And how his life influenced his works
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John Steinbeck is an American author who
grew up in Salinas, California
http://www.salinasvalleyez.com/

John Steinbeck wrote many works, the most
noted of which include The Grapes of Wrath, Of
Mice and Men, and East of Eden
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Steinbeck worked on a ranch in his younger
days, and during those days he was around
migrant workers.
Steinbeck learned many things about the
migrant workers, like the dreams that motivated
them and the harsh living they had to endure.
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Steinbeck used his experience with migrant
laborers to make Of Mice and Men the piece of
classic literature that it was in its time, and still
is today.
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 Steinbeck showed a sympathy towards
the working class (which the FBI wasn’t
happy with), and showed America how
bad the Dust Bowl really was for many
people.
Steinbeck’s ranch work may have also played a
part, as it showed him how bad migrant life
can be, and the Dust Bowl caused many
families to become migrant workers.
Steinbeck considered East of Eden his greatest
work. The story centers around the Hamilton
family and the Trask family. It is primarily
about Caleb and Aaron Trask, who show
similarity to Cain and Abel, and describes their
lives in even greater detail. The story takes
place in Salinas, and deals with betrayal, a
longing for acceptance, and many other things.
This book touches on so many things, it’s hard to
summarize. However, if you’ve read any of
Steinbeck’s works and liked them, chances are you’d
like this one too. (He did consider this his greatest)
Steinbeck wrote East of Eden for his two sons,
explaining the sights, smells, and sounds of
Salinas Valley. Steinbeck’s living in Salinas
provided him with the details he used to write
East of Eden, and a younger version of himself
appears in the book as well. Steinbeck was also
quoted saying "I think everything else I have
written has been, in a sense, practice for this.“,
showing another way his life influenced East of
Eden.
All in all, Steinbeck’s work on ranches and his
hometown of Salinas played a crucial role in
the development of his books.
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Wikipedia, 24 September, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck.
30 September, 2011.
Wikipedia, 26 September, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_of_Eden_%28novel%29.
30 September, 2011.
John Steinbeck “Of Mice and Men” 1937
John Steinbeck “The Grapes of Wrath” 1939
Salinas Valley Enterprise Zone 2011 http://www.salinasvalleyez.com/
6 Oct, 2011
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