Author Information &
Historical Background
John Steinbeck
» Known for his fiction ––
his novels about the American
Condition and for his non fiction –
his essays on many issues to do
with American life, his philosophy
and his beliefs
» The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is
considered to be his greatest work
» Worked as journalist, laborer,
fruit picker, scientist, & caretaker
» Pulitzer Prize for Grapes of
Wrath
» Nobel Prize - 1962
» Taken from a line of poetry ––the Scottish
poet Robert Burns wrote:
» “The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley”
» “The best laid schemes of mice and men
often go awry”
» Refers to a little mouse who had so
carefully built her nest in a field to protect
herself and her little mice babies. The nest
is turned over and destroyed by the man
plowing.
Dustbowl – windstorms caused severe
erosion and destroyed crops, land, and
the well being of many people in the
south and mid-west
The Great Depression – Unemployment was
as high as 24%, crop prices fell, and many
people struggled to take care of themselves
and their families.
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