And perhaps the Okies were despised for another reason. They were the ragged, living embodiment of a great dream failing due to shortsighted greed, reckless exploitation of resources, and priorities dictated by profits. They were proof that the American dream could collapse not only due to bad luck or lack of ability or determination but also through a flaw in the vision itself, through the lure of the quick buck and the siren voice of untold fortunes just around the corner.
