This developed into what he called his "spoken word" writing style. Steinbeck always wanted to ensure the simplicity and flow of his novels. He wrote the first draft of his novels in pencil, then would dictate his novel into a recording machine; have his secretary transcribe it and then correct that version. He would sometimes repeat this process several times (O'Connor, p36). Steinbeck's emphasis on the spoken word distinguished his works and contributed to the popularity of his novels (O'Connor, p36). This style and process reflected Steinbeck's perfectionist personality and is evident in Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. .
John Steinbeck's interest in religion and in the Bible was reflected in his novel The Grapes of Wrath. While Steinbeck was growing up, he developed a passion for reading. One of the books that influenced him the most was the Bible, though he was never a religious man (O'Connor, pp 15-6). Steinbeck believed that a book (the Bible) was much realer than experience (O'Connor, p16). The description of the Joads' travels in The Grapes of Wrath parallels the Hebrew migration from the plagues of Egypt, across the desert, and into Canaan - in the Joads' case, California (O'Connor, p67). A quote from Chapter Seventeen in The Grapes of Wrath provides another example of how Steinbeck alluded to Bible stories: .
"The families learned what rights must be observed - the right of privacy in the tent; the right to keep the past black hidden in the heart; the right to talk and to listen; the right to refuse help or to accept." (Steinbeck, 1939, p265) .
How the Joads had to learn new rules to accompany their new life parallels how the Jews had to receive their new laws through Moses (O'Connor, p68). Throughout the entirety of the book, there are numerous references to God, Jesus, Moses, and Biblical stories. For this reason, it is apparent that John Steinbeck's studies of the Bible are reflected in the novel, The Grapes of Wrath.
