John Steinbeck and Mexico

1. John Steinbeck and Mexico • By Bill Wolfe, Wasco Union High School • English 11-C • 90% Hispanic, 33% LEP, 10% RSP • Of Mice and Men, Jan.-Feb. 1998 CSU Bakersfield

2. Introduction--Background • Did you know Steinbeck was fluent in Spanish? • He first visited Mexico in the early 1930’s and fell in love with the country and its wonderful people. • This presentation will tell you all about Steinbeck’s experiences in, and writings about, Mexico and her people.

3. Steinbeck: Un Hombre Muy Simpatico • He was deeply affected by the similarities between the poor and working class in Mexico and the U.S. (esp. in California) • He was a passionate supporter of labor unions and despised (hated) growers, big companies, and management types. • He vigorously opposed exploitation of agricultural workers.

4. Steinbeck’s Fascination With Emiliano Zapata • Zapata led Indian revolutionaries in the south of Mexico against the corrupt government of President Diaz. • Better known is Pancho Villa, who led the revolutionaries in the north, and who fought U.S. soldiers on occasion. • Steinbeck lived in Mexico in the late 1930’s while doing research on Zapata.

5. Steinbeck Sails the Sea of Cortez • Following the massive success (and controversy) of The Grapes of Wrath in 1939-1940, he fled to Baja California for peace and quiet. • He and his wife joined his best friend, Ed “Doc” Ricketts, a marine biologist, in exploring and documenting this isolated but beautiful area.

6. Steinbeck Sails the Sea of Cortez • They also spent a lot of time eating, drinking, and partying in La Paz during their several weeks south of the border. • Steinbeck kept a journal which he later expanded into a book, Travels in the Sea of Cortez. • Several years later, The Log From the Sea of Cortez was published.

7. Making Movies in Mexico! • The Pearl was filmed in Mexico and starred the great Mexican actor Pedro Armendariz in the role of Kino. • It was the first movie filmed in Mexico to be widely distributed in the U.S., largely because of Steinbeck’s popularity and influence.

8. Making Movies in Mexico! • Steinbeck wanted Armendariz to star in “Viva Zapata!” but the movie studio insisted on an American actor; Marlon Brando got the role instead. • Steinbeck was nominated for best story and best screenplay Oscars.

9. Making Movies in Mexico! • Marlon Brando was nominated for a best actor Oscar. • Anthony Quinn (who is half-Mexican) was nominated for and won an Oscar as best supporting actor, playing Zapata’s brother. • “Viva Zapata!” was very popular with the public and is one of the four classic movies from 1952.

10. “The Forgotten Village” • Steinbeck returned to Mexico in 1940 to write a movie script about a village that resisted the efforts of doctors to prevent epidemic diseases. • It became “The Forgotten Village.” • It is available as a “picture” book with movie stills and a simple narrative.

11. Steinbeck’s Love of Spanish • Steinbeck returned to Mexico yet again in the summer of 1948 and in January 1949 to work on the Zapata screenplay. • He told his publisher, “I need the country and the language in my eyes and ears” in order to write the screenplay for “Viva Zapata!”