John Steinbeck

John Ernest Steinbeck (1902-1968) was an American novelist. His most celebrated works are “The Grapes of Wrath”, “East of Eden”, and “Of Mice and Men”. His works are considered classics in Western literary history. Also, he was termed as “a giant of American Letters”. He earned the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize for his timeless pieces of art. His writings are full of imaginative representations and realistic fiction.

Most of Steinbeck’s works are set on the ideas of injustice, misery, and fate that befall the ordinary lot. Steinbeck’s works are mostly set in California, specifically Salinas Valley. During his lifetime, he wrote 33 books that included noon-fiction, short stories, and novels.

A Short  Biography of John Steinbeck

John Ernest Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, on 27th February 1902. His father, John Ernest Steinbeck, worked different jobs to feed the family. For example, he ran a grain store for some time, worked a flour plant, and served as Monterey County treasurer.  His mother, Olive Hamilton, was a former schoolteacher. Steinbeck received the love of reading and writing from his mother.

John Steinbeck grew as a member of Episcopal Church; however, he later became an agnostic. Moreover, he grew up with his three sisters in a happy childhood. He was an intelligent and shy child. As he had intended to become a writer from the age of 14, Steinbeck would occasionally lock himself in the room and write stories and poems.

From a very young age, he developed an admiration for his birthplace, Salinas, and the whole of California. This love can be seen in his great literary writings. Likewise, he discussed the Pacific Coast as the setting of his works. As he worked on nearby ranches and also worked for the Spreckels Sugar Company on farms, he got the experience of the tough side of life.

He also managed to get some time for writing and depicted the harsher aspects of life in it. In 1919, after graduating from Salinas High School, Steinbeck got admission to Stanford University, California. There he chose English Literature as his major subject but left it in 1925 before completing his degree.

He stayed in New York for some time and lived on certain odd jobs to pursue his writing career as a freelance writer. After failed attempts to publish his work, Steinbeck came back to California and began working as a guide for tourists for Lake Tahoe in 1928. There, he met Carol Henning. They married in Los Angeles in 1930 where Steinbeck began the business of making plaster mannequins.

After six months, the couple moved back to Pacific Grove, California, when they turned empty-handed. There they lived in Steinbeck’s family cottage. They were supported by the family for some time and Steinbeck wrote without interruption during that time. When Steinbeck was left alone, he and his wife even rarely stole from food shops and accepted charity.

Steinbeck met Ed Ricketts in 1930, who was a marine biologist. He taught him a great deal about biology and philosophy and was Steinbeck’s close friend for a decade of good and bad times. Steinbeck and his wife informally worked for him in his laboratory from 1930 to 1936. He separated from his wife in 1942.

Steinbeck married for the second time to Gwendolyn Conger in 1943 but divorced in 1948. In 1950, he married Elaine Anderson Scott. With her, he remained till death in 1968.

John Steinbeck’s Writing Career

Early Career

During the time of the Great Depression and misery, Steinbeck published “Cup of Gold” in 1929. However, it did not gain a sweeping success. The story loosely centers on the journey of life and death of Henry Morgan, a privateer, set in the city of Panama.

1930-1933

In 1932, Steinbeck published a shorter work, “The Pastures of Heaven”. The story features a valley near Monterey which came to light when a Spanish corporal discovered it while pursuing Indian slaves. Next, he published “The Red Pony” in 1933. It was about Steinbeck’s childhood memories in 4 chapters of a hundred-page book.

In 1933, the third work of Steinbeck, “To a God Unknown” was published. He completed it within five years. It tells the story of the life and family of a rancher living in California. During this time, Steinbeck struggled to get success in his writing career to gain a deserving status for his work. That is why most of his works have the main characters struggling to find meaning in life and settle their lives.

Successful Career

Steinbeck’s real success was achieved in 1935 with the publication of “Tortilla Flat”. The novel tells about the adventures of homeless wandering men just before the US prohibition and after World War-I. The novel occurs in Monterey, California, after the war. For this novel, Steinbeck was awarded a gold medal by California Commonwealth Club.

