Thank you, interesting essay. I've got to say that Steinbeck never really delivered for me. Perhaps expectations were made too great by his reputation. I don't know. When I tutored adults for GCSE and A-level Literature qualifications, 'The Grapes Of Wrath' did make more than one appearance, though 'Of Mice And Men' was more consistently set (at GCSE level). Familiarity didn't help to endear the author to me I'm afraid, though I do agree that we can learn a lot from his work.