Ecological awareness in John Steinbeck's novels

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the novels of John Steinbeck (1902-1968) from an ecocritical standpoint in order to examine his environmental vision. Focusing on three novels that portray the relationship between humans and nature: To a God Unknown (1933), The Grapes of Wrath (1939), and East of Eden (1952), I argue that his ecological insight is characterized by a quality of wholeness. Steinbeck's ecological holism suggests a sense of unity in which each individual being--both human and non-human--deserves equal status. Humans are not superior to other species and thus have a duty to the natural and social environment. My analysis of To a God Unknown suggests Steinbeck's notion of ecological holism which means not only the inseparable union between humans and nature but also unity among different groups of people in terms of religion and gender. My reading of The Grapes of Wrath points out that the absence of ecological awareness causes both environmental and social exploitation. It also suggests that since the problems of environmental and social domination are closely related, it is necessary to solve them together. Furthermore, I argue that in East of Eden familial relationships affect individuals' interpersonal relations and their ecological responsibility. While family conflicts disrupt the ability to establish a relationship with nature and other people, family kinship helps create interpersonal relations and environmental concern.