John Steinbeck Essay Examples and Topics

To survive is to continue on with life, even when it seems to be a continuous loop of despair. Authors Murakami, Steinbeck, and Hannaford each bring the idea of survival to life through their work. Murakami’s work focuses on survivor’s guilt, while Steinbeck exaggerates dependence,…

“The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck uses symbols to convey what he wants the reader to know about that time period. While using these symbols he also has very impacting scenes that make the readers think carefully about what he is trying to portray in the…

Steinbeck’s innovativeness and creative mind take us through the stories and the environment of his work. The Chrysanthemums, by the utilization of three essential characters, Henry Allen, his significant other Elisa Allen and the Tinker enable the perusers to catch up on an intriguing family…

“Literary criticism, the reasoned consideration of literary works and issues. It applies, as a term, to any argumentation about literature, whether or not specific works are analyzed. It is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature.” Written by Fredrick C. Crews, author featured on britannica.com.And…

“The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck is a short story about a thirty-five-year-old woman named Elisa Allen. She is a proud, strong woman who feels frustrated with her latent, limited life, composed of tending her own errands of keeping her home clean and her flower garden…

At the turn of the twentieth century ladies were on the uprising with uniformity; a feministic unrest was happening. There were still hindrances and snags that ladies needed to survive, anyway more choices were gradually starting to come their direction. In the article by John…

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck tell a story of two migratory workers during the Great Depression. Several characters in the novel are played with feelings of Loneliness. Although most may believe that Curley’s wife is the lonely character in the novel and there…

Despite being surrounded by others, Candy, Curley’s wife, and Crooks’ actions, lack of trust, and belief in society’s prejudices keep them in a state of loneliness. Loneliness can hurt the human brain. Loneliness may not seem like a mental health problem but in some sense…

 During the Great Depression, it was hard to find work and maintain it. Families were apart for long periods trying to support one another. The men went to find work on farms the women manage the house and children. It was the start and end…

In John Steinbeck’s novel, he introduces characters that undergo a series of events that takes them closer and further to reach their dreams. Two men, Lennie and George, escape from Weed. This results in them working on a ranch to survive and set their main…

 In Of Mice and Men, one of the main themes is the essence of humanity or the nature of human existence. Throughout the book, almost every character comes out and says how they are all lonely on the inside. They all want someone the way…

Have you ever once in your life felt lost? Throughout our lives, we come across many journeys that will leave us feeling very unwanted, have low hopes, or cause us to feel at some points very depressed. All of this only seems to stop when…

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men approaches the concept of dreams and how it is virtually impossible to achieve. The novel follows the journey of two men, George and Lennie, and their attempt to live the American Dream. Just when they are about to accomplish…

Many societies have a common pattern in everyday life: people who have goals find ways to achieve them. Unfortunately, money, social status, and countless other factors halt the plans of several. Despite the negative flow of events, the ambitious people among all choose to believe…

In East of Eden, John Steinbeck explores how the personality trait of evilness affects an individual. He shows this through Cathy Ames’ resulting lack of humanity and lack maternal instinct. Initially, Cathy’s malice leads to her lack of motherly care, preventing her to love her…

East of Eden, written by John Steinbeck, is a complicated retelling of the biblical story of Cain and Abel, focused around the overall struggle between evil and good. This was first seen in Adam and Charles Trask, followed by Adam’s sons, Aron and Cal Trask….

East of Eden, the author John Steinbeck uses a narrator conducting a hopeless and desperate tone comidating before a critical change of Adam’s relationship towards another. Before the critical outcomes of Adam the tone of hopelessness and desperation can show a relationship that intertwines with…

“The proper function of a man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” – Jack London Both amazing writers John Steinbeck and Jack London have made amazing stories who use…

Police harassing helpless tenant farmers. Tractors razing houses to the ground. Overworked employees and their loved ones struggling to avoid starvation. As the Joads and many other families travel across the country to California in search of economic prosperity, they face many hardships. Roosevelt said…

This book by John Steinbeck can be described as an eyewitness where he wrote the daily life of Stalin’s Soviet Union. As a first layer of the journal he travelled to Georgia, Kiev, Moscow and Stalingrad, during forty days between July 31 and September 1947…

The artist does not create in vaccum, he depicts the values of the society which is part of and the framework of his writing,and by his imaginative power his works present a picture of his own particular society. Hebeside being a painter, also plays a…

The setting of the story is the area of La Paz, a pearl fishing town in Mexico on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, around the year 1900. The pearl fisher Kino is a native Mexican whose son gets bitten by a scorpion and…

The Grapes of Wrath is a story of family named Joad’s written by John Steinbeck. In the book, John Steinbeck mention the struggles faced by Joad’s family by travelling from their hometown Sallisaw, Oklahoma to California for finding a better life. They had a family…

