Themes
Whitney Charles
1st block
September 21, 2011
John Steinbeck
•John Steinbeck (author
of The Grapes of Wrath
and Of Mice and Men)
wrote many pieces of
literature in his day, and
is very well known for
many of his works.
•John Steinbeck used
themes that related to
society and provided
bittersweet
entertainment to his
readers.
magnetmagazine.com
Some questions you may ask yourself:
 What are themes?
 Why are John Steinbeck’s themes important?
 How do John Steinbeck’s themes relate to the past? To
the present?
What are themes?
The textbook definition for the word ‘theme’ is: the
subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person's
thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic.
But, what most people don’t know is, themes are much
more than just a definition.
The theme of a piece of literature MAKES the story. It
truly defines what a story is all about.
Examples of Steinbeck’s Themes:
 Hope for tomorrow
 American dream
 Optimism
 Contest between good and evil
 Poverty
 Economic depression
Why are Steinbeck’s
themes important?
John Steinbeck’s themes
were, and are still today,
very important because
they contained timeless
themes and raised
questions.
Steinbeck’s works were
sometimes considered
too raw, too vulgar, or too
sympathetic toward
unsympathetic
characters- but that is
just what society needed.
His themes are well
known today because
they are RELEVANT.
irvingtheatre.org
How do Steinbeck’s
themes relate to the
past?
Steinbeck’s themes were
so easily related to the
past.
For example, the theme
of The Grapes of Wrath
is Economic depression
and Poverty. During the
time period in which it
was written, many
people were poor and
struggled every day just
to live.
guardian.co.uk
How do Steinbeck’s
themes relate to the
present?
Steinbeck based a
lot of his works on
poverty and the
struggle to live a
good life.
Many people today
experience this
struggle, and can
relate to Steinbeck’s
works.
filipspagnoli.wordpress.com
Of Mice and Men
This novella is considered a classic. One of the many
reasons is because it contained one of many timeless
themes – the struggle for the American Dream.
Many people had to work to get what they wanted – and
even needed, and this book provided the readers with
questions and answers they could easily relate to.
So, why does this matter?
Classic literature is slowly but surely becoming less and
less important.
Students of our generation need to know what makes
classic literature, why it is important, and how we
should apply it to our daily lives.
John Steinbeck is a very good example of a classic author
because he wrote many classics in his time. To some,
the words ‘American literature’ instantly remind them
of Steinbeck.
Work Cited (information)

Michelle Potter, “John Steinbeck's California Connections”, Literary Traveler, Copyright 1998-2010
LiteraryTraveler.com Literary Traveler ® is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved., n.d., Web.
September 28, 2011. http://www.literarytraveler.com/authors/john_steinbecks_california.aspx

n,p., SparkNotes, Themes, Symbols, and Motifs, 2011 SparkNotes LLC, All Rights Reserved, n.d., Web.
September 28, 2011. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tortillaflat/themes.html

Esther Lombardi, “John Steinbeck Novels”, About, 2011 About.com. All rights reserved. A part of The New
York Times Company. N.d., Web. September 28, 2011.
http://classiclit.about.com/od/eastofeden/tp/aatp_jsteinb.htm

Petri Liukkonen, “John Steinbeck”, Kirjasto, May be used for non-commercial purposes. The author must be
mentioned. The text may not be altered in any way (e.g. by translation). Click on the logo above for
information, n.d., Web. September 28, 2011. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/johnstei.htm

60SECONDRECAP, “Of Mice and Men" THEMES -- John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men”, YouTube, n.d, Web.
September 28, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZKaZLCPH8E
Work Cited (pictures)

Richard Hawley, JohnSteinbeck, 2009, Photograph, September 28, 2011,
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2009/09/23/richard-hawley%E2%80%99s-notes-from-sheffield-johnsteinbeck/

N.p., Of Mice and Men, 2010, Photograph, September 28, 2011,
http://www.irvingtheatre.org/new/mainstage/seasons/2009-2010/mice/index.htm

N.p., The Grapes of Wrath, 2010, Photograph, September 29, 2011,
http://nothingiswrittenfilm.blogspot.com/2010/06/grapes-of-wrath.html

N.p., Grapes1, 2008, Photograph, September 29. 2011,
http://www.fipresci.org/undercurrent/issue_0509/grapes.htm

N.p., grapesofwrath, 2009, Photograph, September 29, 2011
http://www.circleplayers.net/Show%20Pages/1011/GOW/gowhistory.html

N.p., Grapesimage142, 2010, Photograph, September 29, 2011 http://www.rachaelreads.com/10-thegrapes-of-wrath-by-john-steinbeck/