John Steinbeck was one of a famous
American writer. He won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. He grew up in California's Salinas Valley,
a culturally variant place with a rich migratory and immigrant history. This upbringing gives a regionalistic flavor
to his writing. It influences many of his works a sense
of place, and it can be seen from one of his work, a short story entitled “Breakfast”. It was
published in 1936 in Pacific Weekly.
The
story told about someone who met a poor family while he was walking along a
country road. He approached to a grey tent. There was a woman who was preparing
a breakfast for her family with a baby nursing to her. Suddenly an old and a
young man came out of the tent. They said good morning and asked him whether he
had already had a breakfast or not. He answered “No”, and they offered him to
join their breakfast. They sat down on the ground enjoying the nice breakfast
then. The woman talked that those man got new clothes, dungarees, and it was
from their work for picking cotton. The young man said that they had been
working for twelve days so far, and he was really thankful for it. When they
started to eat, the old man filled his mouth full and he chewed and swallowed
the food. He really thanked God for the food that he had. The young man also
said that they had been eating good for twelve days. They continued to eat,
quickly and frantically, and refilled the plates and ate again until they were
full. They also enjoyed the hot coffee that scalded their throat. After having
the breakfast, the young man asked him to join their work to pick cotton too,
but he refused it. He said he got to go along. He thanked for the breakfast and
continued walking away down the country road.
From
the story, we can see an optimism from the family. They always felt happy and
thankful for every little thing that they had. Even though they did not have
any house and lived by moving a place to place with their tent, they still felt
thankfull. They actually did not have a permanent job before, but when they got
a job for twelve days, they really thanked God. Even though they were poor and
did not have a good food to eat before, they still were very kind to offer him
to join their breakfast. After they got money from their job and buy new
dungarees, they were very happy. It was just easy for them to become very
happy. It really represented a simplicity. They did not need a big house, a
luxurious car, expensive clothes, high position of job, or even much money to be
happy. Money and things can not buy you happines. Happines is about how your
attitude to be thankful for what you have ever gotten.
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