Beyond Boundaries: Rereading John Steinbeck PDF
Preview Beyond Boundaries: Rereading John Steinbeck
Beyond Boundaries Beyond Boundaries Rereading John Steinbeck Edited by SUSAN SHILLINGLAW and KEVIN HEARLE The University of Alabama Press Tuscaloosa and London Copyright © 2002 The University of Alabama Press Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0380 All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America Typeface is Palatino ∞ The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Science–Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48–1984. Excerpts from the following works are used by permission of Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Putnam, Inc.: From The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, copyright © 1939, renewed © 1967 by John Steinbeck. From Steinbeck: A Life in Letters, edited by Elaine A. Steinbeck and Robert Wallsten, copyright © 1952 by John Steinbeck, © 1969 by The Estate of John Steinbeck, © 1975 by Elaine A. Steinbeck and Robert Wallsten. From The Log from the Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck, copy- right © 1941 by John Steinbeck and Edward F. Ricketts, renewed © 1969 by John Steinbeck and Edward F. Ricketts Jr. From Cannery Row by John Stein- beck, copyright © 1945 by John Steinbeck, renewed © 1973 by Elaine Stein- beck, John Steinbeck IV, and Thom Steinbeck. From Burning Bright by John Steinbeck, copyright © 1950 by John Steinbeck, renewed © 1978 by Elaine Steinbeck, John Steinbeck IV, and Thom Steinbeck. From East of Eden by John Steinbeck, copyright © 1952 by John Steinbeck, renewed © 1980 by Elaine Steinbeck, John Steinbeck IV, and Thom Steinbeck. From The Short Reign of Pippin IV by John Steinbeck, copyright © 1957 by John Steinbeck, re- newed © 1985 by Elaine Steinbeck, John Steinbeck IV, and Thom Steinbeck. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Beyond boundaries : rereading John Steinbeck / edited by Susan Shillinglaw and Kevin Hearle. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8173-1151-3 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Steinbeck, John, 1902–1968—Criticism and interpretation. I. Shill- inglaw, Susan. II. Hearle, Kevin, 1958– PS3537.T3234 Z619 2002 813′.52—dc21 2002000360 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data available Contents Acknowledgments ix List of Abbreviations xi Introduction: Rereading John Steinbeck Susan Shillinglaw and Kevin Hearle 1 I. Beyond Boundaries 1. Come Back to the Boxcar, Leslie Honey: Or, Don’t Cry For Me, Madonna, Just Pass the Milk: Steinbeck and Sentimentality John Seelye 11 2. The Ghost of Tom Joad: Steinbeck’s Legacy in the Songs of Bruce Springsteen Gavin Cologne-Brookes 34 3. Changing Perceptions of Homelessness: John Steinbeck, Carey McWilliams, and California during the 1930s Christina Sheehan Gold 47 4. Steinbeck’s “Self-characters” as 1930s Underdogs Warren G. French 66 5. Propaganda and Persuasion in John Steinbeck’s The Moon Is Down Rodney P. Rice 77 6. Steinbeck’s In®uence upon Native American Writers Paul and Charlotte Hadella 87 II. Steinbeck as World Citizen 7. Cannery Row and the Japanese Mentality Hiroshi Kaname 101 vi Contents 8. “Consonant Symphonies”: John Steinbeck in the Indus Valley P. Balaswamy 107 9. Living In(tension)ally: Steinbeck’s The Log from the Sea of Cortez as a Re®ection of the Balance Advocated in Lao Tze’s Tao Teh Ching Michael J. Meyer 117 10. Recent Steinbeck Dramatic Adaptations in Japan Hiromasa Takamura 130 11. Staging Tortilla Flat: Steinbeck in a Thai Context Malithat Promathatavedi 140 12. Novella into Play: Burning Bright Kiyoshi Nakayama 151 13. Beyond France: Steinbeck’s The Short Reign of Pippin IV Christine Rucklin 162 14. “The Capacity for Peace—The Culmination of All the Others”: The Internationalism of John Steinbeck and Narrational Technique John Ditsky 171 III. Rereading Steinbeck’s Women 15. Beyond the Boundaries of Sexism: The Archetypal Feminine versus Anima Women in Steinbeck’s Novels Lorelei Cederstrom 189 16. Of Mice and Men: Creating and Re-creating Curley’s Wife Mimi Reisel Gladstein 205 17. Beyond Evil: Cathy and Cal in East of Eden Carol L. Hansen 221 18. Cathy in East of Eden: Indispensable to the Thematic Design Kyoko Ariki 230 IV. Steinbeck’s Science and Ethics 19. These Are American People: The Spectre of Eugenics in Their Blood Is Strong and The Grapes of Wrath Kevin Hearle 243 Contents vii 20. The Global Appeal of Steinbeck’s Science: The Animal- Human Connections James C. Kelley 255 21. The Philosophical Mind of John Steinbeck: Virtue Ethics and His Later Fiction Stephen K. George 266 22. Dreams of an Elegant Universe on Cannery Row Brian Railsback 277 23. The Place We Have Arrived: On Writing/Reading toward Cannery Row Robert DeMott 295 Notes 315 Bibliography 327 Contributors 345 Index 353 Acknowledgments In March 1997, the Fourth International Steinbeck Conference, “Beyond Boundaries: Steinbeck and the World,” was held at San Jose State University and in Monterey, California. The title of the symposium was taken literally: it was sponsored by both the John Steinbeck Society of Japan and the Center for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University. It was held in two appropri- ate locations—San Jose, near Los Gatos, where Steinbeck com- pleted Of Mice and Men and composed The Grapes of Wrath; and Monterey, where, of course, Steinbeck spent his apprentice years from 1930–1936. This crossing of boundaries—be they interna- tional, logistical or theoretical—was and is the central concern of the conference and of this text. Many people and institutions helped smooth the crossing of boundaries. Thanks to President Kiyoshi Nakayama and mem- bers of the Steinbeck Society of Japan who donated operating funds. Dean John Crane of San Jose State University generously gave funding for a keynote speaker. SJSU’s School of Engineer- ing, with the blessing of Robert Trammell, provided space, tac- tical assistance, and cleaning. Both the Fairmont Hotel and the Monterey Plaza Hotel generously lowered rates. And Julie Pack- ard approved a modest conference rental of the new wing of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where the magical ¤nal banquet was held. Appropriately, participants dined in front of one of the largest tanks in the world—the glass built and installed by Japa- nese technicians and engineers. The Steinbeck Center’s archivist, Jennifer Smith, offered un- ®agging service. She was helped by Barbara Tom and Bettina Hotelling, both of whom volunteered countless hours. Craig Kochersberger designed the publicity ®yers as well as the pro- gram. Steve Webster, Senior Marine Biologist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, helped organize events in Monterey—an invalu-
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