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JOHN STEINBECK’S CALIFORNIA His Land and His People A presentation by Jim Koenig.

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Presentation on theme: "JOHN STEINBECK’S CALIFORNIA His Land and His People A presentation by Jim Koenig."— Presentation transcript:

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2 JOHN STEINBECK’S CALIFORNIA His Land and His People A presentation by Jim Koenig

3 JOHN STEINBECK  Born (1902) and raised in Salinas, California, a small farm town in the central part of the state, near the coast  Salinas Valley – a very fertile and productive farming region

4 Steinbeck’s Land  The California landscape is very much a part of his stories  Steinbeck felt there was a bond between man and nature  A person could only be understood in the context of the environment that that person inhabits  We are influenced by where we live Salinas Valley – “Salad Bowl of the Nation”

5 Young John developed a love of nature through his constant roaming in the countryside around Salinas… Steinbeck’s Land

6 …and summer weekends on the nearby Monterey Peninsula...

7 …on the Pacific.

8 Steinbeck’s People  His characters were the people he knew growing up and whom he worked alongside at odd jobs  His focus was the common man – farm hands, migrants, drifters, laborers, misfits – people who lived on the edges of polite society  He was sympathetic toward the poor, the weak and defenseless, the lonely and dispossessed

9 Steinbeck’s people – the locals In Dubious Battle Tortilla Flat OF MICE AND MEN CANNERY ROW

10 Steinbeck’s people – the migrants  In 1938, he was hired to write a series of articles on the plight of poor migrants coming to California from the “Dust Bowl” during the Great Depression  Steinbeck interviewed, observed, traveled and lived with the migrants who endured crushing poverty and prejudice  However, the articles had little impact on public opinion  Steinbeck decided to write his next novel about their struggle…

11 They came with nothing…except hope.

12 They hoped to find work in the golden land - California.

13 The Grapes of Wrath - 1939  Novel was a best seller  Won Pulitzer Prize, 1940  Very controversial – was highly praised and viciously condemned  Brought national attention to the plight of migrants in California  Hollywood movie, 1940 –Academy Award: John Ford - Best Director

14 The End


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