How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
Quite naturally, as we moved down the beautiful coast my method of travel was changed. Each evening I found a pleasant auto court to rest in, beautiful new places that have spring up in recent years. Now I began to experience a tendency in the West that perhaps I am too old to accept. It is the principle of do it yourself. At breakfast a toaster is on your table. You make your own toast. (3.7.120)
Steinbeck does not like the "do it yourself" attitude that has cropped up in hotels lately, because it basically means that you don't have to interact with anyone—you can just make or get everything you need yourself. It sounds like he's finding that parts of the country have grown more impersonal, or at least, hotels in certain parts of the country have.