John Steinbeck and The American Voice
The American voice is the legacy of literature that has influenced how American authors write today. The unique writing style and display of American culture emerged after political, social, and economic issues occurred causing many authors to turn to writing in response to these hardships. Novelists and poets such as Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and John Steinbeck all have added to what we know today as the American voice. John Steinbeck contributes to the American voice and legacy of American literature by composing novels that address themes contrary to society 's norm. Steinbeck’s blunt attitude and direct criticism toward social, political, and economic upsets set his literature …show more content…
In Grapes of Wrath, poverty is stressed through the times of the Great Depression. In the book, “many farmers in the 1920s faced mounting debts that were growing harder to pay. Just maintaining the payment schedule was worrisome and often difficult, and most hoped that better days were around the corner. Instead, the whole economy took a nosedive beginning with the stock market crash in October 1929. The already low prices farmers were paid for their crops sank even lower as the entire nation plunged into economic depression” (“Overview: The Grapes of Wrath” 1). Steinbeck shows the theme of money’s power in the world by using it as a tool to manipulate the poor. “The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It 's the monster. Men made it, but they can’t control it” (Steinbeck, 124). His controversial view on wealth and power of the United States banking system in The Grapes of Wrath was seen as a negative to many people. Man vs. nature is a theme shown in every Steinbeck novel. In the Grapes of Wrath, “the harsh conditions of the Dust Bowl squeezed everybody, but they hit the small farmers hardest. Those who owed money on loans or mortgages couldn 't pay when crops failed year after year. Six years of severe drought struck the region, quickly draining its groundwater supply. In addition, poor farming practices were taking a heavy toll on the land” (“Overview: The Grapes of Wrath” 2). John’s stories stress the inevitable effects of nature on humanity and helps people of the time relate to the matter. John demonstrates in The Grapes of Wrath that many people died from natural causes such as disease and starvation from the Dust Bowl killing farmer’s food sources- man vs. nature. Disease and famine caused so much destruction that “by the end [man] is willing to work “jus’ for a cup a flour an’
The American voice is the legacy of literature that has influenced how American authors write today. The unique writing style and display of American culture emerged after political, social, and economic issues occurred causing many authors to turn to writing in response to these hardships. Novelists and poets such as Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and John Steinbeck all have added to what we know today as the American voice. John Steinbeck contributes to the American voice and legacy of American literature by composing novels that address themes contrary to society 's norm. Steinbeck’s blunt attitude and direct criticism toward social, political, and economic upsets set his literature …show more content…
In Grapes of Wrath, poverty is stressed through the times of the Great Depression. In the book, “many farmers in the 1920s faced mounting debts that were growing harder to pay. Just maintaining the payment schedule was worrisome and often difficult, and most hoped that better days were around the corner. Instead, the whole economy took a nosedive beginning with the stock market crash in October 1929. The already low prices farmers were paid for their crops sank even lower as the entire nation plunged into economic depression” (“Overview: The Grapes of Wrath” 1). Steinbeck shows the theme of money’s power in the world by using it as a tool to manipulate the poor. “The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It 's the monster. Men made it, but they can’t control it” (Steinbeck, 124). His controversial view on wealth and power of the United States banking system in The Grapes of Wrath was seen as a negative to many people. Man vs. nature is a theme shown in every Steinbeck novel. In the Grapes of Wrath, “the harsh conditions of the Dust Bowl squeezed everybody, but they hit the small farmers hardest. Those who owed money on loans or mortgages couldn 't pay when crops failed year after year. Six years of severe drought struck the region, quickly draining its groundwater supply. In addition, poor farming practices were taking a heavy toll on the land” (“Overview: The Grapes of Wrath” 2). John’s stories stress the inevitable effects of nature on humanity and helps people of the time relate to the matter. John demonstrates in The Grapes of Wrath that many people died from natural causes such as disease and starvation from the Dust Bowl killing farmer’s food sources- man vs. nature. Disease and famine caused so much destruction that “by the end [man] is willing to work “jus’ for a cup a flour an’