The Great Depression had a huge impact on all Americans. Under Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president of The New Deal, a variety of programs were created to improve the economic well-being and economy. The Federal Writers Project, which was part of the Work Progress Administration, was one such program. John Steinbeck would become a major American literary figure thanks to his participation in this project. Steinbeck was the author of The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, his most well-known novel. These books better reflect the hardships that many Americans had during the Great Depression, Dust Bowl and subsequent years. Steinbeck was a Federal Writers Project member and all literature he wrote was based on a single theme. To understand men, it is essential to be able to communicate with them. Steinbeck intended his writings on Great Depression to contribute to large-scale social reform. The Federal Writers Project was set up in 1935 to support writers, teachers, and librarians. The original intent of the FWP is to publish a series of guides on the United States. Steinbeck was shocked by the quality of their lives after being displaced during the Dust Bowl. He admired their determination and willingness to continue to try to rebuild their lives. Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men after his encounters with these workers. He focuses more upon the hopes of displaced worker to finally have their own land and to settle down and reclaim their former lives. Of Mice and Men became an immensely popular novella and stage performance. It was popular because of its mirroring of American citizens’ lives from not too long ago. Even those citizens who were not as badly affected as farmers or other members of lower classes began to see the impact of the Depression on the rest. Steinbeck would then write The Grapes of Wrath. The Grapes of Wrath focuses on the Joad family’s journey to California in search of rebuilding their lives after their family farm was destroyed by the Dust Bowl. Steinbeck’s experiences working with migrants was a huge influence on the novel. The camps of migrant workers spread across the country to California and played a significant role in many key scenes. Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath and the National Book Award. But, many schools had to ban the book because of its crude language and obscenities. The Associated Farmers of America protested the book’s portrayal of corporate farmers throughout. A film version of the novel starring Henry Fonda was released in 1940. However the Kern County Board of Supervisors attempted to stop production to stop the spread of the book’s negative messages outside of California. Steinbeck accomplished his main goal of social change with The Grapes of Wrath. Elanor Roosevelt was supportive of Steinbeck’s truthfulness. Roosevelt would influence congressional hearings concerning the conditions of migrant camps. Steinbeck spent his time traveling the world to learn more about the world. Steinbeck was a war correspondent for The New York Herald Tribune during this period. Steinbeck wrote East of Eden about America in the period from the Civil War up to World War I. Steinbeck described it as “the story of America” and “the tale of me”. Steinbeck earned many awards for his literary work on the American people as well as the gradual shift in American history. President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Steinbeck the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1946 for his efforts to help the American people discover themselves again through shared experiences, such as those seen in his works. Steinbeck traveled to the Soviet Union with Robert Capa, a photographer. Steinbeck was under FBI investigation for pro-worker sentiments he expressed during his writing. His trip to the Soviet Union seems to have confirmed suspicions that Steinbeck was a socialist. Despite Steinbeck meeting with many communists. organizers of labor, and strikers it was not clear that Steinbeck was a Communist card-carrying member. Steinbeck’s friendship and reporting pro-war during the Vietnam War led to more speculations about his morals. Steinbeck, who was 64 at the time, was a journalist working on the frontlines in Vietnam War reporting back. These letters would eventually be published as the last Steinbeck works. Steinbeck’s disturbing letters were originally published in Newsday. Newsday was owned by Harry Gugenheim during 1966 and 1967. Many Steinbeck readers were shocked to learn that Steinbeck was pro-involvement in Vietnam. Steinbeck was primarily involved in Vietnam reporting because he wanted to. He and his sons became war veterans with the encouragement of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Steinbeck denied that he was there for Johnson. Steinbeck did not participate in the war. However, his son confronted Steinbeck about his support. Steinbeck felt that the United States was in Vietnam wrongly and unnecessarily. Steinbeck had doubts about the necessity of involvement later in the war. However, the doubts were never published by Newsday. John Steinbeck was a writer before the Federal Writers Project was created. However, this program marked a turning point for John Steinbeck’s writing career. Steinbeck’s work for the FWP was based on his personal experiences as a displaced worker in the wake of the Great Depression. The Dust Bowl only made matters worse. The FWP’s mission is to unify Americans and help them look back on their lives. Steinbeck was also given a lot of popularity and respect by the American people. Despite doubts over his political views or ties, John Steinbeck still plays a significant role in American literature.
John Steinbeck’s Involvement In The Great Depression And Vietnam War
