of their life whether for the better or the worse, by circumstances over which they have limited knowledge or control. For example in Cannery Row an enemy that Steinbeck attacks is a destructive force, one which manipulates people into acting a certain

Several other points which helps elucidate the idea that some omnipotent force has an imperceivable grasp over Steinbeck's characters are the forces and themes found throughout his literature. "Many times to him modern life itself is the enemy in which his characters find themselves lost in a world they never made and want nothing to do with (Folsom 2276). At their best, Steinbeck's stories tell of lives which have turned out far differently from expectations, and the very modesty of these initial expectations allows the author ample scope for discussing that vague malevolence he sees at the heart of life itself (Folsom 2277). The villains which he creates are almost always faceless generalizations which can not be quite understood by his characters (Folsom 2276)." A good example of this can be drawn from The Grapes of Wrath where "the bank" represented an evil which drove the Okies from their farms and had also replaced the "lovable existential mule with the malevole!

In conclusion, Steinbeck masterfully demonstrated that his characters were controlled by forces that they could not handle or were not able to perceive. His writing technique, effective use of modern life and man pitted against nature, and how he introduced and developed his characters all played a significant role in the development of this theme.

As mentioned earlier, Pepe was an example of how Steinbeck brings a human down to an animal level, and he does this with Lennie also. Lennie has the impulse of a killer in him but in a form which is almost innocent (Wilson 529). This plainly shows how something uncontrollable can effect the outcome of one's life.

Finally, the representation of Steinbeck's characters unifies the idea that they in fact were manipulated by forces beyond their understanding o

Some topics in this essay:
John Steinbeck, Red Pony, Bowl California, Grapes Wrath, , Throughout Steinbeck's, Okies California, Cannery Row, Depression Millichap, Pepe Pepe, folsom 2276, millichap 3156, grapes wrath, modern life, forces beyond understanding, common people, manipulated forces, forces beyond, millichap 3160, american dream, millichap 3153, beyond understanding control, manipulated forces beyond,