"The Winter of Our Discontent" is a novel written by John Steinbeck, published in 1961, and set a year earlier. Like most (but not all), of Steinbeck's work, it is a socially realistic novel dealing with contemporary issues.
Ethan Allen Hawley is the scion of an old money family in Long Island (although the setting seems more like New England), who has fallen on hard times. After coming home from World War II, he lost his money in bad investments, and has been forced to take a job in a local grocery store. He has a wife and two teenage children, and is getting by. He actually has a somewhat managerial job, but he considers himself "just a clerk". He is also worried about the long term prospects for his family. His manager, an immigrant from Sicily, tries to order him to cut corners with customers. His wife's best friend, gives him a tarot card reading and tells him
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