John Steinbeck is a successful American author. He was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California not too long after the Civil War had ended. Many of his novels deal with social or economic issues of this time, including some of his most successful works such as "In Dubious Battle" (1936), "Of Mice and Men" (1937), "The Long Valley" (1938), and "The Grapes of Wrath" (1939). These are great successes, but just why did he start writing? There were many influential people and circumstances in his life, most notably his early literary exposure from his mother and other sources, his desire to...

• Word Count: 1015
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography

... at the time was sad, and it seemed easy for many to just give up. Steinbeck lived in a time period that was overwhelmingly pessimistic, yet was able to become very successful. This is Steinbeck's story as told through his biography, literary works, life experiences, and his legacy. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California (Webster 1338). He was born ... into a middle class family and was the third of four children being the only boy (Hamilton 26). His father, John Ernst Steinbeck, was a county treasurer, and his mother ... , Olive Hamilton, was a teacher (Harm...

• Word Count: 1462
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School