FREE ESSAY ON JOHN STEINBECK

JOHN 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 his characters and vividly describe their
surroundings. His masterly of these and other techniques, in my opinion, is why John
Steinbeck's novels, like The Grape's of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, have survived the test
of time. 
John's writing style was developed from the experiences in his life; this may be why he
is so interesting to read, because John has had an interesting life. John Steinbeck was
born on February 27, 1902 in the Salinas Fertile Valley, California. His father, John
Ernst Steinbeck, was a simple farmer and the treasurer of Monterey County, California.
His mother, Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, was a school teacher and she was the one person who
was responsible for introducing him to the wonderful world of famous literature. She also
read and taught him Shakespeare and other famous writers. John Steinbeck had two younger
sisters, Ester and Elizabeth. John grew up in Salinas on a farm and was surrounded by
animals and other forms of nature, this is the main reason that John had such a love of
all forms of nature and wildlife. He graduated from Salinas High School in 1919 and then
went to Standford University in 1920. At Standford he published "The Standford
Spectatorm," his first short story. During a break from Standford, John got a job on
Spreckel's Ranch near Salinas. While he worked there, he was able to observe firsthand
the lives of "bindle stiffs" and "ranch bosses". These observations would later on become
the characters in Of Mice and Men. John eventually dropped out of Standford University
and began his career as a full-time writer. In 1930, Steinbeck meet Ed Ricketts, who soon
is to be his life-long friend. Also that year, he married his sweetheart, Ms. Carol
Henning. He then moved to Pacific Grove to find a publisher for A God Unknown. He failed
to find a publisher but that did not stop him and he began writing stories for Pastures
of Heaven. While writing this short story, he met another man that also became his friend
for live by the name of Joseph Campbell. Joseph was a Jungian and a mythologist. He also
was the person responsible for getting Steinbeck's Pastures of Heaven published later
that year. In 1933, Joseph also helped publish To a God Unknown and The Red Pony Stories.
1934 was an extremely tragic year for Mr. Steinbeck, the year began good when his story,
"The Murder", appeared in O. Henry Prize Stories. Later that year, John was dealt a
tremendous blow when his mother died. John was so upset that he did not write anything
for another year. Then when he began to recover and start writing again, his father died
in 1936. At that time, John Steinbeck was about half way through writing Of Mice and Men.
Again because of John's despair, he was not able to finish this book right away. But
finally he was able to finish it in 1937, and it was published and became his first best
seller. In 1939, Steinbeck's had his favorite year, John was elected to The National
Institute of Arts and Letters. He also published his Pulitzer Prize winning novel The
Grapes of Wraith. The year of 1944 had many ups and downs for John Steinbeck. A wonderful
event was the birth of his first son on the second of August. John had to fight to have
his name removed from the credits of Lifeboat because he believed he did not believe in
racism and he believed it was involved and promoted in the film. In 1962, Steinbeck was
honored again with the award of The Nobel Prize in literature. 
John Steinbeck's use of Charicterization and Imagery can easily be show through his best
selling novel Of Mice and Men. The book Of Mice and Men is about loneliness and the need
for companionship. Steinbeck has said that he wrote this novel along with most of his
other novels, to challenge his readers sense of values and morals and also to increase
there awareness of the horrible things that people are capable of doing. The title of the
book was taken from a poem that was written by Robert Burns that goes like this: 
"But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Gang aft agley,
And leave us nought but grief and pain
For promised joy."
In the novel, George Milton travels with his companion Lennie Smalles. George Milton was
a small serious man who always looked after his traveling companion Lennie Smalls. Lennie
Smalls was a large, mentally handicapped man who was George's loyal follower and friend.
Lennie's uncontrollable impulses and ignorance continually got him into trouble and
eventually cause his downfall. John vividly describes these two main characters, in a
perfect example of characterization, on page two of his novel. The quote goes as
follows:
"Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket roles thrown over there
shoulder. The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp
strong features…. Behind him walked his opposite a huge man, shapeless face, with
large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders, and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a
little, the way a bear drags his paws." 
This illustration reveals just how well Steinbeck describes his characters. With the
descriptions and literary devices, such as metaphors and similes, the characters seem to
come to life for the reader. John's vivid descriptions of nature really help the reader
see the surroundings in his novels. The following quote starts of the book Of Mice and
Men and contains some of the most descriptive language, and imagery in the hole book.
"A few miles south of the soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank
and runs deep and green. The water is warm too: for it has slipped twinkling in the
yellow sands before reaching the narrow pool. On one side the golden foothill slopes
curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan Mountains but on the valley side the water is
lined with trees - willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in there lower
leafs the debris of the withers flooding: and sycamores with mottled, white recombered
limbs and branches that are over the pool."
This and other examples in Of Mice and Men show just how well John Steinbeck describes
the settings that are in his novels. 
