Essay about The Life Journey of John Steinbeck - 1264 Words

The Life Journey of John Steinbeck Every great writer had their own influences, John Steinbeck was no exception. Steinbeck’s influences cam from family, friends, and his environment to write detailed descriptions to involve or influence the reader. Whenever someone reads one of John Steinbeck’s works they are in immersed in the scene he is describing, he makes you feel as if you are right there experiencing everything there first hand. Steinbeck had a relatively normal childhood growing up in Salinas Valley California. Steinbeck was born on February 27 1902 in Salinas Valley, California. His father was John Steinbeck Sr. who worked as the Monterey County Treasurer, and his mother, Olivia, worked as a school teacher. Steinbeck mother†¦show more content†¦Steinbeck first three novels, Cup of Gold published in 1929, Pastures of Heaven published in 1932, and To a god Unknown published in 1933, went unnoticed. His novels did so bad that his first novel Cup of Gold failed to earn back the $250 his publisher gave him in advance. Steinbeck’s first novel that was noticed was Tortilla Flat published in 1935. This novel received critical acclaim and won the California Commonwealth Club Gold Medal. Steinbeck’s next novel was Of mice and Men published in 1937, this novel is about the dreams of two immigrant workers who were working on a ranch to save up money to buy their own ranch. This novel centered on themes of loneliness, racism, and the struggle for independence. Of Mice and Men was later made into a move. Steinbeck is best known for The Grapes of Wrath. It was published in 1939; the impact of the book was compared to that of Harriet Breecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Steinbeck writes The Grapes of wrath when the United States was recovering from the great depression of the 1930’s. The Grapes of Wrath was also later made into a movie by John Ford in 1940. Fleeing the publicity of this novel Steinbeck went to Mexico to film the documentary Forgotten Village. The title originated from Julia Ward Howe’s The Battle Hymn of the Republic published in 1861. In 1940 John Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for this novel. Steinbeck’s next novels were The Sea of Cortez publishedShow MoreRelated Humanitys Journey in Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath Essay1150 Words   |  5 PagesHumanitys Journey in Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath As a major literary figure since the 1930s, Steinbeck displays in his writing a characteristic respect for the poor and oppressed. In many of his novels, his characters show signs of a quiet dignity and courage for which Steinbeck has a great admiration. For instance, in The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck describes the unrelenting struggle of the people who depend on the soil for their livelihood. One element helping give this novel an addedRead MoreBiblical Allusions to The Grapes of Wrath Essay example1457 Words   |  6 PagesBiblical Allusions to The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, on February 27, 1902. He studied marine biology at Stanford University and then traveled east on a freighter through the Panama Canal. Steinbeck went to New York to work as a newspaper reporter but soon returned to California and held a variety of jobs while he wrote. Steinbeck published Tortilla Flat in 1935, Of Mice and Men in 1937, and The Red Pony in 1937, which established his reputation as a forcefulRead MoreEssay about The Dust Bowl in John Steinbeck ´s The Grapes of Wrath845 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s acclaimed novel, The Grapes of Wrath, embodies his generation’s horrific tragedy. John Steinbeck’s writing gives insight on the devastating effects of the Dust Bowl on thousands of families and those who helped them. While Steinbecks novel focuses on the Joads family journey, he also includes writing of the general struggle of many families at the time. In John Steinbecks novel, The Grapes of Wrat h, the usage of the term â€Å"Okies† degrades the workers, while the personificationRead MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s The Grapes Of Wrath And Of Mice And Men 1433 Words   |  6 PagesJustina Recchia Mrs. Genthe HAL-Period 8 10 March 2015 â€Å"What is life, what is death, and what do they mean?† The answers to this question are â€Å"Life is a process, death is part of life, neither life nor death means anything-they simply are; and the important things in life are love and beauty, which bring joy to the process of living. These answers are the philosophy of John Steinbeck † (Benson 555). John Steinbeck was a major American writer who has written many books, which have come to be knownRead MoreAuthor s Date Of Birth : 19021075 Words   |  5 PagesMicah Koenigsberg Dr. Wanda White English 232-83 4 February 2015 Name of Author: John Steinbeck Author’s Date of Birth: 1902 Authors Date of Death: 1968 What genre of literature did this author typically write: Fiction and non-fiction Noted literary work: The Grapes of Wrath Work published: 1939 The Grapes of Wrath is one of John Steinbeck’s most popular novels; it earned him the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 (Lauter). The book is about an Oklahoma farming family who has to travel to California inRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1563 Words   |  7 Pages John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, depicts a migrant farming family in the 1930s. During this time, life revolved around the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, making circumstances difficult for almost everyone involved, especially those who had little. This time of drought and despair caused people to lose hope in everything they’ve ever known, even themselves, but those who did not, put their hope in the â€Å"promised land† of California. Here, the grass was thought to be truly greenerRead MoreGrapes Of Wrath Gender Roles Essay1158 Words   |  5 PagesIn the 20th century, the average home life in rural Oklahoma was full of hard workers in the pursuit of the picture-perfect home surrounded by plentiful land. As the sun rises over the land in the morning with a red hue, it signals the commencement of the day ahead. The farmer has already been awake since before the sun broke the horizon, preparing his little equipment and his animals for his landâ €™s work. The farmer’s wife is in the kitchen, cooking her husband a warm breakfast as a sign of her gratitudeRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1189 Words   |  5 Pagesafter being released John Steinbeck’s book â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† was banned because many critics viewed the novel as promoting communist propaganda, or socialist ideas. The ideas that many of these critics point to is Steinbeck’s depiction of the Big Banks/ Businesses as monsters, the comparison of Government camps to a utopia in contrast of the makeshift â€Å"Hoovervilles,† and the theme of the community before the individual, In his novel â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† John Steinbeck uses the struggle of migrantsRead More Grapes Of Wrath Biblical Allusions Essay889 Words   |  4 Pages John Steinbeck carefully molded his story The Grapes of Wrath to encompass many themes and ideas. He included several Biblical allusions to enforce his message of the migrating families coming together to form a community. Steinbeck alludes to Biblical characters through Jim Casy and Rose of Sharon, events like the family’s journey to California and the flood at the end of the novel, and teachings throughout the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Biblical allusions represented by the characters in the novelRead MoreComparison Of Flight And The Masquerade Of The Red Death1042 Words   |  5 PagesIn the story â€Å"Flight† by John Steinbeck and â€Å"The Masquerade Of The Red Death† by Edgar Allen Poe, both protagonists meet a similar fate. In â€Å"Flight†, the main character named Pepe, of mexican descent, is described as a lazy kid at the age of 19. His mother sends him to Monterey to get medicine and bath salts. In town, pepe gets insulted by a white man, and kills him with his fathers knife. His vision of being a man was taking someones life. He is hunted down by men seeking revenge for the man who