Traveling with Charley
n 1960 John Steinbeck decided to reacquaint himself with America after being away because, in his own words, "I've lost the flavor and taste and sound of it. I'm going to learn about my own country." So he set out on a 3+ month journey with his dog to do just that. Along the way, he met people and made conversation, observed the state of the country, and let his mind wander as he made his journey. Then he returned to his mobile cabin at night and recorded the day's events. These journal entries became "Travels with Charley." Overall, Steinbeck seems to paint a pretty picture. While driving through New England in the fall, he is taken with the brilliant foliage on display. He is much impressed with Wisconsin, and says about Montana, "I am in love. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." Later, Steinbeck also speaks glowingly of the California Redwoods. Steinbeck also has nice things to say about the American people - sometimes. He notes that midwesterners are openly friendly, and again praises Montana, for its inhabitants "had time...to undertake the passing art of neighborliness." However, interspersed throughout his journey, Steinbeck encounters many thi
Along his journey, he met many close-minded, opinionated, bigoted and rascist Americans, and it made for depressing reading. There were fewer places where people speak with accents, and even the Deep South had begun to lose its southern drawl. Steinbeck, like Turner, believed that the desire to move sets Americans apart from Europeans. "Travels with Charley" brilliantly captures what Steinbeck reluctantly learned - that you can't go home again. After that, he blew off the rest of the southeast US and went back to New York. Throughout his journey, he frequently encountered this reaction. He had a pre-conceived notion of what America was, and when it didn't meet his expectations, he was crushed. ) And the waitress wasn't the only one. Steinbeck attributed this standardization of American speech to the effects of television and radio. Throughout the journey, Steinbeck provided his opinions on people he met and places he visited. The celebrated author incognito noticed that American speech had become more uniform.
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Acceptance Essays
