In traveling to discover America with his dog Charley, John Steinbeck essentially learns about a dystopia driven by extreme and often misleading wishes. Steinbeck argues that the idea of "junk" in Travels with Charley is his means of describing how materialism has corrupted are values and the way of life in the American society, because of how ones compulsive focus on belongings, and materialism in modern society has trashed ones society, and challenged ones interpersonal relations.
To begin with there is not much contradicting that there is a focus on junk in a lot of the incidents had by the author on his travels throughout America. Steinbeck goes to all of the manufacturing areas like Flint, Cleveland, and other locations such as New England where he sees cities ringed in "junk" which includes corroded vehicles, garbage, and others reject in junk-heaps that pile up from an excess of focus on materialism and things in society. This not only undermines the environment but it also undermines personal development and social interaction. As Steinbeck (20) says at one point, "I know people who are so immersed in road maps that they never see the countryside they pass through." The focus on things and the tendency to acquire junk make one blind to more meaningful or profound experiences in nature or with others in Steinbeck's view. Americans are so wrapped up that they miss the little things in life which is what is really important.
In addition to Steinbeck's critique on materialism is quite relevant to today's culture where capitalism and consumerism are even more rampant than in Steinbeck's era. Greed, excessive consumption, and ostentatious displays of wealth are meant to replace old world values like honesty, charity, and directness. Steinbeck believes we undervalue nature and overvalue material things, like when Steinbeck admits, “Yellowstone Park is more of an American treasure than Disneyland.” We see that we have become so possessed by consumption in...