Friend or Foe?-- John Steinbeck

Like every novel we have read, I feel like I should know a little bit about the author to fully understand the novel. Even though I read Of Mice and Men in 10th grade, I am still clueless as to who the genius is behind all the print. Here is what I discovered about him.

• Born in California in 1902
• Went to Stanford University for literature, but never graduated
• Tried to become a free-lance writer in New York, but failed and returned to California.
• He first became known with a series of humorous stories called Tortilla Flat after many failed attempts at writing.
• Steinbeck's novels can all be classified as social novels dealing with the economic problems of rural labor.
• In 1937, he wrote Of Mice and Men, a story about a misunderstood giant.
• in 1939, he published what is known to be his best work, The Grapes Of Wrath
• Most of his novels are set in California
• He died of a heart attack in New York City in 1968.

So, now that I have learned a little bit more about the author, I predict that The Grapes Of Wrath is going to have something to do with labor and economic problems. I know it has to do with the Dust Bowl and that is reflected back to Steinbeck. Will the novel live up to its hype? When we are done will Steinbeck become one of our favorites, or will he remain in the darks of our brains for forever? Dun dun dun!