JohnSteinbeckLifeExperiencesBorn:February27,1902;132CentralAvenue,Salinas,CA

(whatisnowthereceptionroomoftheSteinbeckHouse)GraduatedfromSalinasHighSchool--June1919AttendedStanfordUniversity--1919-1925.DiedinNewYorkbecauseofheartattackinDecember20,1968

PoliticalViewsHiswifewasaMarxistHedidattendatleastonecommunistpartymeeting,buthewasnotapartymemberOnSocialism:"socialismisjustanotherformofreligion,andthusdelusional."Later,SocialistsandMarxistscriticizedhimfornotbeingcommittedenough.MajorWorksCupofGold,1929(firstnovel)《金杯》ThePasturesofHeaven,1932(secondnovel)《天堂牧場(chǎng)》ToaGodunknown,1933(thirdnovel)《大地的象征》TortillaFlat,1935《煎餅坪》

第一部大獲成功的作品InDubiousBattle,1936《勝負(fù)未決的戰(zhàn)斗》OfMiceandMen,1937《人鼠之間》TheRedPony,1937《小紅馬》TheGrapesofWrath,1939《憤怒的葡萄》CanneryRow,1945《罐頭工廠街》ThePearl,1947《珍珠》EastofEden,1951《伊甸園以東》TravelswithCharley,1961《同查理的旅行》OfMiceandMen故事情節(jié)簡(jiǎn)單，涵蓋的時(shí)間不超過(guò)三天，地點(diǎn)是一個(gè)美國(guó)加州的一個(gè)牧場(chǎng)。描寫(xiě)兩個(gè)相互扶持的好朋友（George曾騙老板他們是表兄弟）——一位是精明的喬治（George），一位是輕度智障兒雷尼（Lennie）。雷尼因?yàn)樯鐣?huì)適應(yīng)較差，老是犯錯(cuò)，搞的兩人無(wú)奈地到處換工作。在富人奧謝（TylerRanch）的牧場(chǎng)里，他們努力工作編織夢(mèng)想，喬治答應(yīng)雷尼如果他聽(tīng)話不要闖禍，將來(lái)就可以為自己照顧一窩的兔子，眼看著夢(mèng)想就要成真。有一次雷尼失手勒死了奧謝兒子柯利的太太梅，鑄成大錯(cuò)，為了躲避的農(nóng)場(chǎng)伙計(jì)們的追打，雷尼逃跑了。當(dāng)伙計(jì)們爭(zhēng)先恐后地追殺雷尼時(shí)，喬治為了不讓雷尼被農(nóng)場(chǎng)伙計(jì)們殺死并受到侮辱，搶先找到雷尼。他舉起槍來(lái)，把槍口挨近雷尼的后腦杓，將他射殺。這部小說(shuō)用來(lái)諷刺社會(huì)對(duì)弱者的歧視，反而不如雷尼對(duì)老鼠的疼惜，《人鼠之間》曾因“語(yǔ)言褻瀆，帶攻擊性，并有種族主義傾向”被視為禁書(shū)。OfMiceandMenHewontheNewYorkDramaCritics’CircleAwardin1938.HewontheNobelPrizeinLiteraturein1962.“forhisrealisticandimaginativewritings,combiningastheydosympathetichumorandkeensocialperception”被譽(yù)為”觸及了真正扎根于美國(guó)生活的主題?！斑@部小說(shuō)使斯坦貝克的名字在美國(guó)家喻戶曉。

TheGrapesofWrath

小說(shuō)主人公約德刑滿被釋回家，發(fā)現(xiàn)家鄉(xiāng)一片荒蕪，只得攜家乘坐一輛破舊的汽車(chē)到西部謀生，在那里的一個(gè)農(nóng)場(chǎng)做工。一家人拼命干活，只能勉強(qiáng)糊口，農(nóng)場(chǎng)主還不斷地壓低工資。農(nóng)工們奮起反抗，舉行罷工，警察前來(lái)鎮(zhèn)壓，牧師凱綏同情農(nóng)工，被武裝流氓打死。約德將兇手擊斃，只得再次背井離鄉(xiāng)。這部作品，反映了廣大人民群眾對(duì)現(xiàn)存社會(huì)的日益不滿和叛逆精神，具有鮮明的時(shí)代特征。ThemesofTheGrapesofWrath1classconflict2IndividualVs.Society3Commitment4

Man’sInhumanitytoManSteinbeck’snovelsHisnovelsdealwiththestrugglesofordinarypeople.Hisworkwascontroversialbecauseofhissupportfortheunderprivileged(下層社會(huì)的人).Inthe1930’s,tensionbetweenstateagribusiness（農(nóng)業(yè)綜合企業(yè)）andtheunderpaid,overworkedlaborerwashigh.Steinbeck’snovelsBetween1935and1940morethan350,000peoplelefttheDustBowl（干旱塵暴區(qū)）forCalifornia.TheWestwasviewedasthepromisedland,aplacetostartanewlife.Steinbeck’strilogy(三部曲）,InDubiousBattle,OfMiceandMenandGrapesofWrathdealswithagriculturallabor.

MajorThemesandHistoricalPerspectives1HalfofSteinbeck'swritingspresentcharacterswhoseidentityisincrisisbecauseoftheconflictbetweencultures.

2Hischaracterscannotescapepastinfluences:biological,cultural,religious,orthecollectiveactivities