are no different then the Californians themselves, but the truth seems to fade away when property is involved. Californians immediate classify all migrants as lower class citizens, a blight on the land with no morals or scruples. Violence against them is not just tolerable, but almost heroic. By placing the transients below themselves native California's and landowners can justify the oppression and destruction of the migrants. The lands of California are bountiful and produce vast amounts of produce that could easy feed the masses of hungry displaced men, women, and children that reside in the refugee camps of California. Instead, "kerosene [is] sprayed over the golden mountains" of oranges and is lit ablaze (Steinback 423) while " children die of pellagra because a profit cannot be taken from an orange" (Steinback 449). In the ultimate show of selfishness, the haves destroy the food so much needed by the have nots. They set the fruits on fire out of fear, the fear that if migrants become full they will see that their plight is caused by the very people that employ them and that once they realize that fact, revolution will be inevitable. In an effort to protect their assets, the owners endorse the public burning of the produce to both erect a lasting image of intolerance, and to destroy any thing that might be of assistance to the refugees. Yet despite all this, the migrants are able to retain their dignity. The Joad's, the key family in Steinback's books, meet more than their share of rotten salesmen and bad cops, yet Ma Joad's civility still shine brightly through when she asks, "if [the camp manager of the camp where they are staying] would have some brekfus' with" the family. Despite driving two-thousand miles and enduring two deaths as well as countless hazing by police and citizen alike Ma Joad maintain her pride and manners by offering a meal to the manager of the refugee camp that they reside in. Ma spirit, her human spirit was left unwavered by the aggression of the native westerners. After raids and chaos Ma concludes that, "us people, we'll go on living when all them others is gone... They ain't gonna wipe us out. Never!" (Steinback 533). The enduring human spirit, the will to live and enjoy life never leaves Ma, she sees that despite what is going on in the present, in the near term life will be better. She holds on to every shred of her dignity because she knows that is the only thing she can retain. The banks and landowners can take everything, but her dignity, and because of that she is th

Some common words found in the essay are:
Paul D's, Bayou Edna, Edna Leonce's, Chopin's Awakening, Native Californians', African American, Grapes Wrath, California Instead, Ma Joad, African American's, paul able, human spirit, able retain, john steinbeck's grapes, money sethe, attempts destroy, customs day, morison's beloved, slavery seen, thinking human, paul able retain, steinbeck's grapes wrath, able retain human, retain human,

Approximate Word count = 2581
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English