Unfortunately, it affects more people than can be fathomed, and holds no cure. Many think that loneliness only affects the weak and emotionally detached, but in fact, it affects many more people than meets the eye. Loneliness can be seen everywhere, and in everyone. In…

It’s hard to know whether or not Curley’s wife is the victim or the cause for how she’s treated. On the one hand, she is discriminated against by the men on the farm. On the other hand, what she’s doing is unfair to the men…

A few characters that strive for power in this novella are Crooks, George, and Curley. The time of the great depression affected humans, by making some strive for power, to possibly result in more land and most importantly more money. First is a man named…

In the novel “Cannery Row,” John Steinbeck tends to make the readers comprehend that the novels attitude towards one of the main characters, Doc, is acceptance, kindness, and forgiving despite what errors people may do in Cannery Row. Doc’s character is the proprietor and dealer…

The Great Depression is a very important part of American history which explains that life can change at any second. During the Great Depression, the stock market dropped all of a sudden which made tough to get a good job because most of the companies…

Due to human nature, the characters in Of Mice and Men have always been fast to judge people based on their physical appearance. The author, John Steinbeck demonstrates how stereotypes are not true and eliminates the social prejudice of judging individuals based on their appearance…

Throughout the novella Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck utilizes the characters and their exclusion from society to establish the dynamics of power on the ranch. To begin with, Candy is pitied throughout the novel due to his old age and futile arm, evidently displaying…

Life during the Great Depression is very difficult for most Americans, however, it is even harder for women and African Americans. Steinbeck includes women and African Americans in Of Mice and Men to show the moral issues of this time, especially sexism and racism. The…

The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, is a fictional account of a migrant family’s struggles before and while traveling to California in hopes of a new beginning during the Great Depression. As one would know from any level US history course, the Great…

The Great Depression of the 1930’s was a worldwide phenomenon that was a tough time for people. During this time black people and women in America have been forced to live through poor social conditions. In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, the characters…

When a book is considered a tragedy it is because the main character, the hero of our story, a good person goes through a downfall causing the audience to be in suspense and feel sorrow for the character. In the story, Of Mice and Men…

Of Mice and Men is a novella by John Steinbeck that takes place in the time of the great depression. We see a insight of many individuals roles that struggle in this time. It begins with Lennie and George trying to find work due to…

Of Mice and Men Essay Those who succeed in life have a dream, and they know what to do to accomplish their dream. Even though they face problems, they still know what to do. They also maintain good relationships with people. However, those who failed…

The definition of a “dream” according to Merriam Webster is, “Just a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep.” This definition takes no part in associating with goals or aspirations. So, why is it so common for people to…

In the infamous novel, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Jim Casey portrays a strong, helping, and knowledgeable character who is admired by many. Jim Casey is introduced as he meets with the main character, Tom Joad. They meet as JIm Casey introduces himself…

The novella “Of Mice and Men” written by John Steinbeck in 1937 is undoubtedly one of the most famous pieces of literature from the 20th century. A handful of authors are remembered as well as Steinbeck, each of them for their own contributions. But unlike…

The Pearl, a novella published in 1947 by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck, inspired after visiting La Paz, Baja California Sur in an expedition with his friend, marine biologist, Ed Ricketts. Near La Paz, an island called Isla Espiritu Santo that’s considered the “crown jewel”…

The setting of the opening scene suggest that the novel will be depict life in the dust bowl. The scene also advocates that the family unit structure is based on gender roles and the man centric society. The land turtle possesses determination, persistence, resilience and…

The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck, is known as one of his greatest works. The novella has been both enjoyed and analyzed ever since it first appeared in a magazine called the Woman’s Home Companion in 1945. The Pearl contains many themes and symbols. One…

The human desire to seek enlightenment and purpose in life permeates and intensifies the allure of literature. Throughout time, novels have continually supported the aphorism that hardships build character and strengthen one’s sense of personal identity. In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Cal searches for…

Every major religion states in its teachings that committing any sin would turn humanity away from their deity and invite only misfortune and strife. It is generally accepted that the act of sin is wrong and human society is designed in a manner that alienates…

For which character of Mice and Men do you have most sympathy? Show how John Steinbeck’s presentation of your chosen character creates sympathy for him or her. In my opinion, Crooks is the character who possess and deserves the most sympathy. I say this as…

Of Mice and Men’s Curly’s Wife: An Analysis In the 1930’s, rights for minorities were incredibly limited. White women were barely allowed to vote at this time, and the expectations set for women were oppressive and demanding. If a married man were on a ranch…

How Important Is the Theme of Death in the Novel? Steinbeck explores many different themes in his book but arguably one of the most prominent themes is death. Death is the reason for the numerous tragedies throughout the novel that eventually lead to the death…