Research article

JOHN STEINBECK’S TORTILLA FLAT : AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE

Dr. Ashish Gupta

Online First: December 13, 2022


In an era when industrialization and commerce have separated us from nature, some modern writers feel inclined to render beautifully our native, ecological world. Among the most significant of these pastoral writers is Nobel laureate, John Steinbeck, whose gorgeous prose reminds his readers that humans are inseparable from the flora and fauna. John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California. At the time of his birth in 1902, his hometown was a small hamlet of 3,000 people. Steinbeck witnessed the development of his birthplace at the hands of land dealers and businessmen, exploiting the land for their benefit. This upbringing, combined with coming to maturity in the Great Depression--a time when people who were willing to work for food nonetheless went hungry--molded the author. Steinbeck's writing would always carry with it a suspicion of the economic systems that encourage people to abuse rather than cherish the earth.

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