- Introduction
Learn- Try It
- Task
Learn
John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck , born in 1902 in California, decided to be a writer at the age of fourteen. He was the editor of his high school yearbook, and later attended Stanford although he never received his degree. He left college and spent five years drifting around the country, reading, writing, and working odd jobs.
John Steinbeck
During the 20s and 30s, Steinbeck began writing about the place he loved: California. The people and the landscape of Salinas, California, where he was raised, inspired many of the characters and setting of his literary works. He had little success as a writer until 1935 when he published his third novel, Tortilla Flat. Two years later, his career and literary reputation was firmly established with the publication of the novel Of Mice and Men. Over his career, he wrote sixteen novels, six nonfiction books, and five collections of short stories. Steinbeck was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath in 1939 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.
"Paradox and Dream"
Before you read Steinbeck's "Paradox and Dream," let's discuss paradox. What is a paradox?
Authors use paradox in their writing to grab the reader's attention. This helps stimulate the reader's interest or curiosity by showing how an absurd statement can actually be true.
Can you spot the paradox? "Nobody goes to the new restaurant because it's too crowded."
Paradoxical statements are confusing. The intent is to point out some kind of truth even if it is contradicting.
Steinbeck wrote the nonfiction essay "Paradox and Dream" in 1966. Before you read the essay, look over the vocabulary words.
Read Steinbeck's "Paradox and Dream" essay.
- What are the paradoxes in the essay?
- Do you think what Steinbeck says about Americans is true? What is the author's message?
SOAPSTone
Review the SOAPSTone presentation below.
Open SOAPSTone in a new window | SOAPSTone text version
Note: The presentation may take a moment to load.
Words to Know
Review the Words to Know presentation below.
Open Words to Know in a new window | Words to Know text version
Note: The presentation may take a moment to load.
