Another Successful Hour

So for this time around I decided to try Veronica's method of writing the Introduction and Conclusion and then filling in from there to make sure that my ideas would match up. So for this hour I really focused on solidifying those 2 paragraphs and I feel like they definitely show where I want my paper to go and so here's what I worked on that is in addition to the outline I made last time:

God or Man?

            Democritus, also known as the Laughing Philosopher, once said, “Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul” [Brainy Quotes]. As a part of human nature, individuals are constantly looking for the source of happiness. Some look for happiness in others, some look for it in material goods, sometimes it is sought after in oneself. Others look for happiness in dreams, religious pursuits, and the divine. In The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, the Joad’s- a family who has been affected by the Dust Bowl- are forced to migrate west. Along their journey they are constantly looking for ways to find happiness, whether it be through a son’s return, daughter’s pregnancy, or hope of a promised land. Unfortunately, every time the Joad’s put their faith in something, the outcome never is what they desire because it is based off of the powers of human nature. Their son is not able to save them, their daughter’s baby is a stillbirth, and the Promised Land is instead an overcrowded wasteland. Similarly to Steinbeck, Samuel Johnson explores the follies of human nature in The Vanity of Human Wishes. Johnson explores how pride, stubbornness, and worldly pursuits harm the progression of individuals because it is only through divine help that the vanities can be put aside and real progression can begin. As described in the Norton Anthology of English Literature’s introduction to Samuel Johnson’s The Vanity of Human Wishes, “ In a world of blindness and illusion, human beings must struggle to find a point of view that will not deceive them, and a happiness that can last” [Norton Anthology]. Although The Grapes of Wrath is perceived as a novel of triumph of the oppressed and a call for socialism, in actuality the novel exposes the vanities of human nature as described in The Vanity of Human Wishes and calls for a return to God for the betterment of society.

            BODY PARAGRAPHS

            The Grapes of Wrath shows the struggles that are a part of the nature of humanity and the vices that are described in The Vanity of Human Wishes. The novel exposes the follies of individuals placing their faith in humanity and hoping for things that no human could possibly fulfill. Through exposing human vices such as stubbornness, pride, and wishful thinking, as well as using Christ figures and using historical evidence, Steinbeck and Johnson call for a return to God and separating from the unreliable- human nature.