Steinbeck

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One of the most prominent aspects of his greater works were the setting. Steinbeck drew on the personal experience of being born and raised in the California agricultural area of Salinas Valley to compose many of his most famous books.Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas California. "The two important facts about the first phase of his life are that he was a Californian and the he wanted to be a serious writer." (French, 19) California was a great place for a young and aspiring writer to grow up.

It had so many tumultuous periods in it's history; the Spanish settlers, the Gold Rush, the building of the transcontinental railroad, and the hardships of migrant workers. These epic events made California almost a legend in itself. His family came to Salinas as conquerors of the frontier. His grandfather migrated to California straight from Ireland, and his father moved there from Florida at the time of the Civil War. Steinbeck's father, John Ernst, Sr., was the treasurer of Monterey County for many years and was also a miller. His mother, Olive Hamilton, taught at many schools in the Salinas area. He also had three sisters.

Steinbeck had ample access to the three things Emerson said went into the making of a scholar; nature, books, action. Steinbeck was a small town boy, but he lived close to the country and spent much time around the farms just outside of Salinas. He also had access to a large number of books by many authors. The book that he read as a child that had the most profound affect on his writing was Morte d'Arthur, by Malory. Steinbeck wrote for the school papers in Salinas and Stanford.

He could never quite obtain a degree from Stanford but during the period of his sporadic efforts to obtain a degree he found a lot of action. He had many odd jobs. He worked as a ranch hand, joined a road-building gang, worked in a sugar beat factory, and even helped in the construction of Madison Square Garden. « mai multe referate din Engleza