John Steinbeck: A Life In Words

Patrick Angus

April 11, 2005

Period 1

John Steinbeck: A Life in Words

John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 (www.steinbeck.org). He was born at his house at 132 Central Avenue, Salinas, California. He was born of Irish and German ancestry and born into a fairly prosperous family. His main accomplishments show with the constant hard work and diligence he has shown through his career. "...not enough wingspread but plenty of intention(Steinbeck)." The life of one so great that words seem inadequate to what his life and achievements compare to.

He was born and raised in Salinas Valley (also known as the "salad bowl of the nation.) in a beautiful land filled with magnificent sites which make their way into some of Steinbeck's greatest novels ever written (www.steinbeck.org). He was the third out of four children and the only boy. His sisters were (in order from oldest) Elizabeth Steinbeck Ainsworth, Esther Steinbeck Rodgers, Mary Steinbeck Dekker (the only buried in the family's plot in "The Garden of Memories" located in Salinas, California). His father, the late, John Ernst II was the Treasurer for Salinas Country and his mother, Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, was a retired school teacher who quit her job to be a mother to her dear son and feeding his ever so growing curiosity for the joy of books and what it brought into his life. When Steinbeck was old enough, he was hired by nearby ranchers to lend a helpful hand. Steinbeck, however the intellectual he was, loved his job since it allowed him to be around the beautiful countryside of California and the people he had grown to love.

He graduated in 1919, ninth in his high school class at Salinas High School(Cox). He was accepted to Stanford University but never graduated and ended up dropping out of Stanford University in 1925 to pursue his dream of becoming a writer; his dream since childhood, which was powered by his mothers will to encourage him to read(Steinbeck). He worked in New York on Madison Square Garden while in search of a publisher but later the next year returned to Salinas and to his family home. He was soon to realize that his dream of becoming a known author would be more difficult then he first thought.

He was wed and divorced twice Ms. Carol Henning Brown and Ms. Gwyndolyn Conger, before he met the woman of his life, Mrs. Elaine Scott Anderson Steinbeck, married in 1950(Cox, www.steinbeck.org). His first marriage with Carol Henning failed due to their age and difficulties in their marriage. In a poor attempt to save what they had, he moved into his childhood home with his parents where his father helped the struggling couple but failed and in 1942, the divorce was final(www.steinbeck.org). His second marriage to Gwyndolyn Conger ended due to John Steinbeck's attraction to his current wife. With his second wife he had his first son born on August 2, 1944 named Thomas Steinbeck and his second and last son named John Steinbeck IV, was born on June 12, 1946(Steinbeck). His second son Thomas, passed away on February 7, 1991(Steinbeck).

During his divorce between Carol Henning, Steinbeck began to find information about labor unions and interviewed people in preparation for his famous novel, The Grapes of Wrath. As was stated, John Steinbeck was always involved in reading and writing(Steinbeck). He often wrote to ease his mind of certain problems in his life. His mother, who was a retired school teacher, fully supported her sons desire to read anything he could get his hands on(www.steinbeck.org). It was given he was going to make it in life as a novelist. His inspirations being his love for his family and Pigasus (the flying pig he looked up to) made him strive to become a better writer(Cox). Up until his first successful novel was published, John Steinbeck worked various odd jobs while he lived with his parents due to a failing marriage(www.steinbeck.org). He still maintained his goal of being a novelist and worked extremely hard at being as successful as he is now(Harold).

His first novel, Cup of Gold was unsuccessful in its publication, as well as The Pastures of Heaven and To a God Unknown which received little to non-existent acknowledgment in the commercial world and the literary world. Critics from the Washington Post stated that Steinbeck's writings were "too young and immature" but this did not sway the brilliant novelist in the least. He strove and worked harder on his fourth book which became the turning point in his career(ww.steinbeck.org).

After John Steinbeck left New York he returned to his home in Salinas to take care of his slowly fading mother. After the death of his beloved mother, John Steinbeck was quoted saying that, "My house in Salinas is pretty haunted now. I see things walking at night...that is not good to see," Upon leaving his childhood home Steinbeck wrote Tortilla Flat and Cannery Road, which were inspired by a place in Salinas County known as the Pacific Grove(Bloom). Tortilla Flat was published in 1935 when Steinbeck was thirty-three and already divorced once. After this moment in time, every book that Steinbeck wrote had instant commercial success(Bloom). It seemed that his most successful novels became more successful than it's predecessor due to a death of someone he loved. His first and second success were Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row, but short after Of Mice and Men as well as The Long Valley were published in 1936 and 1937 also which received great commercial success(Steinbeck). His best selling novel however was The Grapes of Wrath.

After his mother's and father's nearly simultaneous death, John Steinbeck published Tortilla Flats(www.steinbeck.org). It seems every time he looses someone or something, he came out with a great masterpiece that probably reshaped America. Of Mice and Men and The Long Valley were two stories that seemed to be affected by the loss of his beloved mother and father.

Published in 1938, The Grapes of Wrath was by far his most successfully, tragic novel(www.steinbeck.org). It received horrendous amounts of reviews, some great and some not so pleased. It allowed people to focus extremely hard on the living conditions of, and use, of farm workers(Cox). From Los Gatos, Steinbeck wrote to his family saying, "The vilification of me out here from the large landowners and bankers is pretty bad. The latest is a rumor started by them that the Okies hate me and have threatened to kill me for lying about them. I'm frightened at the rolling might of this damned thing, it is completely out of hand; I mean a kind of hysteria about the book is growing that is not healthy(Cox)." He was upset that people were still