A delightful book! I found it really pleasing to find out about Steinbeck himself: his personality, views, life experiences, and warm sense of humor. (Not to mention his love for dogs; we're kindred spirits in that respect.) I've enjoyed his stories in the past, but it was really nice to get more of an undiluted view of the man. There's been some kerfuffle over the years about the strict accuracy about some of the experiences and conversations he wrote about with this book, but I am not worried about it. The whole book is too unassuming and unpretentious to be a complete fib. I assume that if there are any embellishments, it was to protect anonymity or to present composites of real people and real conversations.
Around 1960, Steinbeck decided he needed to get in touch with America as it currently was. He'd written much of it, based on his past experiences, but he correctly assumed that things were changing so dramatically that he probably wasn't that well acquainted with contemporary America. Think about it: this was the hottest part of the Cold War, with Kruschev banging his shoe and the threat of nuclear annihilation very plausible. Political upheaval was rampant. The "Domino Effect" was playing havoc in southeast Asia. The Red Scare still made people paranoid, despite McCarthy's fall from power. And the Civil Rights Movement was on the march, despite hundreds of neanderthals spewing hatred and violence toward adults and children of color. Steinbeck was right in his instinct that his culture was in a disturbing place, and he thought that a cross-country trip might help him make a little sense of things.
The upshot is that he purchased a tricked-out pickup with a camper top, and loaded up his best four-footed friend, a standard poodle named Charley. Off they went in search of America, and on the way Steinbeck offers very interesting insights on the natures Of Dogs and Men. (Sorry, horrible joke.)
A few themes I found interesting included the pandemic of wanderlust he found in the American soul no matter where he went. People would look at his rig, find out about the nature of his journey, and get all starry-eyed. A few wanted to drop everything and go with him on the spot. Steinbeck himself admitted to having the soul of a hobo. As a homebody, myself, I find people with "vagabond shoes" to be intriguing.
Even more fascinating, and dismaying, was a sort of political and convictional numbness wherever he went. He found it very difficult to get people to come right out and say what they thought about important topics. In fact, a politician friend of his pleaded with him to find some true Americans who had the courage of their convictions and stand up for what they thought was right. The politician couldn't find such courageous citizens anywhere, and it really concerned him for the future of the country.
Steinbeck seemed to share that concern. As he traveled, he found that regional cultural flavors and dialects were passing away. Everything was becoming plastic and flavorless. Interestingly, he seems to lay the blame for this on the Interstate Highway system, which he held in contempt. He found this homogenizing trend in America's culture to have a neutering effect on people's convictions and courage to stand by them.
Ironically, the few outspoken people he did find were extremely obnoxious, including a gaggle of racist hags in New Orleans and a demoniac young man with a life's goal of killing as many black folks as he could find. Steinbeck's description of these people filled me with loathing for them. His disdain for racists is expressed subtly, in reasoned tones, and all the more effective for it. It saddened me that the last real encounters he recorded were with racists in the south. He seemed to head home in disgust and disillusionment after that. I can't blame him, but it was a bit of a downer for the end of the book.
Nonetheless, I came away with a fresh appreciation for the power of friendliness and hospitality, which Steinbeck extended to even the people that treated him with suspicion and mild hostility at first. His extended hand of friendship broke down walls and made friends where it seemed that there would be nothing but suspicion. If you take the time to talk to people, taking initiative in showing friendship, it's amazing how bridges of understanding can be built. I was challenged by Steinbeck's example, and I hope I will have the courage to press beyond the differences I have with people and find the good that lies beneath.
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