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John Ernest Steinbeck III (February 27th 1902 with Salinas - December 20th 1968 with New York) is an American writer middle of the 20th century, whose novels frequently describe its California natale.
It accepted the Nobel Prize of literature in 1962.

Its life

It is born in California, in Salinas. Olive Steinbeck, his father is treasurer, and his/her mother is teaching. It has three sisters: Elizabeth (1894 - 1992), Esther (1892 - 1986) and Mary (1905 - 1965). He studies with the college of Salinas, then with the university Stanford. He occupies various employment, then gives up his studies and leaves to New York in 1925. He there briefly works with the New York American , but returns in Salinas as of 1926.

He writes in 1929 its first novel, the Cut of gold ( Cup off Gold: In Life off Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, With Occasional Refers to History ), a historical fiction based on the life of Henry Morgan, which does not meet success. In 1930, it marries Carol Henning and moves with Pacific Grove. It meets there Edward Ricketts, an agricultural biologist with whom it will bind friendship.

In 1932, it publishes the Pastures of the Sky ( The Pastures off Heaven ), a whole of stories being located in the town of Monterey. In 1933, it publishes the red Pony ( The Red Pony ) and With Unknown God ( To has God Unknown ). It remains then with the bedside of his mother who dies in 1934. It starts to collect information on the farm trade unions. His/her father dies in 1935.

Twisted Flat , written in 1935, will make him receive its first literary prize, the gold medal of the best novel written by Californian decreed by the the Commonwealth Club off California . This humorous history ensures success to him. It becomes friendly with its editor, Pascal Covici.

With Of the mice and men ( Off Mice and Men ) and In a doubtful combat ( In Dubious Battle ), published in 1936, its works become more serious. In a letter with a friend, it is afflicted: “There are riots in Salinas and of the murders in the streets of this dear small town where I was born. ” It receives the New York Drama Critics Award for its part.

After the Large valley ( The Long Valley ) in 1937 and Their Blood Is Strong , a report on the immigrant workers, in 1938, it publishes the Grapes of anger ( The Grapes off Wrath ) in 1939, which it regards as its best work. Nevertheless, estimating that its writing is too revolutionist to be success, he advises with his editor a small pulling… The book is success. Him nevertheless the language used and the developed ideas are reproached. The book is interdict in several towns of California. In 1940, when the novel is adapted to the cinema, it receives the Prix Pulitzer.

In 1941, it launches a marine forwarding with Ricketts and publishes In the sea of Cortez ( Sea off Cortez] ), written in collaboration with his/her friend. Steinbeck publishes " the black Moon " in 1942. This same year he divorces and marries Gwyndolyn Conger in 1943. Lifeboat , of which he wrote script, leaves to the cinema in 1944. The same year, he moves in Monterey, but is badly accommodated there by the inhabitants. He moves in New York. He has a first wire, Thom.

After having written Street of the Sardine ( Cannery Row ) in 1945, it moves in Pacific Grove in 1948. It off begins its research for the writing of East Eden . In 1946, its second wire, John IV, comes in the world. It tries to buy the ranch where the adventures of the red Poney proceed , but it fails. The characters of Rue of the Sardine find themselves in another novel, Tendre Thursday ( Sweet Thursday ).

In 1947 it publishes " the Pearl " and leaves for Russia, accompanied by the photographer Robert Capa, for the New York Herald Tribune . It draws Russian Journal from it ( Russian Journal ) in 1948. Ricketts dies in an car accident. He divorces.

He meets Elaine Anderson Scott in 1949 and in 1950 marries it. In 1952, it takes part in film of Elia Kazan, Viva Zapata! and publishes In the east of Eden ( East off Eden ).

It publishes in 1954 Tendre Thursday ( Sweet Thursday ). A musical comedy, Pipe Dream , of it is drawn in 1955. He moves with Sag Harbor, in the State of New York. In 1957, the town of Salinas proposes to give its name to a college. He refuses.

In 1958 is published Once There Has War , collection of its reports of war. It has an attack in 1959, which encourages it to travel in England and to the Wales, then to traverse America in 1960.

In 1962, it writes off The Winter Our Discontent while hoping “to retrogress almost fifteen years and to start again with the intersection where it had turned out badly”. It is then depressed and estimates that the celebrity diverted it “true things”.

The first criticisms on the book were mitigated, but it accepted nevertheless the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1962. After another voyage in Europe in 1963 with Edward Albee, it receives the Médaille of the Freedom of the United States in 1964.

He dies the December 20th 1968 in New York of Artériosclérose.

Its work

One finds several dominant in the work of Steinbeck, with initially the California in general, and in particular the cities where he lived. He often puts in scene common characters, of working class, confronted with the Dust Bowl and the Grande depression.

Throughout his life, John Steinbeck symbolized himself by Pigasus ( pig , pig in English and Pegasus), a flying Cochon, “attached to the ground but candidate to be flown”. Elaine Steinbeck will explain this symbol in a letter while speaking about a “heavy heart but trying to fly”.

Quotations

  • “ a city resembles an animal. It has a nervous system, a head, shoulders and feet. Each city differs from all the others: there are not two similar. And a city has overall emotions. ”

the Pearl ( The Pearl ), 1947.

John Steinbeck wrote: “In my opinion, when one is confronted with choices, that it is in act or thought, keep in mind which we are mortals and try to live so that nobody has to be delighted by our death. ”

Selective bibliography

External bonds

  • National Steinbeck Center
  • Steinbeck on the site of the Nobel Prize

Simple: John Steinbeck

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