Honesty And Dishonesty In The Winter Of Our Discontent
1046 Words5 Pages
The Road of Honesty
There are many different and conflicting views about honesty and dishonesty in today’s society. While it is true that being honest is morally right, many people today falsely believe being dishonest is morally acceptable. Being a dishonest person leads to one being dishonest with himself or herself. One will begin to believe that his or her dishonest actions are actually honest, and this will lead to more and more dishonest acts, which together will work to damage the person and his or her relationships with others. Even if everybody in the world is dishonest, it does not make it morally right. Without honesty in our world, nobody can trust anyone but himself or herself, and sometimes, one cannot even trust himself or…show more content… Many people today sadly believe the only way to achieve success and wealth in the business world is by cheating and using dishonest actions. An example of this belief is shown in “The Winter of Our Discontent.” Alfio Marullo, a prominent businessman in the book, tells his manager of his grocery store, Ethan Hawley, that the only way to achieve success and wealth is by learning, quickly, the dishonest tricks of the working world. Marullo told Ethan “You got to learn the tricks, kid, or you go broke” (Steinbeck 21). This belief is very wrong. One should not have to be dishonest and cheat the system. If one upholds a strong moral character and is always honest when dealing with business matters, he or she will find his or her job much easier because others will respect and trust him or her more. When faced with an opportunity to be dishonest and go behind Marullo’s back, Ethan Hawley chooses to be honest and respect his boss. As a result Marullo gained newfound respect for Ethan, becoming kinder towards him and even rewarding Ethan by giving him Easter eggs for his children. “You’re a good fella. That’s all. You’re a good fella . . . You take this” (Steinbeck 96). This example shows the good things and rewards that can come from doing a relatively easy act, which is being honest and upholding a strong moral…show more content… An article posted on the website for the television station ABC gives one of these many examples. Early this summer, a young boy named Tyler and his Dad, Cody, found $10,000, in cash, in the hotel room they were staying in in Kansas City. They decided to do the honest thing and turn the money into the police, thinking they would never see it again. However, to their great surprise, they received a call saying that because nobody had claimed the money, they got to keep it. This real world example shows that it is worth it to be honest and do the right thing, because one who does is often rewarded. Many believe that the only way to influence others, in reference to politics, is by using hidden and dishonest tactics. An article on the website for Chicago Sun-Times tells about the candidates, Bruce Rauner and Pat Quinn, in the upcoming election of the governor of Illinois. Both Quinn and Rauner have used dishonest acts and lied in their campaigns, and that is why some people are reluctant to vote for either of them. What Rauner and Quinn sadly don’t realize is that if they were honest in their campaigns, they would actually influence more people and be more widely respected, which in turn would give them more