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Published byBaldwin McGee Modified over 9 years ago
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JOHN STEINBECK’S CALIFORNIA His Land and His People A presentation by Jim Koenig
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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
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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”
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Young John developed a love of nature through his constant roaming in the countryside around Salinas… Steinbeck’s Land
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…and summer weekends on the nearby Monterey Peninsula...
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…on the Pacific.
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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
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Steinbeck’s people – the locals In Dubious Battle Tortilla Flat OF MICE AND MEN CANNERY ROW
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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…
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They came with nothing…except hope.
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They hoped to find work in the golden land - California.
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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
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The End
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