Questions tagged [john-steinbeck]

Questions about the works of John Steinbeck (1902 – 1968) or his life as a writer. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962.

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Where did Steinbeck write about the smoke stacks at Moss Landing?

I was at Elkhorn Slough today, and the captain of the boat I was on said that the "smoke stacks" (or whatever they are now called) were built in the 1950s or 1960s. But I recall John ...
B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

Meaning of some phrases in The Grapes of Wrath

I've started reading The Grapes of Wrath and I've run into some old-time phrases that I'm not sure of the meaning. I suppose these must date from the 1920s-1940s. My dogs was pooped out. From ...
Knight wants Loong back's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
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In the novel "Of Mice and Men", was Lenny Small a fundamentally good person?

It is easy to see Lenny as an innocent who had simple longings, an unfortunate due to his disability but fundamentally a sympathetic character; however, it seems to me that while most of his violence ...
releseabe's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
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How is “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck still relevant to readers of today?

I guess isolation and social exclusion of different groups is something of relevance. e.g. Crooks: racism Curley's wife: misogyny Candy: ageism Lennie: ableism But I still can't think of any ...
Trysoft's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
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Is Steinbeck's "The Moon is Down" set in Norway?

I recently read The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck and I noticed that the conquerors and the conquered are not defined. Throughout the novel are several allusions that the conquerors are German. They ...
Noosrep's user avatar
  • 153
3 votes
1 answer
358 views

Who is "Sylvia" in Steinbeck's "The Pastures of Heaven"?

This short passage is quoted from chapter II of J. Steinbeck's The Pastures of Heaven: George cared for his house and kept a flower garden in front of it. The upper story of the house had never ...
QuasiCoherent's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
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Why does Steinbeck never name Curley's wife?

Curley's wife plays an important role in the novel and yet is never given a name. Perhaps Steinbeck was trying to not encourage the audience to develop a personal connection to her? I'd like to see ...
fi12's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
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Does Curley ever realize Lennie is cognitively disabled?

From the moment Curley sees Lennie, he develops a strong dislike towards him because Lennie is physically bigger than Curley. I've always wondered if there were other reasons for Curley's hatred of ...
fi12's user avatar
  • 4,387
8 votes
0 answers
117 views

Are any of Kino's attackers directly linked to the one pearl buyer?

In The Pearl, chapter 4, when Kino is trying to sell his massive pearl in the village market, it's revealed that all the pearl buyers work for one man: It was supposed that the pearl buyers were ...
Nathaniel is protesting's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
712 views

Why did George have to kill this character?

In Of Mice and Men, I never understood why it was necessary for when George simply could've pulled some sort of diversionary tactic and falsely led the rest of the lynch mob somewhere else in the ...
fi12's user avatar
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