John Steinbeck

“I wonder how many people I've looked at all my life and never seen.”

— John Steinbeck

Life & Background:

Born in 1902 in California, Steinbeck wrote compassionately about poverty, labor, and human dignity during the Great Depression. He won the Nobel Prize in 1962.

Inspirations:

American history, nature, labor struggles, Christianity, and moral ambiguity.

Themes in His Work:

• Poverty and injustice

• Brotherhood and family

• Nature and spiritual endurance

• Dignity amidst despair

• The American Dream vs. reality

Notable Works:

• The Grapes of Wrath

• Of Mice and Men

• East of Eden

• Cannery Row