John Ernst Steinbeck (February 27, 1902 - December 20, 1968) was one of the most famous American novelists of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1962, though his popularity with readers never was matched by that of the literary critics.
             John Steinbeck was a versatile writer. He has been described as a social-protest writer, a realist, a naturalist, a journalist, and a playwright His style of writing is very simple and easy to read, unlike Charles Dickens who's writing style is florid and poetic, with a strong comic touch. John Stienbeck has many strong themes running through his works. The most notable are the strengths of the family, the effects of the environment on man, and social protests. His most famous work, The Grapes of Wrath, tells the sory of the Joads, a poor family from Oklahoma and their journey to and subsequent struggles in California. He uses two methods of writing in The Grapes of Wrath: a linear method that follows the story of the Joad family and a generalized method, in what he called "interchapters", that explains bigger societal problems. By using two interconnected methods of writing he makes accusations that the situation of the Joad family is unique impossible, and creates a realism that caused the story to be viewed not as a novel, but as a political and societal documentary.
             Steinbeck creates a clear image of how life was for the migrants by describing the physical, mental, and emotional suffering they faced as they were forced to leave their homes. He was able to accomplish his intended goal by reaching out to the reader, pulling him into the shoes of the migrants, and forcing him experience life alongside of them as they travel down Route 66. A clear example of the reader sharing the migrant experience is shown when the Joads must leave their home, "How can we live without our lives? How will we know it's us without our past? No. Leave i...