Tortilla

John Steinbeck Thesis paper?

I am a senior in high school, and I am writing my senior paper. I read 3 books by John Steinbeck. I read "The Grapes of Wrath," "Tortilla Flat," and "The Wayward Bus." Now I have to write a 10 page thesis paper that proves something about the books by connecting them in some way. I wanted to say something about how all three stories involve groups of friends or family that are struggling through tough times. I need to PROVE something though... Any ideas?

Public Comments

1. I would focus on how society in general view the people who are poor and different from ordinary Americans. Although the "Wayward Bus" is not well known, Steinbeck dealt with similar topics.
   
   
   
   Example, Wayward Bus:
   
   
   
   America's attempts to adjust to life in the immediate postwar era. The colloquial speech of the characters is firmly of their time and place, including casual use of epithets like "nigger" and "Jap", and a male character's reference to a young woman's breasts as her "bubs".
   
   
   
   
   
   The Grapes of Wrath was bound to cause controversy in a country experiencing a decade of major social upheaval during the Depression. With the novel's publication, Steinbeck found himself immersed in a great national debate over the migrant labor problem. Many people were shocked by the poverty and hopelessness of the story, and others denied that such circumstances could happen in America.
   
   
   
   Tortilla Flats:
   
   
   
   Above the town of Monterey on the California coast lies the shabby district of Tortilla Flat, inhabited by a colorful gang whose revels recall the exploits of King Arthur's knights. Soft-hearted, unquestioningly loyal to one another, and in complete disregard of social conventions and expectations, the gutsy denizens of Tortilla Flat cheerfully reside in a world of idyllic poverty.