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Essay about The Life Journey of John Steinbeck

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The 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 up in Salinas Valley California. Steinbeck was born on February 27 1902 in Salinas Valley, California. His father was John Steinbeck Sr. who worked as the Monterey County Treasurer, and his mother, Olivia, worked as a school teacher. Steinbeck mother …show more content…

Steinbeck first three novels, Cup of Gold published in 1929, Pastures of Heaven published in 1932, and To a god Unknown published in 1933, went unnoticed. His novels did so bad that his first novel Cup of Gold failed to earn back the $250 his publisher gave him in advance. Steinbeck’s first novel that was noticed was Tortilla Flat published in 1935. This novel received critical acclaim and won the California Commonwealth Club Gold Medal. Steinbeck’s next novel was Of mice and Men published in 1937, this novel is about the dreams of two immigrant workers who were working on a ranch to save up money to buy their own ranch. This novel centered on themes of loneliness, racism, and the struggle for independence. Of Mice and Men was later made into a move. Steinbeck is best known for The Grapes of Wrath. It was published in 1939; the impact of the book was compared to that of Harriet Breecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Steinbeck writes The Grapes of wrath when the United States was recovering from the great depression of the 1930’s. The Grapes of Wrath was also later made into a movie by John Ford in 1940. Fleeing the publicity of this novel Steinbeck went to Mexico to film the documentary Forgotten Village. The title originated from Julia Ward Howe’s The Battle Hymn of the Republic published in 1861. In 1940 John Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for this novel. Steinbeck’s next novels were The Sea of Cortez published

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