http://gatheringinlight.com/2006/08/05/john-steinbecks-east-of-eden/ Current Blog Project: Six Months With a Quaker Preacher Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:08:14 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://gatheringinlight.com/2006/08/05/john-steinbecks-east-of-eden/comment-page-1/#comment-2163 daniel greeson Wed, 09 Aug 2006 15:39:34 +0000 http://gatheringinlight.com/2006/08/05/john-steinbecks-east-of-eden/#comment-2163 I love this book. The ability to choose to not be trapped by your family and your past is very strong. The Cain and Abel motif that runs through out it too, is just great stuff. Gotta love Steinbeck. I love this book.
The ability to choose to not be trapped by your family and your past is very strong.
The Cain and Abel motif that runs through out it too, is just great stuff.
Gotta love Steinbeck.

]]> http://gatheringinlight.com/2006/08/05/john-steinbecks-east-of-eden/comment-page-1/#comment-2155 Chad Wed, 09 Aug 2006 04:09:38 +0000 http://gatheringinlight.com/2006/08/05/john-steinbecks-east-of-eden/#comment-2155 Steinbeck is my all-time favorite American writer. I was lucky enough to teach _The Grapes of Wrath_ to 10th graders, and it was one of the highlights of my experiences in connecting and actuating a text. It's all there--the story of California agribusiness, the union-busting policies, the biblical references to the characters, socio-economic divisions in America, and the monumental statements on American society. It's essential reading. Oh yeah, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature as well. After the class, I realized that actually it's not a book for the youth, but a book to be read every 10 years or so, as the themes are constants in our society and you can't possibly get it all from one read. That's great literature--like great moviemaking, each viewing brings new depth from the layers and, as you age, the material grows more deeply with you. Steinbeck is my all-time favorite American writer. I was lucky enough to teach _The Grapes of Wrath_ to 10th graders, and it was one of the highlights of my experiences in connecting and actuating a text. It’s all there–the story of California agribusiness, the union-busting policies, the biblical references to the characters, socio-economic divisions in America, and the monumental statements on American society. It’s essential reading. Oh yeah, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature as well.
After the class, I realized that actually it’s not a book for the youth, but a book to be read every 10 years or so, as the themes are constants in our society and you can’t possibly get it all from one read. That’s great literature–like great moviemaking, each viewing brings new depth from the layers and, as you age, the material grows more deeply with you.

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