Where is Steinbeck's “Salinas Valley”?

The Salinas Valley is one of the major valleys and most productive agricultural regions in California. It is located west of the San Joaquin Valley and south of San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley.

1. Why was Salinas Valley important to John Steinbeck?
2. What was Salinas Valley like during John Steinbeck's era?
3. Did Steinbeck grow up in Salinas Valley?
4. What is the Salinas Valley known as?
5. What are the main industries of the Salinas Valley?
6. What is Salinas California famous for?
7. What was grown in the Salinas Valley?
8. What was Salinas Valley like in 1930's?
9. Why was The Grapes of Wrath burned in front of the Salinas library?
10. What is the main point of the Grapes of Wrath?
11. Why is it called Grapes of Wrath?
12. How did John Steinbeck make money in his early years?

Why was Salinas Valley important to John Steinbeck?

He wanted to get the geography, animal and plant life, rhythms of nature and history just right: the Salinas Valley would serve as a microcosm of the world where the major theme of his book would be enacted. Steinbeck often opens books and stories with a description of the land, of place.

What was Salinas Valley like during John Steinbeck's era?

Salinas and the National Steinbeck Center

Only fifteen miles from the Pacific, the 50-mile long Salinas Valley was cool and often foggy, temperatures moderate, and the soil rich beyond measure. Ranchers and farmers thrived.

Did Steinbeck grow up in Salinas Valley?

John Steinbeck was born in Salinas in 1902, in a stately home on Central Ave (now open as a popular luncheon spot). During his childhood, Salinas had a population of about 5000, was the county seat of Monterey County, and a trading and shipping center for the lower Salinas Valley.

What is the Salinas Valley known as?

The Salinas Valley is located in central California. ... Salinas Valley has been called the "Salad Bowl of the World" because of the many crops that are harvested there, including lettuce, broccoli, spinach, strawberries, and tomatoes.

What are the main industries of the Salinas Valley?

The Salinas Valley produces over 80% of the lettuce grown in the nation. The region is also home to numerous wineries. The major sectors for employment in Salinas are government, agriculture, trade, manufacturing, healthcare, social assistance and construction.

What is Salinas California famous for?

Salinas is known as the "Salad Bowl of the World" for its large, vibrant agriculture industry. It was the hometown of writer and Nobel laureate John Steinbeck (1902–68), who set many of his stories in the Salinas Valley and Monterey.

What was grown in the Salinas Valley?

Strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, and spinach are the dominant crops in the valley. Other crops include broccoli, cauliflower, wine grapes, artichokes, and celery.

What was Salinas Valley like in 1930's?

The Salinas Valley during the 1930s was very productive in the area crops but not in the area of employment rights. Its geography and weather was a critical part of letting the crops grow properly.

Why was The Grapes of Wrath burned in front of the Salinas library?

"Things could get really ugly and violent." Camp wanted to publicize the county's opposition to The Grapes Of Wrath. Convinced that many migrants were also offended by their depiction in the novel, he recruited one of his workers, Clell Pruett, to burn the book.

What is the main point of the Grapes of Wrath?

The Grapes of Wrath can be read as a proletarian novel, advocating social change by showing the unfair working conditions the migrants face when they reach California. The men who own the land there hold the power, and attempt to control supply and demand so that they can get away with paying poor wages.

Why is it called Grapes of Wrath?

Origins of the Title

The phrase ''grapes of wrath'' is a biblical allusion, or reference, to the Book of Revelation, passage 14:19-20, which reads, ''So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. ''

How did John Steinbeck make money in his early years?

Early Life and Education

His father, John Ernst Steinbeck, tried his hand at several different jobs to keep his family fed: He owned a feed-and-grain store, managed a flour plant and served as treasurer of Monterey County.