John_Steinbeck_Author_Study

Is the American dream achievable for everyone' In Steinbeck’s three novels; of mice and men, the grapes of wrath, and the pearl, he proves that the American dream isn’t achievable for everyone in the end of each of these novels. Of mice and men ends with George shooting Lennie, and not living his dream, which is obviously not living the American dream. The grapes of wrath also ends in tragedy, Rose of Sharon’s baby doesn’t survive and the Joads continue on without money, food or a place to sleep. The pearls ending, in my opinion is the worst, Juana and Kino’s baby Coyotito end up dead from a gunshot to the head. So because at the ending of each novel what happens to the characters after tragedy is unknown, John Steinbeck’s three novels as a whole prove that literature is the question minus the answer. “John Steinbeck was born in the farming town of Salinas California on February 27,1902.”(Shillingwa, and Shillingwa) “His father John Ernest Steinbeck was not a terribly successful man”, (Shillingwa, and Shillingwa) and “his mother the strong willed olive Hamilton Steinbeck was a former school teacher.”(Shillingwa, and Shillingwa) “Steinbeck dropped in and out of universities, sometimes to work closely with migrants and bindle stiffs on California ranches. Those relationships coupled with an early sympathy for the weak and defenseless deepened his empathy for workers. The disenfranchised, and dislocated, an empathy that is characteristic in his work.”(Shillingwa, and Shillingwa) Steinbeck himself didn’t achieve the American dream and because of that he expresses it through literature. “I remember about the rabbits, George. The hell with the rabbits, that’s all you can ever remember is them rabbits.”(Chapter 1 paragraph 18-19)Lennie and Georges dream was to get a farm and raise farm animals and vegetables, but all Lennie wanted was the rabbits and for the both of them to live there dream. “Slim sat for a moment didn’t hurt the girl none, huh' He asked finally, hell no. He just scared her. I’d be scared too if he grabbed me. But he never hurt her. He jus’ wanted to touch that red dress, like he wants to pet them pups all the time.”(Chapter 3 paragraph 28-30) Lennie is mentally retarded and he doesn’t know any better which is why him and George travel together because George takes care of Lennie and makes sure that every one know that he isn’t mean he just doesn’t know right from wrong. “A guy on a ranch never listen nor he don’t ast no questions”. (Chapter 2 paragraph 67) Apparently is better for George and Lennie to keep to them selves. Between Lennie not knowing any better and him not knowing his own strength leads to him petting a woman literally to death and instead of George letting Lennie be locked up in an asylum he shoots him so then George continues without achieving the American dream. The Grapes of Wrath is mainly based off of money. “The bank is something more then men, ill tell you. It’s the monster. Men made it but they cant control it.”(Chapter 5 paragraph 24) The bank is ruining people’s lives and has families traveling for miles just for a place to sleep more and more people die each day and no one can control it. Rose of Sharon is the only one that is sure everything will work out. “She’s all secrets now, She’s pregnant secrets and little silence that seemed to have meanings. She’s pleased with herself, and she complains about things that don’t really matter.”(Chapter 13 paragraph 52) Rose of Sharon dreams about living in California and constantly worries about her baby’s health. “But if we go where’ll we go how’ll we ho we got no money.”(Chapter 5 paragraph 31) They are prediction that if the do travel to California they wont make it once rose of Sharon has her baby it doesn’t survive so automatically her dreams are crushed. The Joads continue without achieving the American dream. “Kino looked into his pearl and Juana cast her eyelashes down and arranged her Shaw to cover her face so that her excitement couldn’t be seen.”(Chapter 3 paragraph 9) Kino had been searching for the largest pearl he could find so he could sell it and use the money for a doctor for hi son Coyotito. “Hush said Kino. Do not speak anymore. In the morning we will sell the pearl, and then the evil will be gone and only the good remain. Now hush my wife.”(Chapter 3 paragraph 78) Bad things are starting to happen to their family because the pearl is attracting evil people and Juana knows this.” The people say that the two seemed to be removed from human experience; that they had gone through pain and had come out the other side; that there was almost a magical protection about them.”(Chapter 6 paragraph 100) Kino and Juana’s American dream was for their son to be cured but since their son was killed they couldn’t achieve that dream. Literature in fact is the question minus the answer. The question that is left unanswered in Steinbeck’s three novels is, is the American dream achievable for everyone' And clearly it is not achievable as it seems but that doesn’t mean that it cant be achieved later in life. Shillingwa, S., and S. Shillingwa. N.p.. Web. 4 Jun 2013. .(Shillingwa, and Shillingwa) The Author study of John Steinbeck By: Bobbi Costello Works studied: The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and The Pearl