In the novel, the characters are represented as ironic replicas of the great knights on adventures. After the great success, Steinbeck began writing his “California novels” series in which he depicted the condition of common people during the Great Depression. These novels included “The Grapes of Wrath”, “Of Mice and Men” (novella), and “In Dubious Battle”. He also started a series of articles “The Harvest Gypsies” about the issues of migrant laborers for the newspaper San Francisco News.

Of Mice and Men

One of Steinbeck’s memorable works, “Of Mice and Men” was a novella featuring two migrants working as laborers on agricultural land in California. The story was called a “little masterpiece” because of its great appreciation. It was also staged under the direction of George S. Kaufman.

Steinbeck’s Masterpiece

In 1939, Steinbeck followed his succession of novels with “The Grapes of Wrath”. It was based on the article series about immigrant laborers in San Francisco that Steinbeck wrote sometime earlier. The novel is considered to be the masterpiece of Steinbeck. 

The book was New York Best Selling book for 1939. The book was awarded the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. However, due to the negative representation of some views of Capitalism, the book was banned in 1939. The ban was lifted in 1941.

Impact of World War-II

During World War II, Steinbeck worked as a war correspondent. In 1942, he wrote, “The Moon is Down” which is about the Norwegians under the command of the Nazi regime. His other works that were deeply affected by the war are “Cannery Row” (1945), “The Pearl” and “The Wayward Bus” both written in 1947. These novels consist of a critical view of the war-torn society and show how ordinary people suffer at the hands of colonial and imperial powers.

Later Novels

Steinbeck’s later novels, “Burning Bright” (1950), “East of Eden” (1952), and in 1961, “The Winter of Our Discontent” struggled to regain Steinbeck’s literary status as it was when he wrote his early novels in the 1930s. However, these novels did not gain great attention and praise. His success lies in the naturalistic depictions in his works. He created symbolic structures and archetypal imitations that made him a notable writer of English history.

Before his death, no novel was issued in six years. Steinbeck died in December 1968 due to heartache at his home in New York City.

John Steinbeck’s Writing Style

Steinbeck is indeed a master of writing. He artfully weaves his tales with clashes between expectations and reality, and consciousness and changing situations. Steinbeck’s major success lies in his ability to set the scene for readers. He wanted his stories to be felt by the audience by constructing visual representations of his work.

General Descriptions

Steinbeck would begin his works with general descriptions rather than specifying things. For example, in “Of Mice and Men”, he began with a long description of the Salinas River, Gabilan Mountains, and their surroundings. However, nothing is described specifically. It is because Steinbeck tries to connect readers to the work.

He includes them in the narrative by creating broader visual interpretations of the scenes. For example, the readers do not know about the Salinas River but they are aware of a river’s specifications so they can create strong visual images of the situations. He also begins “East of Eden” with a similar common description of nature in general.

Steinbeck’s great novels begin with such a descriptive tone that share many details with the readers and yet do not share anything at all that one can think about. However, we get an idea of where the story sets in.

Striking Imagery

In most of his novels, Steinbeck uses heavy imagery to describe a scene. His words are flowing with emotions and they impart a visual theme. He uses simple and common vocabulary to achieve this lasting effect of imagery. For example, in “The Grapes of Wrath”, his simple description is:

The wind grew stronger, whisked under stones, carried up straws and old leaves, and even little clods, marking its course as it sailed across the fields. The air and the sky darkened and through them, the sun shone redly, and there was a raw sting in the air.

Though, the above words have nothing remarkable or highly appreciated. However, they combine to create a permanent effect on the mind. This is an enduring feature of Steinbeck’s works that he weaves something powerful out of ordinary.

Narrow Down the Scene

After a general description, Steinbeck narrows down the scope of his imagery by introducing the main characters to the audience. For instance, in “Of Mice and Men”, the characters Lennie and George are first introduced after the general imagery of the scenes is presented.

In this way, the narrator sets a natural scene for the readers to feel the upcoming scene and compare it to the freshness of nature. For example, when the readers become a part of the vast and beautiful natural scene, they are surprised to witness two men coming along the path and talking. This surprises them just like the rabbits in the scene making them more like a part of animals than humans.

Art of Characterization

Steinbeck’s writing talent can be seen in his art of characterization. He presents his characters in a way one can relate to. For instance, the readers feel that they know the characters and empathize with their struggles. For example, we see typical stereotypical characters of Lennie and George in “Of Mice and Men” and empathize with their trials and efforts.

