22 January 2001 John SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck, American novelist, won the 1962 Nobel Laureate in Literature for his realistic and imaginative writings. No other author has quite achieved Steinbeckáïs Humanistic style. He combined sympathetic humor and keen social perception as in The Grapes of Wrath. He also is capable of realistic portraying the tenderness of human relationship as in Of Mice and Men and The Pearl. He also shows the pain of outcast individuals in Cannery Row. Quite possible the greatest writer during the 20th century, Steinbeck uses his experiences to make his writing poignant and realistic.
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California. After graduating from high school, he spent four years at Stanford University, but he did no get a degree. He chose to work many jobs instead of studying at the university to gain more various experiences. Many of these experiences are present throughout his works.
English: John Steinbeck
Cover of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, 19...
Grave site of John Steinbeck and familyHe struggled financially at first before his first success. Kunitz states, áðhis first three books (Cup of Gold, The Pastures of Heaven, and To a God Unknown) were financial failures and for a long time he was very pooráñ (Kunitz 1338). However, he wrote Grapes of Wrath, and won the Pulitzer award. Charles Moritz said áðNotoriety was not congenial to Steinbeck, and at the height of the clamor over the Grapes of Wrath, he went with his friend, who figures as Doc in Sweet Thursday and Cannery, on a scientific expedition to the Gull of Californiaáñ(Moritz 398).
Clearly Steinbeckáïs genuine love humanity shows in these works. Steinbeck rages from the romantic history of his first novel to the gayety of Tortilla Flat. áðTortilla Flat far exceeded its publisheráïs mild expectations: it appeared on the best-seller lists for months and was denounced by the Monterey Chamber of Commerce, who feared its...