17John-Steinbeck-(1902-1968)

JohnSteinbeck(1902-1968)TheNobelPrizeinLiterature1962forhisrealisticandimaginativewritings,combiningastheydosympathetichumourandkeensocialperception“EducationSteinbeckattendedStanfordUniversityintermittentlybetween1920and1926butdidnotearnadegree.Heworkedasamanuallaborerwhilewriting,andhisexperienceslentauthenticitytohisdepictionsofthelivesoftheworkersinhisstories.HespentmuchofhislifeinCalifornia'sMontereyCounty.Hisfirstthreenovels—CupofGold(1929),ThePasturesofHeaven(1932),andToaGodUnknown(1933)—wereunsuccessful.MajorworksTheGrapesofWrathCupofGoldenThePastureofHeavenToaGodUnknownTorrtillaFlatInDubiousBattleMajorworkOfMiceandMenTheMoonisDownEastofEdenTheWinterofOurDiscontentTheGrapesofWrathTravelwithCharleyInDubiousBattle(1936)aclassicaccountofastrikebyfarmworkers.OfMiceAndMen(novella,1937)atragicstoryaboutthestrange,complexbondbetweentwomigrantlaborers.TechniqueNaturalisticThetermnaturalismdescribesatypeofliteraturethatattemptstoapplyscientificprinciplesofobjectivityanddetachmenttoitsstudyofhumanbeings.Unlikerealism,whichfocusesonliterarytechnique,naturalismimpliesaphilosophicalposition:fornaturalisticwriters,sincehumanbeingsare,inEmileZola'sphrase,humanbeasts,characterscanbestudiedthroughtheirrelationshipstotheirsurroundings.Survival,determinism,violence,andtabooaskeythemes.Thebrutewithineachindividual,comprisedofstrongandoftenwarringemotions:passions,suchaslust,greed,orthedesirefordominanceorpleasure;andthefightforsurvivalinanamoral,indifferentuniverse.Theconflictinnaturalisticnovelsisoftenmanagainstnatureormanagainsthimselfascharactersstruggletoretainaveneerofcivilizationdespiteexternalpressuresthatthreatentoreleasethebrutewithin.Natureasanindifferentforceactingonthelivesofhumanbeings.Theforcesofheredityandenvironmentastheyaffect--andafflict--individuallives.Anindifferent,deterministicuniverse.Naturalistictextsoftendescribethefutileattemptsofhumanbeingstoexercisefreewill,oftenironicallypresented,inthisuniversethatrevealsfreewillasanillusion.Whenitoccurstoamanthatnaturedoesnotregardhimasimportant,andthatshefeelsshewouldnotmaimtheuniversebydisposingofhim,heatfirstwishestothrowbricksatthetemple,andhehatesdeeplythefactthattherearenobricksandnotemples.--StephenCrane,TheOpenBoatAmansaidtotheuniverse:Sir,Iexist!However,repliedtheuniverse,ThefacthasnotcreatedinmeAsenseofobligation.--StephenCrane(1894,1899)InfluencePriortothespeech,R.Sandler,MemberoftheRoyalAcademyofSciences,commented,«Mr.JohnSteinbeck-Inyourwritings,crownedwithpopularsuccessinmanycountries,youhavebeenaboldobserverofhumanbehaviourinbothtragicandcomicsituations.Thisyouhavedescribedtothereadingpublicoftheentireworldwithvigourandrealism.YourTravelswithCharleyisnotonlyasearchforbutalsoarevelationofAmerica,asyouyourselfsay:‹Thismonsterofaland,thismightiestofnations,thisspawnofthefutureturnsouttobethemacrocosmofmicrocosmme.›ThankstoyourinstinctforwhatisgenuinelyAmericanyoustandoutasatruerepresentativeofAmericanlife.»NobelAcceptanceSpeechNowlet’sreadthetextbooks.TheGrapesofWrath----JohnSteinbeckBackgroundTheGreatDepressionthrowsthecountryintoabjectchaosandmakeslifeintolerableforthelucklessmillions.Oneoftheworststrickenareasisthecentralprairielands.TherethefarmersbecomebankruptandbegintomoveinabodytowardCalifornia,wheretheyhopetohaveabetterlife.ThewesteringisamosttragicandbrutalizinghumanexperienceforfamiliesliketheJoads.Thereisunspeakablepainandsufferingontheroad,anddeathoccursfrequently.TitleThetitleofthebookcomesfrom“TheBattleHymnoftheRepublic”awarsongofAmericanCivilWar,inwhichtherearelines“Mineeyeshaveseenthegloryofthecomingofthelord,/Heistrampingoutthevintagewherethegrapesofwratharestored.”Theimplicationofthisisthatasinjusticeisbuildingupandup,sthisgoingtoexplodeintoviolence.ContentThestoryofthemigrationofadispossessedfamilyfromtheOklahomaDustBowltoCaliforniaandtheirsubsequentexploitationbyaruthlesssystemofagriculturaleconomics.Earnedhiminternationalfame.Itwasthelastofhisnaturalisticnovelsofthe1930swithproletarianthemes.Intheseworks,therichsymbolicstructures,effectivelyconveythemythopoeticandsymbolicqualitiesofhischaracters.StructureItsstructureisdictatedbytheBible.The30chaptersfallsneatlyintothreesectionswiththedescriptionofthedroughtinthefirstten,thejourneyinchapters13-18,andtheremaining12devotedtoanarrativeofthelifeofthemigrantsinCalifornia.Thesethreesectionscorrespondto“theExodus”storyoftheOldTestment.AnalysisofMajorCharacters•MaJoad•PaJoad•JimCasy•RoseofSharonTomJoadHeadoptsthisphilosophytowardliving.Hefearsthatbyputtinghislifeinacontextlargerthanthepresentday.Tomwhoexhibitsararestrength,thoughtfulness,andmoralcertaintyPaJoadAgood,thoughtfulman.Plansthefamily’striptoCaliforniawithgreatcareandconsideration.Hisdeterminationtoerectadamisamovingtestamenttohisloveandsinglenessofpurpose.JimCasyAsaradicalphilosopher,amotivatorandunifierofmen,andamartyrCasyassumesaroleakintothatofJesusChrist—withwhomhealsoshareshisinitials.RoseofSharonThegirl’ssilentself-containmentandherimpenetrablesmile.Hercapacitytosustainl