John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath: A Reference Guide

(Hardback)

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Description

This is an introduction to Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath". An overview of Steinbeck's family life, reading and personal experiences draws heavily on his letters and journals, illuminating his intentions. A detailed plot summary follows, along with an examination of the novel's genesis. The immediate social, cultural and historical contexts surrounding the work, including the Dust Bowl, the Okie migration and the Great Depression, are examined. The novel's major themes and ideas are considered, followed by an analysis of Steinbeck's narrative art. The guide closes with a survey of the novel's critical reception and a bibliographic essay.

Reviews

"Without question, Heavilin's book offers a wealth of information and is the most valuable asset to the study of Steinbeck and The Grapes. Steinbeck and The Grapes of Wrath may be physically and culturally far from Japan, but Heavilin's thought-provoking book, with her new analysis, tells us that this great American classic can and must be shared by many more people irrespective of the race, culture, and time and place. I highly recommend her book as one of the very rare and valued assets to the study of Steinbeck by Japanese readers."-Hiromasa Takamura Professor of English Ohtani Women's University

Author Bio

Barbara A. Heavilin is Associate Professor of English at Taylor University. Her previous books include The Critical Response to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath (Greenwood, 2000).