The other feature of his writing is that Steinbeck’s works force the readers to think about themselves in such situations. They imagine if they were there in place of the characters, what they would have done to tackle the issue. He takes a contemporary setting and modernizes it according to the demands of every kind of reader.

Through Steinbeck’s omniscient narration, we come to know about the reality of the characters and develop sympathy with them. For example, Lennie and George are not educated; however, they have a dignified living.

The Beauty of Salinas

Steinbeck’s works always depict Salinas in good terms and present its beauty in a captivating way. Although his stories may contain tragic incidents and miserable conditions, Salinas is always beautifully described. For example, at the beginning of “Of Mice and Men”, there is a beautiful description of the natural life of Salinas Valley and the river.

Experimenting with Style

Steinbeck wanted to be experimental with his work; therefore, he developed a unique form of expression for his works. For instance, he created “The Grapes of Wrath” in a documentary style. He also chose the picaresque style for “Tortilla Flat”, and the fable for “The Pearl”. Likewise, his work consists of plays, scripts, war propaganda, and political shade. Therefore, it can have many adaptations as well.

“Visionary” Style

Steinbeck’s work can be placed in the “myth-symbol school” of writing. Therefore, it contains elements like myths, visions, symbols, dreams, and the unconscious. These qualities were termed as “visionary” by Carl Jung. His realism also springs from Steinbeck’s love for philosophy and psychology.

For example, in “The Pearl”, there is a realistic depiction of the imperialism of contemporary times. It also features how the common people are mentally constructed and how the elite class keeps the lower people below their rules and values. Likewise, there are elements of myth and symbols in the pearl. For example, the great white pearl has many symbolic meanings.

Themes in John Steinbeck’s Writings

American Dream

In the 20th-century, the American dream was a craze of most middle-class people. They would migrate to the urban areas in search of a better life and more facilities. For example, in “The Grapes of Wrath”, thousands of farming families including Joad’s family come from Oklahoma to California to chase the American dream. They travel there to find good jobs and prosperous life. However, all the jobs are already filled up and they only find more misery than Oklahoma.

As society moves towards a technically advanced and industrialized social life, they do not care about other members in their struggle for the American dream. Steinbeck forces this idea of supporting each other as it makes the characters like Joad rethink human values and relationships. In a way, Steinbeck questions the modern concept of happiness and its achievement through material success.

Similarly, in “Of Mice and Men”, George and Lennie create their little dreams to have a small farm of their own where they can live secure, responsible, and free.

Realism

John Steinbeck expresses in his novels the realistic conditions of his era. He is one of those writers who penetrated the political setting of the time. For example, Steinbeck portrayed the Great Depression (economic crisis) in America in most of his works.

Furthermore, he represented the condition of those migrants who came to pursue the American dream in the big cities of America. For example, in “The Grapes of Wrath”, Joad’s family travels to California to get good jobs. However, they remain unemployed and wander homelessly.

Lack of Power

Steinbeck depicts intellectual, social, financial, and political powerlessness in his works. It is due to the representation of lower-class people. For example, in “The Pearl”, Steinbeck shows how common people suffer the wrath of the elites. As the baby Coyotito dies because the doctor refuses to treat him with less money.

In “The Grapes of Wrath”, Lennie is mentally weak, although he is physically strong. Therefore, he relies on George for instructions.

Loneliness

We can trace loneliness and isolation in Steinbeck’s characters. The humans are alone and incomplete in themselves and crave others’ support and company. For example, in “Of Mice and Men” Joad’s family finds itself helpless in the great city and is not able to discard the tag of misery without the support of fellow citizens.

In “The Grapes of Wrath”, the main characters Lennie, Crook, and Curley’s wife show signs of loneliness.

Social Injustice

Steinbeck always struggled to highlight social injustice. His passion was to talk about those people of the society who were marginalized and were treated harshly. As in “Cannery Row”, the prostitute and Chinese immigrants were treated differently and harshly than other people. Although they worked wholeheartedly, they were looked down upon because of their background.

Achievements

In 1938, Steinbeck was given the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best American Play for “Of Mice and Men”. For “The Grapes of Wrath” he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. In 1962, he received the most coveted award Nobel Prize in Literature, and earned the honor of Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964.