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John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck. Early Life. Born John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California Child of a bookkeeper and teacher, who were of German and Irish descent His love for reading writing came from his mother, the school teacher Worked as a farm hand as a child.

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John Steinbeck

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  1. John Steinbeck

  2. Early Life • Born John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California • Child of a bookkeeper and teacher, who were of German and Irish descent • His love for reading writing came from his mother, the school teacher • Worked as a farm hand as a child

  3. Education and Work • Graduated from Salinas High School (1919) • Attended Stanford University, but received no degree • Wanted to be a writer, but while in pursuit of that dream, worked as a tour guide and caretaker at a fish hatchery • Met his first wife while working at the fish hatchery

  4. With Dad’s Support • Lived with his first wife in a cottage his father owned • His father bought supplies for him to pursue writing (pen, paper, etc.) • Father gave him money to support himself and allow him to quit working, so he could focus only on writing

  5. Writing Career • Author of sixteen novels, six non-fiction books, and five collections of short stories. • Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 • Considered East of Eden his best accomplishment

  6. Divorce Court and Holy Matrimony • Divorced Henning (1st wife) in 1942, after traveling around the Gulf of California to collect biological specimens • In the same month his divorce was final from Henning, he married Gwyn Conger and had two children with her (his only children) • Conger divorced him, citing loneliness – Steinbeck was grieving for his best friend, who was killed by a train, and he never got to say goodbye • Within two years of divorcing Conger, married Elaine Scott, who divorced her husband to be with Steinbeck (This is who he remained married to until his death)

  7. World Traveler • Served as WWII correspondent in Germany and North Africa • Visited the Soviet Union (common day Russia), Ukraine, Israel, and Georgia • Wrote a book about his experiences, and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters

  8. Death • Died on December 20, 1968 • Died of heart disease and congestive heart failure • Steinbeck was a lifelong smoker, and his autopsy showed that all of his main arteries were closed • Steinbeck was cremated, and buried with his parents, grandparents, and eventually, his third wife

  9. Commemoration • Steinbeck’s boyhood home was bought and restored. It became a tourist attraction and restaurant • National Steinbeck Center is the only museum in the US dedicated to a single author • His father’s house serves as a tourist attraction • America honored him by giving him a stamp with his face on it, on what would’ve been his 77th birthday

  10. Of Mice and Men • Of Mice and Men is about the dreams of a pair of migrant laborers working the California soil • Themes include: racism, loneliness, prejudice against the mentally ill, and the struggle for personal independence • Turned into a Broadway play, which Steinbeck did not support saying that the play in his mind was perfect, and anything presented on stage would only be a disappointment • Eventually became a feature film in 1939, 1982, and 1992

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