John Steinbeck
The Life of John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California on February 27, 1902. He was the third child and the only son of a working middle class family. He grew up working as a ranch hand. His father, John Ernst Steinbeck, was the treasurer of Monterey County, and also the owner of a feed and grain store. He was a Mason and was deeply involved in community events. His mother, Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, was a former schoolteacher. She was also a member of the Order of Eastern Star and the founder of The Wanderers (“Biography in”). His parents wanted Steinbeck to be exposed to culture and literature at a young age, so they often went to the theater in San Francisco. One of the books that influenced him is the book Morte D’arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, which is a collection of stories about King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the other Knights of the Round Table. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he worked on an English translation of the famous work (“Biography in”). During his high school years, he was the associate editor for his school newspaper, El Gabilan. After high school, he decided to go to Stanford University (Reuben). However, he dropped out in 1920 and traveled around doing odd jobs. He has worked as ranch hand, mill worker, and a laborer at a sugar mill factory. In 1923, he decided to go back to Stanford and try to pursue an English major. He wrote on his college newspaper, The Stanford Spectator. However, in 1925 he left Stanford University permanently. He moved to New York in an attempt to become a freelance writer (“Biography”). There, he worked as a reporter and a construction worker. Then in 1926, he returned to California and traveled throughout the Salinas and Monterey. His journeys greatly influenced his writing and thoughts.
Steinbeck’s first publicly published work was an article in The Smoker’s Companion but he used a pseudonym “John Stern” because he did not want to be associated with that kind of magazine (Reuben). His
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California on February 27, 1902. He was the third child and the only son of a working middle class family. He grew up working as a ranch hand. His father, John Ernst Steinbeck, was the treasurer of Monterey County, and also the owner of a feed and grain store. He was a Mason and was deeply involved in community events. His mother, Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, was a former schoolteacher. She was also a member of the Order of Eastern Star and the founder of The Wanderers (“Biography in”). His parents wanted Steinbeck to be exposed to culture and literature at a young age, so they often went to the theater in San Francisco. One of the books that influenced him is the book Morte D’arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, which is a collection of stories about King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the other Knights of the Round Table. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he worked on an English translation of the famous work (“Biography in”). During his high school years, he was the associate editor for his school newspaper, El Gabilan. After high school, he decided to go to Stanford University (Reuben). However, he dropped out in 1920 and traveled around doing odd jobs. He has worked as ranch hand, mill worker, and a laborer at a sugar mill factory. In 1923, he decided to go back to Stanford and try to pursue an English major. He wrote on his college newspaper, The Stanford Spectator. However, in 1925 he left Stanford University permanently. He moved to New York in an attempt to become a freelance writer (“Biography”). There, he worked as a reporter and a construction worker. Then in 1926, he returned to California and traveled throughout the Salinas and Monterey. His journeys greatly influenced his writing and thoughts.
Steinbeck’s first publicly published work was an article in The Smoker’s Companion but he used a pseudonym “John Stern” because he did not want to be associated with that kind of magazine (Reuben). His
Cited: "Biography." John Steinbeck Biography. Nobel Peace Prize, 1962. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. . This website is by the Nobel Peace Prize organization. They have a biography on every person who has won the Nobel Peace Prize. This includes a timeline, his speeches, and a summary of the event. This website is a reliable source for information because it is a globally well-known organization dedicated to acknowledging people who make a difference. "Biography in Depth." Steinbeck Center. Center for Steinbeck Studies, n.d. Web. 20 May 2013. . "John Steinbeck." John Steinbeck Biography. Famous Authors, 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. . This website offers helpful information on many famous authors of different genres. This site included information on Steinbeck 's history, influences, major works, and events during his life. "John Steinbeck- The Grapes of Wrath." American Writers: John Steinbeck. American Writers, 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. . This source offers an insightful view on Steinbeck 's books. They include details on Steinbeck 's history and the themes of his books. Lewis, Cliff, ed. "John Steinbeck (1902 -1968)." John Steinbeck. Georgetown University, n.d. Web. 12 May 2013. . This article includes a detailed look at what John Steinbeck was thinking of when he wrote his novels, and some explanations of his symbols and characters. Mays, Joshua. "John Steinbeck." John Steinbeck- Center for Working Class Studies. Center for Working Class Studies, 2005. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. . This article is affiliated with the Center for Working Studies. They write about topics related to workers. This article included things that John Steinbeck did to help improve the lives of workers and bring attention to their plight. McCarthy, Paul. John Steinbeck. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1980. Print. This book describes many aspects about John Steinbeck such as his childhood, major influences, biggest achievements, and most successful books. It also provides an insightful annotation and analysis of his major works. Reuben, Paul P. "John Steinbeck (1902-1968): A Brief Literary Biography." John Steinbeck (1902-1968): A Brief Literary Biography. PAL: Perspectives in American Literature - A Research and Reference Guide - An Ongoing Project, Apr. 1999. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. . This article by Paul P. Reuben describes John Steinbeck 's background and some of his major influences.