Christopher Booker is a scholar who wrote that every story falls into one of seven basic plot structures: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, the Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. Shmoop explores which of these structures fits this story like Cinderella’s slipper.
Plot Type : Voyage and Return
Anticipation Stage and "Fall" into the Other World
When the book opens, Steinbeck and his poodle, Charley, are preparing for a cross-country "boys"-only road trip. A hurricane hits right before Steinbeck is slated to leave, but everything is all cleared up before he has to hit the road. To make sure they roll on in comfort, Steinbeck has had a special souped-up truck named "Rocinante" custom-made for him. Rocinante has a house on the back with lots of amenities and comforts that Steinbeck didn't want to have to give up while he was traveling.
First, he heads out toward Connecticut and up through New England.
Initial Fascination or Dream Stage
Steinbeck travels through New England and is largely charmed (and if not charmed, certainly amused) by the people and places he encounters up there. There's lots of great scenery, and he meets lots of interesting people, including Quebecois migrant farmers and taciturn Maine state troopers. Aside from getting lonely from time to time, he seems to be enjoying himself.
Frustration Stage
Of course, Steinbeck's propensity for getting lost gets in his way from time to time, and that is certainly the case when he heads west and has trouble navigating the area around Minneapolis (and then, to make matters worse, the locals make fun of him). Also, even before that, he encounters some issues when trying to take a short cut through Canada (since he has a dog, and he is advised not to cross the border because he wouldn't be able to get back in).
Then later, after a glorious time in Montana, he tries to go south to Yellowstone but has to leave almost immediately because Charley is going batty over the bears there. And then there are still more frustrations when he gets home to California, where he argues with his sisters. Come to think of it, his journey has quite a few little bumps and annoyances midway, doesn't it?
Nightmare Stage
Okay, annoyances are one thing, but really things don't seem to get dark until very close to the end, when Steinbeck gets into the Deep South. As you know, the Civil Rights Movement was in full effect during that time, and the South was in complete social and cultural upheaval over it. Trying to get the pulse of what was happening with all that, Steinbeck decides to check out a school in New Orleans where there were women protesting the matriculation of two young African American children.
Steinbeck is beyond disturbed by what he sees: a bunch of supposed mothers screaming bloody murder (and lots of expletives) at children, and a crowd of others is cheering the protestors on. Also, he notices that everyone involved is pretty excited about the media attention, which strikes him as way gross (given how they're getting the attention). He is totally sickened and saddened by the behavior and attitudes he finds in New Orleans, and by the fact that these women have so many supporters.
Thrilling Escape and Return
Steinbeck basically flees from New Orleans after watching the Cheerleaders. He is so disturbed that he just can't handle it, so he grabs a sandwich and hits the road. On his way out of town, he has mixed results when he tries to broach the topic of race relations with other people. He finds a couple of people who are civil and interested in talking about it (the older gentleman who jokingly calls himself "Ci Git" and an African American student), but there are others who aren't as receptive to his views and attempts at reasoned discussion.
In one instance, he tries to strike up a convo with an older African American hitchhiker, but that goes really badly; the guy is super-uncomfortable being trapped in a truck with some white guy asking him questions, so he asks to be let out. Then, the next day, Steinbeck picks up a guy who is totally racist and pro-Cheerleader, so Steinbeck tells him off and kicks him out of the car.
From there, the action calms down a lot, and Steinbeck heads back north. He decides, in Virginia, that he's mentally done with his exploration of America.