Of Mice and Man

Have you ever read a book and wondered why or what caused the author to write that specific story? It is a good thing to think about so you can understand the reading a bit more than you may have before. The author John Steinbeck is one you may know when you were young you may have read his classic Of Mice and Men. It can make you wonder why he wrote this story. Why is he important enough to read about?

John Steinbeck’s life started in Salinas California, on February 27, 1902 (Covici xxxi, xxxvii). His mother was a schoolteacher (Covici xxxi). His father was a county treasurer (Major 2671). John Steinbeck was named after his father. John Steinbeck had three sisters. (Covici xxxi). John Steinbeck started reading at a very early age. His father was the first to notice his interest in books and writing so, he encouraged him (Exploring Novels 1). The books John Steinbeck was really drawn to where the Bible, Greek historians, and Malory’s Morte d’ Arthur (Covici xxxi). John Steinbeck graduated high school in 1919. The year after in 1920, he enrolled in Stanford University (Covici xxxi, xxxvii). The classes he chose to take were writing, literature, history, classics, and biological sciences (Great 55). John Steinbeck had an “overpowering desire to write” (Great 55). While in college, he also contributed poems and other writings to the university publication (The New 446). After 6 years of college, he left with no degree (Great 55).

After John Steinbeck left college, he had many jobs. He also became a foreign correspondent during WWII (Major 2671). John Steinbeck was first married in 1930. John Steinbeck’s wife’s name was Carol Henning (U*X*L 2). John and Carol were the perfect match. She was a very devo...

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...tered his ashes in the wind at a cliff over the Pacific Ocean in his hometown of Salinas, California (Great 59). In the end John was back where he belonged and where he loved to be.

John Steinbeck wrote because he wanted to have an impact on people’s life. John Steinbeck hated being in the limelight he made a terrible celebrity. Steinbeck tried to do the best he could do in his life. John Steinbeck showed real people and emotions in his characters when he wrote his books. John Steinbeck was not afraid to write about real problems in the world today. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck takes on the depression. He shows Americans and others the ugly truth about what was happening. John Steinbeck never stopped doing what he loved even when tempted. John Steinbeck was and is an influential author. John Steinbeck is an writer that should always be remembered.