Greed, power and social pressure
Throughout the text, Ethan becomes involved in a number of immoral schemes. First, he thinks about robbing a bank. After this falls through he resolves to steal the grocery store from the owner by reporting him as an illegal immigrant and then steals property from his alcoholic friend Danny. He is motivated to do this because he wants to gain back his old family fortune which had been lost. He has societal pressure regarding his status, and also has direct pressure from his wife to earn more money. This pressure culminates until he is desperate, and turns towards crime and deceit in order to win back his fortune. As such, Steinbeck shows in this novel how the desire for power and wealth can lead to immoral actions and injustice.
Guilt
After Ethan commits terrible actions, including causing the deportation of his boss, he begins to feel guilty and remorseful. Despite the wealth and status gained from his actions, he has little consolation and even decides to kill himself. As such, Steinbeck is suggesting how immoral acts have consequences and that we cannot escape our conscience.
The importance of family
After Ethan discovers his son plagiarized an essay and had no remorse, Ethan falls into a downward spiral of depression and guilt, resolving to kill himself. He puts razors in his pocket and goes out to commit suicide, but little does he know his daughter has swapped his razors for a family talisman. When he discovers this, he thinks about his family and how much they mean to him, changing his mind about killing himself.
