Steinbeck begins his narrative much as he did in The Red Pony — that is, he carefully describes the setting first of all. Steinbeck is concerned that his readers can clearly view and understand the settings of his stories and novels. Thus, his characters become more vividly realistic because they […]
Read more Summary and Analysis FlightSummary and Analysis The Chrysanthemums
The story opens peacefully. It is a time of quiet, Steinbeck says, but the tranquility of this mood contains an ambivalent oppressiveness and anticipation. Elisa Allen is alone, tending her garden. Not only is she alone but the farm itself, even the Salinas Valley, seems to be isolated. High dark […]
Read more Summary and Analysis The ChrysanthemumsSummary and Analysis The Red Pony – I. “The Gift”
Because “The Gift” deals with the dawn of a young boy’s manhood, note the fitting parallel as the story itself opens at daybreak. The central character in the opening scene, however, is not Jody Tiflin, nor his parents. It is Billy Buck, the cow-hand who helps Mr. Tiffin take care […]
Read more Summary and Analysis The Red Pony – I. “The Gift”John Steinbeck Biography
Steinbeck’s father settled in California shortly after the American Civil War. John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, on February 27, 1902. His mother was a schoolteacher in the public school system in Salinas. Steinbeck grew up in this beautiful, fertile California valley where he found the materials for most […]
Read more John Steinbeck Biography