The author says the decade had "a beginning, middle and end." His essay also has this structure. Briefly describe these three sections in Steinbeck's essay.
In the first section, or the beginning, of the essay, the author discussed the way of life of a person in the lower class. He says that people of the lower class do not have a much different way of life than people of the upper-class. The author tells how all people greatly suffered during the Great Depression. In the second section, or the middle, of the essay, the author discusses how he was able to survive during this terrible time. He described how the crash of the stock market greatly affected how many books he was able to sell, and he talks about how the …show more content…
These descriptions showed that Steinbeck had a negative attitude towards the people who “had it made.” One example of this use of sensory detail is seen when he states, “I saw the wild spending, the champagne and caviar through windows, smelled the heady perfumes on fur-draped ladies when they came warm and shining out of the theaters.” In this quote, Steinbeck describes the people of the upper class. He creates a vivid description by providing sensory details such as “fur-draped”, “warm and shining”, and “heady perfumes.” Another example of this use of sensory detail is seen when Steinbeck states, “You have to have money to be sick - or did then. And dentistry was also out of the question, with the result that my teeth went badly to pieces. Without dough you couldn’t have a tooth filled.” In this quote, Steinbeck describes the struggles of being unable to pay for person healthcare. He creates a vivid description by using sensory details such as “teeth went badly to …show more content…
For example: "You have to have money to be sick--or did then." Today, medical insurance is a must for any family or individual. Fees for hospital stay, medicines or doctor's care are outrageous. Find another assertion in the essay and relate it to a current status or event.
In his essay, Steinbeck has made several assertions, and some of those assertions can relate to the modern world. An example of an assertion is seen when he states, “It seems odd now to say that we rarely had a job. There just weren’t any jobs.” This assertion suggests that unemployment was very high during this time period, and this assertion can still relate to the current world. Much like during the Great Depression, unemployment is a major issue in modern America and around the world.
What is Steinbeck's attitude towards material wealth at the end of the essay? Quote the words or phrases that convey this tone.
At the end of Steinbeck’s essay, his attitude towards material wealth appears to be an attitude of strong dislike. He believes that owning a great quantity of money is dishonorable and not the right thing to do, so he chooses to give much of it away. This attitude can be seen when Steinbeck says, “Also I had an archaic angry-gods feeling that made me give a great lot of my earnings away.” The Grapes of