...John Steinbeck: A Champion for the Common Man Born with the hand of a writer, John Steinbeck’s career sparked great political controversy, and greatly influenced the writings of his time. Widely considered one of America’s greatest novelists, his books are still frequently studied in school. Among his many accomplishments is the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Nobel Prize in Literature. With notable works such as The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, he expressed his dissatisfaction with capitalism and his sympathy for the struggle of the common worker in a way that captured the world’s attention – which resulted in some of his work even being banned. In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck explores the pervasive theme of loneliness and illustrates the fallacy of the American Dream. Widely considered his masterpiece, however, is The Grapes of Wrath which depicts the struggle of a family of Oklahoman farmers who are forced into a migratory existence due to the drought and dust storms following the Great Depression. When considering both The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, it is clear Steinbeck drew from his own personal experiences as a laborer when writing each of these novels. On February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California, John and Olive Steinbeck welcomed their third child and only son, John Ernst Steinbeck. John Ernst Steinbeck, Sr. was a county treasurer and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck was a schoolteacher. By all accounts, Steinbeck enjoyed a happy childhood. It was...
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...period. Particularly, in his work titled The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939. We can see evidence of the characteristics, themes and style identified with the Modernist movement which was extant in American letters between the late nineteenth century and the mid twentieth century. As a representative of such a movement, John Steinbeck then remains one of the most identifiable and iconic writers of his era. Born in California, John Steinbeck came from a family of moderate means. He worked his way through college at Stanford University but never graduated. In 1925 he went to New York, where he tried for a few years to establish himself as a freelance writer, but he failed to do so and returned to California. After publishing some novels and short stories, Steinbeck first became widely known with Tortilla Flat (1935), a series of humorous stories about Monterey's paisanos. Steinbeck’s novels can all be categorized as social novels, dealing with the economic difficulties of rural labor, though there is a streak of worship of the genuinity in his books, which does not always agree with his approach. After the rough and...
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...literary works received massive popularity. Most of his novels and short stories were performed as plays on stage and that is one reason why he was among the best sellers during his era. One of his great accomplishments for his involvement in literature was the Literature Nobel Prize he won in 1962. Steinbeck wrote a total of twenty seven books and some of his most common books include; “The grapes of Wrath” written in 1939, the 1952 “East of Eden, The 1937 short novel “Mice and men” (John, pg 23). John Steinbeck spent much of his early life in a rural part of America and worked on various ranches with migrants ‘on spreckler ranch and other nearby ranches during his summers. He attended Salinas high school and later joined Stanford University, although he never graduated. He did various odd jobs before beginning his career as a writer. Steinbeck wrote his first novel Cup of Gold which was published in 1929.Other books he wrote were; the pastures of heaven (1932), The Red Pony (1933), Tortilla Flat (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1939), and many others. During his career, Stein beck was involved in various issues and correspondence. Most of his literary works revolved around his life as well as the issues that affected people then (John, pg 56). One of the issues he wrote about was the 2nd world war in which he served as a war correspondent. His 1942 novel, “the moon is down” was based on the 2nd World War. The story was believed to talk about the Nazis occupation of Norway. This book...
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...awards for his books, most notably the Pulitzer Prize for his fictional novel, The Grapes of Wrath in 1940, and the Nobel Prize in literature in 1962 based on his entire body of work. Steinbeck’s other awards, which are typically less known are included in the following chart: WORK | YEAR | AWARD | MEDIUM | “The Murder” | 1934 | O. Henry Award | Print | Tortilla Flat | 1935 | Commonwealth Club of California Gold Medal for Best Novel by a Californian | Print | In Dubious Battle | 1936 | Ibid | Print | Of Mice and Men | 1938 | N.Y Drama Critic’s Circle Award | Play | “The Promise” | 1938 | O. Henry Award | Print | Of Mice and Men | 1939 | American Bookseller’s Award | Print | LifeBoat | 1944 | Academy Award nominee for Best Story | Print | A Medal for Benny | 1945 | Ibid | Print | The Moon is Down | 1946 | King Haakon Liberty Cross | Print | Viva Zapata! | 1952 | Academy Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay | Play | N/A | 1963 | Honorary Consultant in American Literature to the Library of Congress | N/A | N/A | 1964 | U.S Medal of Freedom; Press Medal of Freedom | N/A | Based on this list of awards Steinbeck earned throughout his literary career, it is evident why he is so respected and honored in this day. While most people know John Steinbeck as one of the great American writers of all time, many of these individuals do not know the other side of his story: the initial hate and criticism he received for his most popular literary works, Of...
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...Throughout the semester we read three different books: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Let The Water Hold Me Down by Michael Spurgeon, and Poor People by William Vollmann, all have a common theme, poverty. The books take on different aspects of poverty and use real life experiences that make you aware of what happens in their lives and how they deal with difficult situations. The Grapes of Wrath and Let The Water Hold Me Down have common story lines like family, grief, death, poverty, oppression, and they show how in different time periods the poor had to live and survive. The Grapes of Wrath novel follows the Joad family on their journey to California in search for work and comfortable living. The Joad’s get forced out of their land and are sent packing by the banks that is buying up everyones land for the plantation and growth of cotton. The family sets out on their trip to the “land of milk and honey” with Tom, who has been paroled, Ma, Pa, Al, Granma, Grampa, Uncle John, Rose of Sharon and husband Connie, Ruthie and Winfield, and preacher John Casy, and Noah....
