And it works: Steinbeck definitely ends up softening Papa Bear's attitude toward his son's interests by the end.

In order to get the proprietor off Robbie's back for his interest in hairdressing, Steinbeck argues that the hairstylist becomes everything from a psychologist to a trusted political commentator to his/her clients. During the meal, Steinbeck goes into a long discourse about the crucial and highly valued place hairdressers have in the lives of their customers.

Take, for example, when he is having dinner with the proprietor of his hotel and the proprietor's son (Robbie). As a result, this isn't exactly a faithful documentary account of everything he did and said while he was on the road.īut you also see that tendency-that kind of carefree attitude toward the truth-in his interactions while he's on the road. So, we already kind of knew that, since he takes a lot of creative license in this book. Also, he's thumbing his nose at a medical and health culture that values being careful, safe, and prudent over living large. Okay, so, he's not exactly Conan the Barbarian, but he's definitely thumping his chest a little bit here and declaring his masculinity and virility despite his advancing age. My wife married a man I saw no reason why she should inherit a baby' (2.1.2). I did not want to surrender fierceness for a small gain in yardage. For example, he scoffs at the idea that an older man should perhaps take life a little easier and maybe extend his life: 'I've lifted, pulled, chopped, climbed, made love with joy and taken my hangovers as a consequence, not as a punishment. You can definitely tell that Steinbeck thinks of himself as a man's man, and he doesn't really like any behaviors or cultural trends that lead people (and particularly dudes) to soften up. Here's what we figured out through our reading. We're pretty sure height and weight weren't exactly the kind of details Addison was recommending authors share with their readers, but okay.Īnyway, don't worry-despite Steinbeck's shyness about personal details, we definitely get a sense of who the author is via his inner monologuing and interactions with others. That said, in trying to model himself a little bit after his hero Joseph Addison (who thought authors should always tell readers a bit about themselves), Steinbeck does start out by giving the reader a few deets about himself, but those tidbits mainly pertain to his physical appearance, rather than the nitty gritty of what makes him tick as a person. Steinbeck doesn't seem to be super-into talking about himself-which makes sense, of course, since his mission with this book is to chronicle other Americans and American life (not himself).

Charley john steinbeck