"John Steinbeck was one of the greatest American authors of his time..." (Spiller,
), and will, contrary to many skeptics beliefs, be known for his use of
sentimentalism, realism, and "...his ability to envelop the feelings of
Americans." (Wooley, Newsbank) He did this through diligent research in
discovering the true America in its rawest form. The product of this research
was some of the most popular and widely criticized books in all of Americas
literary history. One of the most prominent aspects of his greater works were
the setting. Steinbeck drew on the personal experience of being born and raised
in the California agricultural area of Salinas Valley to compose many of his
most famous books.
Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas California. "The two
important facts about the first phase of his life are that he was a Californian
and the he wanted to be a serious writer."
(French, 19) California was a great
place for a young and aspiring writer to grow up. It had so many tumultuous
periods in it's history; the Spanish settlers, the Gold Rush, the building of
the transcontinental railroad, and the hardships of migrant workers. These epic
events made California almost a legend in itself. His family came to Salinas as
conquerors of the frontier. His grandfather migrated to California straight
from Ireland, and his father moved there from Florida at the time of the Civil
War. Steinbeck's father, John Ernst, Sr., was the treasurer of Monterey County
for many years and was also a miller. His mother, Olive Hamilton, taught at many
schools in the Salinas area. He also had three sisters.
Steinbeck had ample access to the three things Emerson said went into the
making of a scholar; nature, books, action. Steinbeck was a small town boy,
The format of your paper is not right!
The biography is good, but the format of it (the way you wrote or better the way it appear here) is kind of ambiguous and confusing at times!
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