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...Nikki Slomers Mrs. Moser AP English 11 28 March 2014 Steinbeck’s Philosophical Theory and Influences The Grapes of Wrath, a story of the Joads’ journey from Oklahoma to California in search of the American dream during the Great Depression era. Thousands upon thousands of people had to pack up and leave the land that they were born and raised on due to the Dust Bowl and the banks foreclosing on acres and acres of property. Having lived through this time period, John Steinbeck, the author of the novel The Grapes of Wrath is no stranger to the conditions these people lived in. Traveling with migrant farm workers for a few years in Salinas California, John adopted a very specific philosophical theory from the many influences around him. John Steinbeck’s philosophical theory, including transcendentalism and the concept of the oversoul, humanism, earthy democracy, and pragmatism, all play an important role in the development of his characters in The Grapes of Wrath. To begin, one of the most important characters in the novel, Jim Casy, “the preacher”, single-handedly interprets and embodies the philosophy of the author John Steinbeck and the novel itself. Tom Joad and Jim Casy cross paths while Tom was on his way home to find his family after just being released from prison. The two men, having been long time friends, decide to walk together and catch up. Jim vents to Tom, and tells him about not preaching anymore. “I was a preacher,” the man [Jim Casy] said seriously, “but...
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...The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath is not an ordinary book, Steinbeck contrast normal chapters and intercalary chapters to depict the relationship between American farmers at that time and the Joad’s family. The story takes place during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Steinbeck also used intercalary chapters to portray the impact of the Dust Bowl, reform in agricultural industry, Great Depression, and the effect that large corporations had on the rural farm families. Throughout the intercalary chapters, Steinbeck uses many rhetorical devices such as syntax, diction, and parallelism to create a tone or attitude of how the midwestern farmers were mistreated and to make readers feel the emotion that the midwestern farmers were going through back then....
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...In The Grapes of Wrath, the Dust Bowl hit the Great Pains where dust storms destroyed agriculture and farms. Vegetation did not get enough water because irrigation and dry land farming techniques did not work. Since farmers could not produce food because of the drought, many were kicked off the land with no money, and went looking for jobs. This quote fits within the narrative because this little story discusses the typical life of a family in the Great Plains who lost their job because of the Dust Bowl. The point of the book was to explain the hardships of this time period through the eyes of a family who is dealing with them. This quote is important because it underscores the difficulties that the farmers and their families are experiencing...
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...Kyle Andre March 21, 2013 20th-21st humanities 11:00-12:15am Response Paper War has proven to be a major cause for change in our society throughout history. During the time of World War I (1914) and World War II (1939), an era emerged for artists to express themselves through the wars’ heart wrenching stories which fueled their poems, novels, and short stories. During the First World War some of our history’s greatest writes emerged. American literature came about through writers’ emotions and responses to the war. Sentiments ranged widely. Some writers felt that the war kept peace within nations and believed dying for your country was a noble thing to do; while some became frustrated and felt that the war was a useless and evil cause. British officer Wilfred Owen is a great example of World War I poetry. He expressed his feelings of anger and towards the war though his poem called “Dulce Et Decorum Est”. His poem discussed the horrific acts of the war and the excitement as not pleasant, but merely cruel. In Owen’s words, war was a “senseless waste of human resources and a barbaric act of human behavior”. These men were the writers that experienced the firsthand accounts of the war through being on the frontlines and experiencing firsthand what the soldiers had to go through. Some writers were more fictional than others. Hathaway wrote the novel “farewell to arms” which expressed the physical and emotional heartaches that he and his fellow soldiers experienced at the...
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...The Grapes of Wrath is most memorable as the story of the Joad family’s trek across Depression-era America. The long narrative chapters that trace their journey provide a personal context for understanding the more abstract social, historical, and symbolic musings of the shorter alternating chapters. Despite their sometimes preachy tone, these alternating chapters play an important role in the structure of the novel. Most notably, they extend the saga of migrant farmers beyond a single family, reminding the reader that the hardships faced by the Joads were widespread, afflicting tens of thousands of families in the Dust Bowl. Furthermore, these chapters anticipate the circumstances that the Joads will encounter: when the Joads come to the Hooverville in Chapter 20, for instance, the reader has already read a detailed description of these camps in the preceding chapter and thus foresees their difficulties. Alternating between the Joads’ tale and more contextual musings outside the narrative also allows Steinbeck to employ a greater range of writing styles. It is true that Steinbeck successfully conveys a great deal of the Joads’ journey through spare, declarative prose and through the rustic dialect of the family members. However, the short chapters allow him to exceed the constraints of these prose forms, to root his story in a more universal tradition. At times, Steinbeck evokes the repetition and moral bluntness of biblical tales; at other moments, he assumes the clear,...
