1. John Steinbeck An American Author
by John Grey
English 11A
Unit 1 Portfolio

2. John Steinbeck’s Background
He was born in Salinas, California in 1902.
He wrote for his high-school yearbook and participated in sports.
His summer vacations were spent working alongside migrant workers.
He is known for writing the novels Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 1939.

3. His Purpose
He wanted people to experience the life of someone who was considered an “outcast” in American society.
He especially wanted to show what life was like for migrant workers, farmers, and poor working families.

4. His Occasion/Motivation
His motivation came from being an outsider himself when he was younger.
At the height of the Depression in the 1920’s, he was outraged at how people were treated when they set out west to look for employment.
He wanted to bring justice and awareness of what life was like for those who struggled.

5. His Audience
As a fictional writer, his work was published and read by many people, not only in the United States but throughout the world.
While many uneducated and destitute people did not purchase/read his novels, he did try to educate those affluent readers who could make a difference.

6. Genre
Primarily, Steinbeck wrote fiction and received Pulitzer Prize for that work.
He was a journalist at one point in his life, and he wrote non-fiction news stories.
In the later years of his life, he wrote two non-fiction novels that described his travels and observations of America.

7. Works Cited
Harmon, Melissa Burdick. “John Steinbeck Unlikely Voice of the American Struggle.” Biography. February Volume 6. Issue 2. Page 78. EBSCO: Middle Search Plus. 31 August < “John Steinbeck.” Biography.com. 31 August < Image. “John Steinbeck.” St. Mark’s Library. 31 August < Image.