The Danger in Self-Sacrifice In his second novel, To a God Unknown, John Steinbeck explores his protagonist's relationship with and worship of the land. While the use of the land as a character in itself is nothing unusual in Steinbeck's work, this novel is somewhat different in that it explores a more mythological perspective on man's relationship to his land. Joseph Wayne's hunger for the land was a common sentiment among those who settled the …showed first 75 words of 1741 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1741 total…achieve an end to the drought, without thought to the after. What good is rain without a ranch to grow on, a family to feed, a life to live? This is Steinbeck cautioning us against thinking our little lives can have an impact, reminding us of the dangers implicit in teleological thinking. Were it a fable, the moral might read; be careful what you wish for, for the end does not always justify the means.