Grapes of Wrath Final Writing Assessment - Jason Rivkin Comparison of Steinbeck's essay "What's happening to America" and Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck <Tab/>Throughout the Grapes of Wrath, the American spirit was defined by a capitalistic nature, one where society is divided into rich and poor, privileged and underprivileged. While the rich and privileged try to maintain their power and social standing by wielding their influence over the weak …showed first 75 words of 586 total…

…showed last 75 words of 586 total…made many mistakes, but our progress has always continued and we will not regress. More things will be discovered in the future, and the American spirit, which has been plagued by indolence, materialism, satisfaction, and complacency, will be redefined by people who are truly willing to sacrifice themselves for the common good, who will give their lives so their children can live, and will perpetuate the social progress that our country has been desperately lacking.