John Steinbeck's life is reflected in his novels, primarily Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath. This will be discussed with reference to his personal experiences, his style of writing, allusions to religion and the Bible, his childhood, his marriages, and Steinbeck's passion for writing about important issues. .
John Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath from personal life experience. The novel, The Grapes of Wrath, concerns a group of people labeled "Okies" in the nineteen-thirties who were driven from their farms and from their land during the Dust Bowl (a period of severe drought). Steinbeck lived in the United States through the depression and, therefore, was aware and knowledgeable of the effect that this historical period had on Americans. To research the topic that he wished to write about even more, Steinbeck traveled and lived with the Okies during the depression (O'Connor, pp 60-1). Steinbeck experienced what it was like to be despised by the rest of the country and to live the life of his characters (O'Connor, p 61). .
Of Mice and Men also reflected Steinbeck's personal experiences. This novel is about two lower class farm hands that travel from town to town attempting to find a steady job. This novel was also set in the nineteen-thirties. Steinbeck was able to relate to these characters because before he found success as an author, he traveled across America from California to New York looking for jobs (O'Connor, pp25-31). Even when Steinbeck began writing, he was struggling for work because this was at a time when lower-class writers were not fully accepted (O'Connor, pp55-6). Since Steinbeck experienced life in the depression, lived as a character in The Grapes of Wrath, and traveled to look for work as the characters in Of Mice and Men had done, it is just to say that Steinbeck wrote these novels from his personal experiences. .
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Steinbeck's writing style reflected his personality in the way that he wanted his novels to have the flow of spoken language.