Many other writers have analyzed John's work. Most writers would have to agree with me on
my opinion of his writing technique. One of these writers writes:
Bibliography
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 his characters and vividly describe their
surroundings. His masterly of these and other techniques, in my opinion, is why John
Steinbeck's novels, like The Grape's of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, have survived the test
of time. 
John's writing style was developed from the experiences in his life; this may be why he
is so interesting to read, because John has had an interesting life. John Steinbeck was
born on February 27, 1902 in the Salinas Fertile Valley, California. His father, John
Ernst Steinbeck, was a simple farmer and the treasurer of Monterey County, California.
His mother, Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, was a school teacher and she was the one person who
was responsible for introducing him to the wonderful world of famous literature. She also
read and taught him Shakespeare and other famous writers. John Steinbeck had two younger
sisters, Ester and Elizabeth. John grew up in Salinas on a farm and was surrounded by
animals and other forms of nature, this is the main reason that John had such a love of
all forms of nature and wildlife. He graduated from Salinas High School in 1919 and then
went to Standford University in 1920. At Standford he published "The Standford
Spectatorm," his first short story. During a break from Standford, John got a job on
Spreckel's Ranch near Salinas. While he worked there, he was able to observe firsthand
the lives of "bindle stiffs" and "ranch bosses". These observations would later on become
the characters in Of Mice and Men. John eventually dropped out of Standford University
and began his career as a full-time writer. In 1930, Steinbeck meet Ed Ricketts, who soon
is to be his life-long friend. Also that year, he married his sweetheart, Ms. Carol
Henning. He then moved to Pacific Grove to find a publisher for A God Unknown. He failed
to find a publisher but that did not stop him and he began writing stories for Pastures
of Heaven. While writing this short story, he met another man that also became his friend
for live by the name of Joseph Campbell. Joseph was a Jungian and a mythologist. He also
was the person responsible for getting Steinbeck's Pastures of Heaven published later
that year. In 1933, Joseph also helped publish To a God Unknown and The Red Pony Stories.
1934 was an extremely tragic year for Mr. Steinbeck, the year began good when his story,
"The Murder", appeared in O. Henry Prize Stories. Later that year, John was dealt a
tremendous blow when his mother died. John was so upset that he did not write anything
for another year. Then when he began to recover and start writing again, his father died
in 1936. At that time, John Steinbeck was about half way through writing Of Mice and Men.
Again because of John's despair, he was not able to finish this book right away. But
finally he was able to finish it in 1937, and it was published and became his first best
seller. In 1939, Steinbeck's had his favorite year, John was elected to The National
Institute of Arts and Letters. He also published his Pulitzer Prize winning novel The
Grapes of Wraith. The year of 1944 had many ups and downs for John Steinbeck. A wonderful
event was the birth of his first son on the second of August. John had to fight to have
his name removed from the credits of Lifeboat because he believed he did not believe in
racism and he believed it was involved and promoted in the film. In 1962, Steinbeck was
honored again with the award of The Nobel Prize in literature. 
John Steinbeck's use of Charicterization and Imagery can easily be show through his best
selling novel Of Mice and Men. The book Of Mice and Men is about loneliness and the need
for companionship. Steinbeck has said that he wrote this novel along with most of his
other novels, to challenge his readers sense of values and morals and also to increase
there awareness of the horrible things that people are capable of doing. The title of the
book was taken from a poem that was written by Robert Burns that goes like this: 
"But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Gang aft agley,
And leave us nought but grief and pain
For promised joy."
In the novel, George Milton travels with his companion Lennie Smalles. George Milton was
a small serious man who always looked after his traveling companion Lennie Smalls. Lennie
Smalls was a large, mentally handicapped man who was George's loyal follower and friend.
Lennie's uncontrollable impulses and ignorance continually got him into trouble and
eventually cause his downfall. John vividly describes these two main characters, in a
perfect example of characterization, on page two of his novel. The quote goes as
follows:
"Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket roles thrown over there
shoulder. The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp
strong features…. Behind him walked his opposite a huge man, shapeless face, with
large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders, and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a
little, the way a bear drags his paws." 
This illustration reveals just how well Steinbeck describes his characters. With the
descriptions and literary devices, such as metaphors and similes, the characters seem to
come to life for the reader. John's vivid descriptions of nature really help the reader
see the surroundings in his novels. The following quote starts of the book Of Mice and
Men and contains some of the most descriptive language, and imagery in the hole book.
"A few miles south of the soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank
and runs deep and green. The water is warm too: for it has slipped twinkling in the
yellow sands before reaching the narrow pool. On one side the golden foothill slopes
curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan Mountains but on the valley side the water is
lined with trees - willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in there lower
leafs the debris of the withers flooding: and sycamores with mottled, white recombered
limbs and branches that are over the pool."
This and other examples in Of Mice and Men show just how well John Steinbeck describes
the settings that are in his novels. 
Many other writers have analyzed John's work. Most writers would have to agree with me on
my opinion of his writing technique. One of these writers writes: