BLOG #5

The works of Steinbeck have always been very fluent in connecting the various rungs of the social class ladder. He gives eloquent insights into the lives of the suppressed, choosing to focus on the poorer, working class. One of the most significant topics that surrounds social classification is money. How much does one really need to be happy in life? How does money control people? What are the pros and cons of obtaining large amounts of it? These are themes (in the form of questions) Steinbeck constantly brings up, usually embedded in his complex yet pragmatic style.
There is an article from the Literature Resource Center Database in which the author criticizes “Steinbeck's evident narrational detachment”. This article is full of false claims. One of Steinbeck’s greatest strengths is his experience with the groups of people he writes about—mainly the suppressed as explained above. Steinbeck wasn’t wealthy during in his younger years. He held many jobs and had to drop out of College periodically to earn enough money to attend.
Sources such as the article described above will be picked apart, and the falsehood of its contents will be revealed. To secure a foundation of historical and biblical facts, several other articles will be assessed, as well as a biography by Jay Parini (“John Steinbeck: a biography”). Gathered information will be used in rebuttal.

List of Articles:
Distky, John. "John Steinbeck: An Overview." GALE. 2006. Web. 29 Mar. 2010. .
Welcome to The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, CA. Web. 29 Mar. 2010. .