John Steinbeck John Steinbeck 1902 – 1968

A Look at the Author A Look at the Author  Born February 27 th in 1902 in Salinas, California, the 3 rd of 4 children, and only son  During childhood, Steinbeck learned to appreciate his surroundings, and loved the Salinas countryside and the nearby Pacific Ocean  Steinbeck worked during his summers as a hired hand in nearby ranches

 At the age of 14 he decided to be a writer and spent a lot of time writing in his room.  Steinbeck attended Stanford University to please his parents, but only chose courses that interested him, classical and British literature, writing courses and the odd science course.  However, Steinbeck did not receive a degree because he would drop in and out of school, sometimes to work with migrant and bindlestiffs on California ranches

Early Career  Before his career as a writer began, Steinbeck worked as a construction labourer and a caretaker.  First novel Cup of Gold published in Of Mice and Men published in Most famous novel, The Grapes of Wrath,  Many books, such as East of Eden, became films.

During the late 1920s and 1930s, Steinbeck concentrated on writing and wrote several novels set in California. During the late 1920s and 1930s, Steinbeck concentrated on writing and wrote several novels set in California.

The Fields of Salinas, California

The Great Depression ■October 29, 1929, “Black Tuesday.” Stock market crash signalled the start of the Great Depression. ■Unemployment rose from around 3% in 1929 to over 26% by ■Poor suffered terribly; an estimated 34 million men, women and children had no income at all. ■The background to many of Steinbeck’s novels.

The Political Context John Steinbeck’s writing is at times deeply political. He felt a strong connection with the underdog, and in his work he suggested ways that society could improve the lot of migrant workers such as the Okies. In The Grapes of Wrath, perhaps his most political novel, the Okies try to set up unions, so that they can force the landowners to pay them a decent wage. This political stand is extremely unpopular with the rich landowners, and those who join unions are blacklisted.

Historical Background to Migrant Workers  Before technology created farm machinery, humans had to do a lot of the farm work by hand.  Between the 1880s and the 1930s, thousands of men would travel the countryside in search of work.

Migrant Workers Cont’d  These workers would earn $2.50 or $3.00 a day, plus food and shelter.  During the 1930s, the unemployment rate was high in the U.S., and with so many men searching for work, agencies were set up to send farmworkers to where they were needed.

 The love of a boy for a pony (The Red Pony)  A migratory worker and his half-witted friend (Of Mice and Men)  Outcasts (Tortilla Flats and Cannery Row)  Scientific works like The Sea of Cortez  Anti-Nazi novels like The Moon is Down  Most important The Grapes of Wrath of the terrible westward trek of thousands of Midwestern farmers dispossessed from their Dust Bowl farms by drought and the Great Depression. The Grapes of Wrath, a thesis-novel, born out of anger and a passion for justice, can transcend propaganda to become literature. Steinbeck’s Touching Tales

 In 1939, The Grapes of Wrath was published and became an instant best-seller; in 1940 it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world.  This novel, just like Of Mice and Men, stemmed from his experience working among migrant workers.  Steinbeck’s experiences in the fields researching migrant workers led him to have more compassion for these workers, and stirred up his concern for social justice.  In 1962 John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.