Literary Analysis Essay on Travel With Charley

Introduction

Travel with Charley is a literary work of an American author John Steinbeck. The book reveals a road trip that Steinbeck made in 1960 around the United States. The author states that he made the journey in the companionship with his standard poodle who was Charlie. The story is non-fiction about the discoveries of Steinbeck's tour moving across the US. The author has a goal of making his journey. The book falls in the category of a quest since the book illustrates that Steinbeck spent the majority of the story describing his tip. The author laments that he had little knowledge about his own country despite his rich experience in Paris, France.

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The author explains how racial manifests in America during his travel around the USA. The book also reveals the issues of human rights and warfare. There are even cases of isolation that the author elaborates in his book (Steinbeck, 2012).

The author uses both narration and description in developing the plot of the book. The author narrates how Charley became happy when grooming and clipped similar to a man with a good tailor or a woman that has received a beauty parlor.

Steinbeck intended to use a three-quarter truck for his journey. The author narrates how they drove in Connecticut and Deerfield. The author stated why he could prefer climate to weather and was surprised how it would be possible for Mainer find similar contentment like Florida.

The author reveals the aspect of isolation in his book. He states how he wished to have the company of strangers (Steinbeck, 2012). On the other hand, the author has shown how the people he met during his journey were more comfortable with a pet than connecting with new individuals.

The author further reveals isolation and racial, discrimination during his second part of travels. Steinbeck observed how the Americans assigned the physical labor to the immigrants. The author compares the manner in which the Americans use the mercenaries to execute the manual and challenging tasks to the way Carthaginians hired people to go to war for them (Steinbeck, 2012).

The author is justified with his judgmental mindset that he exhibits in his book. The writer demonstrates the national perspective of his book. Steinbeck is also precise in explaining other themes that emerge from the behaviors of the American people during his journey. The isolative act of the natives towards the immigrants about the job allocation is relevant evidence. The author presents himself in the book as a stereotype in criticizing his own country. His assertion on the negative conducts in his society implies the likelihood of destruction from within his community. The author on the other hand also acknowledges the attractive nature of the landscape. This appreciative aspect implies that his disappointment was towards the cultural orientation of the country and not all aspects.

However, Travel with Charley needs to have also based its story on the positive perspective of America. The changes in land use and the development of industries is a sign of growth and wealth, and as such, Steinbeck would have expressed a positive mindset towards this aspect.

Conclusion

John Steinbeck is a respected author who has also published other literary works. Very few authors can write archival papers which reflects both subjective and objective stance. Travel with Charley is significant since it offers insight into the American transformation that happened over the past four decades.

References

Steinbeck, J. (2012). Travels with Charley: in search of America. Penguin.