Salinas, California Essays

  • East Of Eden Literary Analysis

    839 Words  | 2 Pages

    emphasizes and illustrates the classic controversies of human nature, as well as East of Eden. The book projects an excellent and surprising plot, motifs, themes and symbols. The setting of the book is portrayed around the time of World War I in the Salinas Valley, and the novel is divided into two vital parts. The protagonist family is the Trask family. At the beginning of the first part of the book, the Trask household consists of two brothers, Adam and Charles, and their father, Cyrus. Cyrus Trask

  • John Steinbeck's East of Eden - A Study in Human Development

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    presents his views on the construction of human behavior and the components that are incorporated in it. Setting is an important element in East of Eden. Described are beautiful, panoramical views of the surrounding landscapes of the Salinas Valley, California. "The Salinas Valley . . . is a swale between two ranges of mountains. . . . . On the wide level acres of the valley, the topsoil lays deep and fertile. . . . . Under the live oaks, shaded and dusky, the maidenhair flourished and gave a good smell

  • East Of Eden

    1559 Words  | 4 Pages

    meaning and concept of the novel. The study of John Steinbeck and his book, East of Eden, will help the reader better understand the element of fiction and interpret the meaning of the work. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California. Between 1919 and 1925 Steinbeck was acknowledged as a special student at Stanford University. According to Peter Lisac, “Variously employed as a had-carrier, fruit-picker, apprentice printer, laboratory assistant, caretaker, surveyor, reporter

  • Characters Reactions To Situations

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    mind’s eye that is at the core why people like to read! In John Steinbeck’s, "The Chrysanthemums" we find husband and wife Henry and Elisa Allen as the main characters. Henry and Elisa live a peaceful stationary life on their farm in the Salinas Valley in California. Henry spends his days tending to his orchard and steers while Elisa is busy with housekeeping and cultivating her flower garden. Elisa is 35 years old and cultivates chrysanthemums in her garden with strong determination and passion

  • John Steinbeck Influences

    804 Words  | 2 Pages

    in the town of Salinas, California. He would be the only son of four children (Millichap). He was an avid reader and writer from a young age, and would attend Salinas Valley High School, where he graduated as the president of his class (Bergquist and Millichap). After high school, he would enroll in

  • How Did John Steinbeck Influence The World

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    generation. However, John Steinbeck also experienced many hardships and influences. Steinbeck incorporated influences from his childhood years, background, and the Great Depression into his writing. Steinbeck’s childhood was spent mostly in Salinas, California, where he was born on February 27th, 1902. As a teenager, he had already decided that he wanted to be a writer, and

  • Sexism In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    637 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Steinbeck, the author of Of Mice and Men, was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California as seen in Figure 1. Growing up John Steinbeck worked on small rural farms and, experienced the agony of being a migrant laborer in America. These experiences helped him write his most famous book, Of Mice and Men (“John”). After attending high school, John Steinbeck went to attend Stanford University, where he did not receive his degree. Not giving up, Steinbeck fled to New York in efforts to pursue

  • Theme Of Inequality In Of Mice And Men

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    the story goes on to talk about how she doesn’t have much of a decision in her life. She often gets bossed around by Curley and is forced into doing things she doesn’t want to do simply because she is a woman a... ... middle of paper ... ...he Salinas River. However, there is a more complex meaning to the setting. The poverty of the characters forces them to be untrustworthy because they literally have nothing left to lose, so it keeps them on track and ensures that they don't do anything stupid

  • Comparing John Steinbeck's Cannery Row And Tortilla Flat

    1906 Words  | 4 Pages

    poor, working class people in his novels Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat. Many of his novel’s characters are people he knew in his life or are based on his beliefs about how the world and the people in it should be. Steinbeck’s life began in Salinas, California where he was born on February 27, 1902 (Commire 3). He was the son of John Ernst, a country treasurer, and Olive Steinbeck, a school teacher (Commire 4). Steinbeck was known to be lazy, mischievous, and spoiled to his neighbors, friends,

  • Message of Hope in East of Eden, Cannery Row, and The Grapes of Wrath

    2984 Words  | 6 Pages

    sjsu.edu/staff/harmon/steinbec.htm>. Levant, Howard.  The Novels of John Steinbeck: a Critical Study.  Columbia: U of Missouri Press, 1974. Murray, Robert Davis, ed.  Steinbeck.  Englewood: Prentice-Hall, 1972. National Steinbeck Center.  Salinas, CA.  17 Jan. 2001.  <http://www.steinbeck.org/index2.html>. Steinbeck Country.  San Jose State University.  17 Jan. 2001.  <http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/english/steinbeck1.htm>. Trosow, Esther. John Steinbeck's Pacific Grove.  17 Jan. 2001.  <http://www

