6.04 John Steinbeck

The Virtual Times

Opinion

Have you ever tried your very best to accomplish a task, only to find you have fallen short of your goal?

Striving for that which exceeds expectations is what many would describe as the human spirit — that which makes mankind want to fly to outer space and explore the unknown. Success is often built on failures of our past; it is part of the American Dream. One author who truly embraced the human spirit in his writing is John Steinbeck.

In Brief

Did you know Pegasus' Mom was the dreaded, snake-headed Medusa? Read more about Pegasus.

Steinbeck had his own way of expressing the idea of striving for excellence while being weighed down by his own faults: Pigasus. What is a Pigasus? A pig with wings. In this lesson you will investigate Pigasus and see how the characters within Steinbeck's stories connect with this imaginary creature.

Find out

what Pigasus represented for John Steinbeck.
how the characters of Steinbeck's stories connect to Pigasus.
how Steinbeck's simplistic style is mixed with complex examination of societal issues.