And now they were weary and frightened because they had gone against a system they did not understand and it had beaten them. They knew the team and the wagon were worth much more. They knew the buyer man would get much more, but they didn’t know how to do it. Merchandizing was a secret to them.
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 10. The Joad family have fallen victim to the capitalist system and been cheated by greedy dealers they went to to sell all their farm and household belongings. They only got eighteen dollars for "every movable thing from the farm: the horses, the wagon, the implements, and all the furniture from the house." They feel as if their dignity has been trampled upon.