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...In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck speaks religion throughout the novel. Through his portrayal of showing the biblical foreshadowing through experiences they faced, he shows the religious background they had at the beginning of the book and how it's tested as they grow. Jim Casy was portrayed as a failed preacher that came along with an ex-convict to journey to the west for work. This character was the figure of Jesus through the book. As the relationship between Tom and Casy grows they stick with each other through thick and thin. “It’s all me, all right, Casy said. You got smart with the wrong guy” (Steinbeck 266). Casy takes the blame for the actions of Tom and Floyd. Jesus takes the place for all of our sins by dying on the cross...
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...John Steinbeck makes many Biblical allusions in his book The Grapes of Wrath. Many of these connections are on a small layer, perhaps applying to only one individual. Jim Casy, the Christ figure, is one example of an allusion from the New Testament. However, the whole book can be seen as a Biblical allusion to the story of the Exodus and the life of Moses. Not only does the story of the fictional Joad family relate to the Exodus, but the story of the Okies and the great migration that took place during the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s. This compelling story of the migrants can be divided into three parts: the oppression, the exodus, and the Promised Land. The chronicle of the Exodus begins with the Hebrews being enslaved to the Egyptians. Because of this, God sent ten plagues to Egypt. After the tenth plague, the pharaoh agreed to let the Hebrews become free and their journey across the desert is known as the Exodus. Thus the modern word exodus refers to any mass migration or departure of a large group of people. The excursion of the migrant workers can be described as a modern day exodus (compared to time-period of the Biblical story). Like the Hebrews, the Joad family and the rest of the migrants end up fleeing from their oppressors, which happens to be the banks. The period of time when the Okies use Route 66 as a way to move cross-country is the true exodus of the story, as it is a migration of a people. The migrants reaching California can be compared to the Hebrews finally reaching...
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...Lee 10. The bridges of madison county - Robert James Waller 11. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller 12. The Love Story - Erich Segal 13. The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand 14. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand 15. We the people - Ayn Rand 16. Nana - Emile Zola 17. A Farewell to arms - Ernest Hemingway 18. Across the river and into the trees - Ernest Hemingway 19. The old man and the sea - Ernest Hemingway 20. Jeeves and wooster( this is a series consisting of about 50 books approx.) - PG Wodehouse (Russian authors) 21. Anna karenina - Leo Tolstoy 22. War and peace - Leo Tolstoy 23. A collection of Short stories - Maxim Gorky 24. Notes from the underground - Fyodor Dostoevsky 25. Crime and Punishment -Fyodor Dostoevsky 26. The brothers karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky 27. The Double - Fyodor Dostoevsky 28. The Devils - Fyodor Dostoevsky 29. The Idiot - Fyodor Dostoevsky 30. Short Stories - Anton Chekhov 31. Grapes of wrath - John Steinbeck 32. East of Eden -John Steinbeck 33. Nineteen Eighty four - George Orwell 34. Animal Farm - George Orwell 35. Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance - Robert M. Pirsig 36. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier 37. Exodus - Leon Uris 38. Steppenwolf - Hermann Hesse 39. The Glass Bead Game - Hermann Hesse 40. Siddharta - Hermann Hesse 41. Damien - Hermann Hesse 42. Heart Of Darkness - Joseph Conrad 43. Collection of short stories - Guy De Maupassant 44. Half a Life - V.S. Naipaul 45. Memories of madness 1947 - Khushwant Singh, Manto...
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...born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California. He was the son of a county treasurer and a schoolteacher. At the beginning of his life, the only kind of work that he knew was working with ranches in the Salinas Valley and the Monterey coast. When he was through with high school he went on to study at Stanford University. He was not much of a college guy though. After he was through with that he had many different little jobs. Until, finally he published his first novel in 1935 called Tortilla Flat. After Tortilla Flat, he began to build a successful career out of his writing. He published a best-selling novel in 1937, Of Mice and Men, a story about poor ranch hands in California. He had great sympathy for the “Okies”, migrant farmers from Oklahoma, which led to him writing The Grapes of Wrath. The Grapes of Wrath became a best seller and it won him a Pulitzer Prize. This novel is ultimately what launched him to the level of fame he had. Not all of his works take place in California though. Some of his other famous works are The Moon Is Down, taking place in a Nazi controlled Scandinavian village, The Pearl, dealing with the tragedy facing a Mexican family, East of Eden, considered to be his finest novel, and many others. Steinbeck has been cited as an author with “great feeling for nature, for the tilled soil, the wasteland, the mountains and the ocean coasts…in the midst of, and beyond, the world of human beings.” Also he’s noted for “a strain of grim...
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...A Dreams Depression John Steinbeck is a famous American author, best known for his book Of Mice and Men. On February 27th, 1902, John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was born in Salinas, California. As a teenager, fourteen years old, he decided to start writing stories and poems. Steinbeck enrolled into Stanford University in 1919. In 1925 he dropped out because he had no passion for school. Cup of Gold, was Steinbeck’s first official novel to be published. On October 1929, only two months after the publication, the U.S. stock market crashed, igniting the Great Depression. Steinbeck met his first wife, Carol Henning, around the same time he wrote his first novel. They then moved into a small cottage in Pacific Grove, California, where he completed much...
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