Part 1: Introduction 5
The life of John Steinbeck 5
The work of John Steinbeck 9
The literary and historical background 10
A note on the text 12
Part 2: Summaries 13
A general summary 13
Detailed summaries 14
Part 3: Commentary 30
The title 30
Plot and structure 30
Themes 32
Characterisation 39
Style 48
Part 4: Hints for study 52
Points to select for detailed study 52
Quotations 53
Effective arrangement of material 56
Planning an answer 57
Specimen answers 60
Questions 68
Part 5: Suggestions for further reading 69
The author of these notes 71