Change: it's what's for breakfast… and lunch… and dinner in Travels with Charley, it seems. Everywhere Steinbeck goes, we get his observations and thoughts about the way American life has been changing, largely as a result of technology. One big culprit? TV and radio, which (according to Steinbeck) are both responsible for smoothing out regional differences—like dialect—across the U.S.
Steinbeck claims not to be anti-change, but he does seem to see a lot of changes for the worse in his travels. Of course, he also firmly believes in the power of memory to kind of keep good stuff frozen, even as change marches on around you. If only the Midwest could just keep its dialects and avoid having too many annoying highways, Steinbeck would probably be okay with most of the change he sees.
Questions About Change
- Steinbeck seems a bit suspicious of change. Is it just a bad thing, or can it be a good thing? Or is it just a neutral thing? Why do you think so?
- Is indulging in memories helpful or foolish? Do you think Steinbeck takes a stance on that?
- Is Steinbeck totally anti-"progress" and technology, or do only certain aspects of technology bother him?
Chew on This
Steinbeck is completely anti-change and progress; he says he's not, but every example he gives of change is completely negative.
Steinbeck is uncomfortable with change, but he is careful to recognize that he's just having a natural human reaction—one that is definitely not unbiased. So, objectively, he doesn't necessarily think change is bad. He's just experiencing it as bad because he's getting older.