Steinbeck in Today's Economic Crisis

The economic situation in the United States at the current time is becoming more and more parallel to the economy that John Steinbeck knew. Many writers are discussing how the current economic downturn could be the coming of a second Great Depression, the main subject of many of Steinbeck's works. Steinbeck would react to the economic situation in the U.S. today much the same way he did in the 1930s. He would use the real stories of many of the laborers suffering from the rising unemployment rates. Steinbeck would write about the negative aspects of life that many writers would not be willing to use as subject matter. Although the state of the economy is predicted to remain bad for quite sometime, it is not expected to reach the severity of the Great Depression. Nonetheless, Steinbeck would be influenced by the writers of today much in the same way he was influenced by the famous Realist writers of the 1930s. Steinbeck's subject matter would no longer be about the displaced migrant workers that suffered during the Great Depression, but his works would focus on those individuals left unemployed by the increase in technology that has led to the need for less jobs. Despite being almost a full century later, Steinbeck would react to the economic situation today in the same ways he reacted to the Great Depression, using it as his main subject matter for most of his famous works.

A tragedy of the Great Depression: Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men is one of John Steinbeck’s most famous works. Written in 1937, it is one of the multiple works Steinbeck wrote about the Great Depression. This tragic novella focuses on two displaced migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, and their struggle to find work.

George and Lennie are best friends, but Lennie has a mental disability that has made it difficult for these friends to keep a job. At first glance, this novella seems to be about the struggle of migrant workers during the Great Depression, but actually, this novella delves much deeper into the oppressive nature of humankind. Lennie’s mental shortcomings are a constant source of oppression for both him and George. The nature of humankind is to oppress the weak. Throughout the story, Lennie is constantly faulted for his immature understanding of life. He has a child’s mind in a man’s body, causing him to be misunderstood and mistreated.

Another important theme in Of Mice and Men is the strong bond of fraternity between Geroge and Lennie. George is willing to sacrifice his own success in life for the sake of his friend. George has many dreams to own his own land and farm, the American Dream at the time, but is unable to achieve success with Lennie at his side. Even though George complains about Lennie being a burden to him, he continues to stand by his side and protect him, acting much as an older brother or father figure. In the end of the novel, Lennie accidently breaks Curley’s wife’s neck, killing her. As Curleys lynch mob comes after Lennie, George shoots him in the back of the head, not as an act of harm to his friend but as a way of protecting him from the harm the lynch mob would of caused him.

Of Mice and Men is one of John Steinbeck’s greatest works. The themes follow the common trends amongst most of his works, focusing on the tragic aspects of the Great Depression. This novella follows the style of many writers of the Modernism and Realism literary movements. 

Modernism, Naturalism, and Realism: The Literary Movements of Steinbeck's Works

According to many articles written on Steinbeck, he did not wish to identify with any literary movement. He often brought many characteristics of various literary movements into his novels. However, his writings came right at the end of Modernism’s climax and tend to often primarily include many styles of Modernism, while also incorporating some elements of Naturalism and Realism. Characteristics of Modernism that appear in Steinbeck’s writings include stylistic innovations in both his use of language and syntax in many of his novels. Also, Steinbeck follows Modernism in challenging tradition and not using patterned responses or predictable forms. His novels all depict elements of Realism in that they all attempt a truthful representation of reality that not many authors were willing to depict in writing. Steinbeck often wrote about the difficulties of the Great Depression, especially for farmers and rural workers. Grapes of Wrath classifies as Steinbeck’s most obvious use of Naturalism in a work. This novel is an example of a classic social protest novel. He uses Modernism in this novel by his use of experimentation with form and language, much like the works of famous Modern writers such as Joycean and Faulkner. Of Mice and Men is also a novel that contains Modernism and Realism. It is the story of Lennie and George, two farmers displaced during the Great Depression. Once again, Steinbeck’s writing focuses on the realistic lives that many people were living at this time, not leaving out any of the tragic details that came with being a farmer in this time period. Steinbeck achieved success during the peak of Modernism, following many famous writers that were the cornerstone of Modernism as a movement. He takes his writing further into encompassing two sects of Modernism, Naturalism and Realism, into his works.

Works Cited:

Bolton, Matthew J.. "A Minstrel and a Scrivener: Steinbeck, the Protest Novel, and Modernism." Critical insights. Salem Press, Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://salempress.com/Store/pdfs/grapes_critical_insights.pdf>.

Freitag, Florian. "Naturalism In Its Natural Environment?: American Naturalism And The Farm Novel." Studies In American Naturalism 4.2 (2009): 97-118. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.

Millichap, Joseph R. "John Steinbeck." Research Guide To Biography & Criticism 2.(1985): 1115-1118. Book Collection Nonfiction: High School Edition. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.

Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 7: Early Twentieth Century: American Modernism - An Introduction." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. URL: http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap7/7intro.html (provide page date or date of your login). 

Contribution to Literature

In 1935, Steinbeck wrote his first successful piece, Tortilla Flat, which is a series of humorous stories about Monterey paisanos. In Dubious Battle was written in 1936. This novel deals with the strikes of California fruit workers. Next came the famous Of Mice and Men followed by a collection of short stories entitled The Long Volume. In 1939, Steinbeck wrote his most famous novel, Grapes of Wrath, which is about Oklahoma farmers who move to California to become migratory workers when they cannot find work in Oklahoma. Much of Steinbeck's writing was about the economic problems of rural labor and aspects of the Great Depression. Some of his other works included East of Eden, The Winter of Our Discontent, and Travels with Charley. John Steinbeck contributed greatly to the development of American literature and expressing the struggles of workers throughout eras including the Great Depression.

John Steinbeck's Biography

John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. His father worked as Monterey County treasurer and his mother was a school teacher. He spent his summers as a child working on nearby ranches. In 1919, Steinbeck graduated high school and attended Stanford University but never graduated. In 1925, he moved to New York to try his hand at writing but returned to California a few years later after no success. Upon Steinbeck's return to California, he worked odd jobs for many years. He married his first wife, Carol Henning, in 1930. In 1942, after he and Carol divorced, he married Gwyn Conger and had two children, Thomas and John. In 1943, Steinbeck served as a World War II correspondant. After publishing many successful literary pieces, John Steinbeck died on December 20, 1968 of heart disease and congestive heart failure.