The Dramatic Narratives used in John Stienbecks Novels

The Dramatic Narratives used in John Stienbecks Novels

In John Steinbeck’s novels, Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men, and The Red Pony, Steinbeck used dramatic narratives to express his views of the world. The characters behavior in these novels was used to keep the reader interested. Steinbeck seemed to use a beautiful valley that always had disaster hanging over it as his setting.

In all three of these novels John Steinbeck used great dramatic narratives. These narratives were used to help explain all of the problems, situations and events surrounding Lennie in Of Mice and Men. They were also used in The Red Pony to describe Jodi’s first pony and all of its problems.

Steinbeck was able to use short and direct statements that helped the reader understand what was happening in the book. In Cannery Row John Steinbeck used this narrative to describe the excitement over Doc’s surprise birthday party “Mr. Malloy on his hands and knees, peered out of the boiler door to see if anyone had gone to the party yet. In the Palace the boys set restlessly watching the black hands of the clock”

Many critics didn’t approve of Steinbeck’s writing style. Some even attacked him for how he treated his characters. On the other hand, most of the critics commended Steinbeck on his writing style and his use of narratives. If it wasn’t for Steinbeck’s creative dramatic narrative in the last two chapter of Cannery Row, the other critics would be right about his treatment of his characters. The Life of John Steinbeck by Harry Thorton Moore, stated this about Steinbeck’s treatment of his characters.

“Steinbeck has sometimes been condemned for treating Men as if they were no different from other animals; butExactly what he attempting to do in the last two chapters of Cannery Row is to distinguish men from the other animals – or at least to indicate that men have capabilities available to no other animals, if they are willing to avail themselves of them.”

Character behavior was a factor in most of Steinbeck’s novels. In The Red Pony, Jodi’s desire for a pony and love for it kept the reader reading. In Cannery Row Mack and the boy’s inability to fit in was a factor of excitement in the story.

If it weren’t for the outrageous behavior of George and Lennie in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the novel would have never become the exciting story that it is.