Many authors use their roots in order to develop a story. John Steinbeck, a native of Salinas, California, is a prime example of this. Critics have suggested that Steinbeck's best novels are set in his birthplace, northern California's Salinas Valley. "He was a Californian," McWilliams and McWilliams remarked, "and his writings never succeeded very well when he tried to walk alien soil"(Contemporary Authors Online). Using his background to create settings and characters allowed Steinbeck to give a deeper and more realistic feeling to his stories.

Steinbeck grew up in Salinas, California, and his life spanned from 1902 to 1968. This means he is a survivor of the Great Depression. During his youth, Steinbeck worked as a ranch hand and fruit picker ("John Ernst Steinbeck"). After dropping out of Stanford University, he began his writing career. Steinbeck found his stride in writing California novels and Dust Bowl fiction, set among...