Life Of John Steinbeck Essays - 1314 Words

John Steinbeck was a writer who used naturalism in his works to to bring awareness about problems in society that he dealt with in his own life. He frequently dealt with the economic and social problems of migrant workers in California and how they dealt with everyday life. He wrote through his fiction about what he knew and what affected him personally. Specifically, he wrote a novella entitled, Of Mice and Men, about two California migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who are trying desperately to earn enough money to buy a couple of acres of their own so that they won’t have to keep running from there problems all the time. Naturalism was a literary movement throughout the U.S. and Europe in the late 19th century to the†¦show more content†¦At age 35, because of the success of Of Mice and Men, it was named a Book-of-the-Month Club choice and Steinbeck was named as one of Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Year. Also, Steinbeck was asked to write articles about migrant workers for magazines and newspapers, bringing further awareness to the hardships of the migrant workers (LIS 7 ). In Of Mice and Men , Steinbeck wrote about two laborers, George Milton and Lennie Small. George is a small, slender and smart man; Lennie is a large, clumsy mentally challenged man who is physically strong. George had promised Lennie’s Aunt Clara that he would take care of Lennie when she died. They have traveled from Weed, California, to work together on a ranch in Soledad. Lennie and George have fled from Weed because Lennie was accused of trying to assault a girl. He was touching her dress and when he stroked it too hard she screamed and he hung on to her in fear. George and Lennie have a dream, to earn enough money so that they can have a place to call their own. They want to have rabbits â€Å"An’ live off the fatta the lan’† (STE 5). They arrive in Soledad and meet The Boss, and his son Curley. George and Lennie also meet Slim, the ranch hand who seems to have authority in the bunkhouse, Curley’s wife, and Candy, the old swamper. Candy has a dog, it’s very old and dirty, and smells up the bunkhouse; so when Slim’s dog has puppies, they convince Candy to let them kill the old dog and give him one of the new puppies. The nightShow MoreRelatedLife of John Steinbeck974 Words   |  4 Pagesthe famous American writer was John Steinbeck. He earned a Nobel prize of literature from his American classic novels that he had written in the past. The Nobel prize was not the only award that he had earned for his literature, he earned different awards for his writings also (John Stein..). John Steinbeck is a man who had overcome different obstacles and being successful in life. Everyone has a life history, John Steinbeck also has a history of his own. His life story began on February 27, 1902Read MoreThe Life and Writings of John Steinbeck Essay1107 Words   |  5 Pagesearth.† John Steinbeck said this of all humankind. He thought highly of us as a species, just as Dr. Stockmann did in Henrik Ibsen’s play Enemy of the People. Both men had problems in their societies, Stockmann in his town and Steinbeck in America, and both believed that humans were capable of seeing the problem and fixing it. The rest of the population did not see this as the case. They believed he was an enemy of the people and a threat to their way of life. Because of how Steinbeck expressedRead MoreEssay about The Life Journey of John Steinbeck 1264 Words   |  6 PagesThe Life Journey of John Steinbeck Every great writer had their own influences, John Steinbeck was no exception. Steinbeck’s influences cam from family, friends, and his environment to write detailed descriptions to involve or influence the reader. Whenever someone reads one of John Steinbeck’s works they are in immersed in the scene he is describing, he makes you feel as if you are right there experiencing everything there first hand. Steinbeck had a relatively normal childhood growing upRead MoreThe Portrayals Of Life in The Pearl by John Steinbeck Essay919 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novella â€Å"The Pearl† by John Steinbeck, an improvised pearl diver finds a humungous pearl which is described as a â€Å" sea-gull egg. It was the greatest pearl in the world†(26), which he hopes to buy tranquility and happiness for his family. Instead, he learns that the valuable pearl cannot buy happiness but only destroy his simple life. Throughout this novella there is a constant theme woven through the characters and settings which encompasses the struggle among social classes to become successfulRead More John Steinbeck Essay1735 Words   |  7 Pages John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California, a farming community with of about 2500 people. He was the third of four children and the only son of John Ernst and Olive Hamiton Steinbeck. His sisters Beth and Esther were much older than John and he felt closest to Mary, the youngest. He spent his childhood and adolescence in the Salinas Valley, which he later called â€Å"the salad bowl of the nation.† John’s mother, Olive, was the daughter of Irish immigrants. She left her parents’Read MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s The Grapes Of Wrath And Of Mice And Men 1433 Words   |  6 PagesJustina Recchia Mrs. Genthe HAL-Period 8 10 March 2015 â€Å"What is life, what is death, and what do they mean?† The answers to this question are â€Å"Life is a process, death is part of life, neither life nor death means anything-they simply are; and the important things in life are love and beauty, which bring joy to the process of living. These answers are the philosophy of John Steinbeck † (Benson 555). John Steinbeck was a major American writer who has written many books, which have come to be knownRead MoreAmerica Is Home To Many Great Writers Whom Come Different1709 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent backgrounds. American authors like John Steinbeck who add biographical elements into their pieces of writing. John Steinbeck, one of the most honorable authors of time, is known for receiving Nobel Prize, California commonwealth club medal, Pulitzer Prize, and other great accomplishments towards publishing sixteen novels. Steinbeck’s realist style of writing and life experiences impacting his life show the reade r he’s been through a lot in his life and adds plenty of meaning into his storiesRead MoreSymbolism in The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck Essay1547 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolism in The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck The Chrysanthemums, one of John Steinbecks masterpieces, describes a lonely farmers wife, Elisa Allen. Elisa Allens physical appearance is very mannish yet still allows a hint of a feminine side to peek through. John Steinbeck brings symbolism into play to represent Elisa Allens frustrations and hidden passions. Isolation is another representation through symbolism found in The Chrysanthemums. Elisas failing detached marriage is representedRead More John Steinbeck was born to middle-lower class family in the farming1689 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Steinbeck was born to middle-lower class family in the farming community of Salinas, California. John’s Steinbeck Imagine†¦ your town is suddenly stricken with poverty. Your family business goes under because the economy of your local community can no longer support it. Herds of your closest friends continually move out of the town you grew up in due to a severe shortage of work. The basic necessities of life are so scarce that everyone around you reverts to their animalistic urgesRead More John Steinbeck Essay1174 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Steinbeck A novelist is someone who writes novels, or writes a fancy work of fiction which often has a complicated plot, many major and minor characters, a significant theme, and several varied settings. A novelist will use literary devices such as characterization, tone, symbolism, imagery, and figurative language. John Steinbeck, an American novelist, uses many literary devices such as metaphors, similes, imagery, and figurative language along with excellent descriptive words to develop