Ariana Hernandez Mr.

Toy 1-2 Period February 20, 2012 Literary Criticism: John Steinbeck John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California. His mother, a former school teacher, shared Steinbecks fathers passion and obsession of reading and writing. Steinbeck has 2 eldest sisters, Esther and Elizabeth, and one younger sister, Mary. He attended and graduated Salinas High School in 1919. From there, he was educated at Stanford University in Palo Alto where he lived for 5 years until 1925, leaving without a degree. Steinbeck had met his first wife, Carol Henning, when he returned to California. In 1928, he worked as a tour guide and caretaker at the fish hatchery in Tahoe City. Carol and John married in 1930. His most famous novella that he is best known for is called The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck next dealt with the problems of labor unions in In Dubious Battle (1936), an effective story of a strike by local grape pickers. Of Mice and Men (1937), was at first a play, is a tightly constructed novella about an unusual friendship between 2 migrant workers. The 2 migrant workers names are George Milton and Lennie Small. John Steinbeck, according to his novella, doesnt like or respect women and for what they do as much as men. In Of Mice and Men, he describes Curlys wife as a flirt. Not all women are like Curlys wife, but I think thats how Steinbeck sees all women. He does not even give her a name! She has always been referred to as Curlys wife. Steinbeck uses many literary devices such as: Symbolism, Imagery, Dramatic and Situational Irony, Tragedy, and Foreshadowing. After each chapter in Of Mice and Men,

he uses foreshadowing so you can predict what might happen in the next one. Even in the last chapter, he ends the novella with a question so you can predict and answer yourself as to whatll happen next. All of these different types of literary devices can affect the work. When Steinbeck was writing this novella, he doesnt give you any hints to what will happen next besides foreshadowing. Other than that, he pretty much tells and explains to the reader what is happening. He tells the reader straight forward and he doesnt give any hints. Steinbeck was born in Salinas and that is where almost all of his stories are in the setting. A lot of his novels have Salinas as a setting. Steinbecks fiction during the 1940s includes one of his other books called The Moon is Down (1942), a tale of the Norwegian resistance to occupation by the Nazis. His choices in setting affect the tone, mood, and meaning of the novella by where the story takes place. Since he was born in Salinas, California, most of his books and novellas will probably be set in that specific place because it is a big deal to Steinbeck.

Bibliography1. "Biography." John Steinbeck -. Nobel Media AB 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1962/steinbeckbio.html>. 2. "Biography of John Steinbeck (1902-1968)." Biography of John Steinbeck. Grade Saver. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. <http://www.gradesaver.com/author/johnsteinbeck/>. 3. Book Club, Oprah's. "John Steinbeck's Biography - Oprah.com." Oprah.com. Harpo Productions. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. <http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/John-Steinbecks-Biography>. 4. "The Grapes of Wrath." Enotes.com. Enotes.com. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. <http://www.enotes.com/grapes-of-wrath/author-biography>. 5. "John Steinbeck (1902-1968): A Brief Literary Biography." California State University Stanislaus. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. <http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/append/steinbeck_bio_s99.html >.
6. 7.

"World Biography." John Steinbeck Biography. Advameg Inc. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Sc-St/Steinbeck-John.html>.