Motifs in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck is known for being one of the greatest American novelists of the 20th century. And many literary minds consider The Grapes of Wrath to be his finest piece of long fiction. So what is all the hype about a novel that is nearly 70 years old and covers the topics of the dust bowl and great depression? It would seem as though the major themes of this novel would be a dead subject by now. After all, many of the great works of fiction and non-fiction alike covering topics as monumental and horrific as the Holocaust of World War II have fallen in recognition and they covered material much more intrinsic to an understanding of a time period than does Steinbeck’s novel. Even The Diary of Anne Frank, although a great and important piece of literature seems to have fallen in popularity. So, the question need be asked again- what is all the hype surrounding Steinbeck and his work, particularly The Grapes of Wrath? The answer lies, perhaps, what he says without being terribly overt in saying them. It is the kind of material that makes people think and think hard about their lives (Simmons, p.56). In short, his themes and motifs have worldwide implication outside of the printed page making this an important novel not just to the understanding of a time period in American history or an understanding of underlying American motivation that drove the 20th century onward, but for the understanding of intrinsic human motivations and the needs that burn inside everyone during rough times in which survival (financial and otherwise) may be difficult to obtain. Pages: 6 Bibliography: 6 source(s) listed Filename: 21394 Price: 53.70