John Steinbeck Section: Book Reports
Not only did Steinbeck recognize the -problems of minorities and racial prejudice, he also mentioned class prejudice. The difference between the «haves» verses the 'have nots" was brought up in the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, usually the people who had any financial stability hated the Okies, who had none. Owners hated the Okies because they were soft and the Okies were strong, also the store keepers hated them because the Okies had no money to spend in their stores (Bowden, 12). The Grapes of Wrath presents these issues in the form of an epic and sums up the despair of the early 1930's. The Joads experience: love, brotherhood, integrity, class fear, power, violence, and suspension, the same as every other migrant. Their conflict was a national epic, instead of a personal one. The parable of the tortoise crossing the road represents the people of the 1930's, he is beaten by the sun, knocked around, and struggles, but probably reaches his destination. In his other stories, he also uses characters and symbols to represent the migrants of the 1930's, and often makes his symbolism obvious. The story of the gophers in Cannery Row represents that you can't have your cake and eat it too. In conclusion, John Steinbeck with his concern for man and his environment, and his broad background has made him a respected author, and human rights activist. His books are as relevant to us today as they were sixty years ago, and are also important as documentation of social history.
Bibliography:
Benet's Readers, Encyclopedia of American Literature. 1991 ed. Bowden, Edwin T. The Dungeon of the Heart. New York, NY: The Mcmillan Company, 1961. Covici, Pacal Jr. The Portable Steinbeck. New York, NY: The Viking Press, 1963. McWillams, Carey, California Pastoral", Antioch Review, March, 1942: 103-21. Rundell, Walter Jr. Steinbeck's Image of the West, 4-17 Shaw, Peter. Steinbeck: The Shape of a Career", Saturday Review, 8 February, 1969: 10-14. Steinbeck, John. "A Primer on the Thirties. Esquire October 1973: 127-131, 364, 366. Walcutt Charles C. "Later Trends in Form: Steinbeck, Hemingway, Dos Passos", American Literary Naturalism: A Divided Stream. University of Minnesota, 1956: 258- 59. 268-69. Words: 840
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