  • Patriotism In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    liked but he was respected for his art with a pencil. John Steinbeck was born in 1902, the 22nd of February, and he was the third child. His Father was John Ernst Steinbeck and his mother Olive Hamilton. In his young years his family lived in Salinas California. His family struggled a good amount with his father being unemployed

  • John Steinbeck's Perseverance

    1778 Words  | 4 Pages

    John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas California. He grew up on a small farm in California. Steinbeck's father was an accountant, bookkeeper, and also served for several years as the treasurer of Monterey county. However Steinbeck acquired his love for writing from his mother who was a school teacher for several years. It was by age of fourteen that he had his mind set on becoming a writer. He went to college at Stanford more to please his parents than himself. Steinbeck worked

  • John Steinbeck's East of Eden - Confused Notions of Good and Evil

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    beginning tonight (Channel 5, 8 to 11), tomorrow (9 to 11) and Wednesday (8 to 11). This is no cheapie. Ten years in the making, "East of Eden" was shot on location at a cost of $11.2 million, with Savannah, Ga. standing in for Connecticut scenes and Salinas, Cal. for itself. ABC boasts in a press release that the 1955 film starring James Dean covered only a small portion of "East of Eden," while the 1981 film attempts to depict the entire novel. Ironically, by the way, today (Sunday) is the 50th anniversary

  • Creating a Feeling, Establishing a Mood

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    sets a mood with each setting by the use of eloquent and vivid, or simple and plain descriptions, and different types of sentence structures. Steinbeck begins the story by creating a serene mood when describing the setting. He illustrates how the Salinas River looks, and stating that “the water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool. On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan

  • The Struggle for Equality and Respect in a Man’s World

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    by the prevailing conception of a woman's role in a world dominated by men. From the beginning of the story, Steinbeck effortlessly describes boundaries Elisa faces through the detailed description of the geography and weather. Steinbeck notes the Salinas Valley as having “gray-flannel” fog and closed off from the sky and the rest of the world (Steinbeck). The expected gendered roles Steinbeck designates to Elisa such as the garden work and what he designates for the men in the story such as the Tinker

  • The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    The author presents the story to us by using personified landscape as well as metaphors to better express Elisa’s character and fertility. A very accurate and polished landscape is described by the author, and things such as rain and fog in the Salinas Valley represent husband and wife. However, most of the story concentrates in Elisa’s duality between true-self and desired-self. The boundary of time period and men’s domination over women is strongly reinforced in Elisa’s life. Taking into

  • Use of Symbols and Foreshadowing in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    in order to help illustrate objects or people in the book. The first major use of symbolism that Steinbeck chooses to use is linked with the setting of the first scene. The book starts out with the characters, George and Lennie, resting by the Salinas riverbank. The imagery Steinbeck uses in this scene is used to give the riverbank a very peaceful and calm feel to it. The calmness of the flowing river symbolizes the movement and changes that will occur in the lives of George and Lennie. Steinbeck

  • John Steinbeck's East of Eden - A Biblical Allegory

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    East of Eden: A Biblical Allegory In East of Eden (1952) John Steinbeck creates a powerful novel using biblical allegories. By doing this, he can deliver a clear message by describing something unfamiliar to his audience and comparing it to something more familiar. Set in modern times, East of Eden retells the famous story of the downfall of Adam and Eve, and the jealous rivalry between Cain and Able. Steinbeck also creates many other characters throug his novel, that capture a biblical sense

  • Essay on the Character of Caleb Trask in John Steinbeck's East of Eden

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Character of Caleb Trask in East of Eden Cal Trask is one of the most complex characters in John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Through Cal's childhood experiences, his personal motives, and his internal conflict, Steinbeck shows the development of Cal's character. First of all, the most important childhood experience which affects Cal's life is Adam's 12 year abandonment of his sons. Since Cathy ran away, the twins have no mother figure to give them tenderness as they grow up. This absence of open

  • John Steinbeck's East of Eden - Caleb Trask and the Message of Perseverance

    1429 Words  | 3 Pages

    sjsu.edu/staff/harmon/steinbec.htm>. Levant, Howard.  The Novels of John Steinbeck: a Critical Study.  Columbia: U of Missouri Press, 1974. Murray, Robert Davis, ed.  Steinbeck.  Englewood: Prentice-Hall, 1972. National Steinbeck Center.  Salinas, CA.  17 Jan. 2001.  <http://www.steinbeck.org/index2.html>. Steinbeck Country.  San Jose State University.  17 Jan. 2001.  <http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/english/steinbeck1.htm>. Trosow, Esther. John Steinbeck's Pacific Grove.  17 Jan. 2001.  <http://www