John Ernst Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California to John and Olive Steinbeck. His father was county treasurer and his mother was a schoolteacher. Both his mother and father were a foundation for his writings. He graduated from Salinas High School in June 1919 and attended Stanford from 1919 to 1925, where he majored in English. However, he left with out obtaining a degree. After leaving Stanford, he moved to New York City and attempted to …showed first 75 words of 577 total…

…showed last 75 words of 577 total…the difficulties faced by the poor. The book attracted nationwide attention to the people's plights, and was made into a film in 1940. It has since sold over 14 million copies and become one of the more important pieces of literature in American history. Works Cited: Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1981. McElvaine, Robert S. The Great Depression. New York: Times Books, 1984. "Steinbeck Facts." National Steinbeck Center. 09/18/03. http://www.steinbeck.org/MainFrame.html