In his article "Dust Bowl Blues", Peter Monro Jack says that The Grapes of Wrath is written in "superb style, one marvelous short story after another, and all melting into this long novel of the great trek." The reader strongly agrees with Jack's comment. The use of interchapters greatly adds to the understanding of the background of the novel. This technique provides a broader picture of what is happening to these migrant farmers as they give up their lives to move west. In addition, John Steinbeck would not have gotten his message across in the novel. The first chapter sketches the setting ...

• Word Count: 646
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Snell's chapter on Steinbeck in The Shapers of American Fiction: 1798-1947, he notes Steinbeck's strengths and weaknesses: "an enormous gift of story-telling", "catholicity of sympathy" and "'common touch,'" ease of character creation through "types" rather than "individuals," "love of exaggeration and a resulting humor," and "a basic sentimentalism" which results in his "gravest weakness" (French 56). Like Beach, Snell is ... can not help but feel pity for Lennie, because of the dreams that lay in the ruins of his actions. Throughout reading this book, one is constantly bombarded with...

• Word Count: 2015
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... short story written in 1938. Steinbeck discovered a new way of writing in "The Chrysanthemums". He began a new approach by displaying his characters traits by their self-image and actions. Elisa is a prodigy of his new approach. She is involved with various character traits that display her true inner feelings. There are signs of her personal issues throughout the story. Elisa Allen, whom Joseph W. Beach ... calls, "One of the most delicious characters ever transferred from life to the pages of a book." "The Chrysanthemums", depicts the life of a poor, hardworking people. A couple Henry...

• Word Count: 1060
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School