John Steinbeck John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, in 1902. He was raised in a fertile agricultural valley about twenty miles from the Pacific Coast. Both the valley and the coast would become the setting for some of his novels and short stories. In 1919 he attended Stanford University, where he took literature and writing classes. In 1925 he left the university. He did not attain a degree before his departure. For the next five years of …showed first 75 words of 797 total…

…showed last 75 words of 797 total…is book in which many issues dealing with the responsibilities of friendship become apparent. The style and characters Steinbeck creates in the story face problems that conclude with real life consequences. The problems faced are realistic for an adult with “the mind of a child.” Throughout the length of the novel, Steinbeck portrays friendship as a difficult task, but well worth it. He makes it clear that true companions stick together through everything. Word Count: 790