Ecology and Socio-Cultural Issues

The paper analyzes Steinbeck's novel eco-critically in order to show the role of nature in solving man's predicament. As the paper demonstrates, nature in his novels has a dynamic role in the protagonist's search for connectedness. The socio-cultural and ecological principles affect Steinbeck's understanding of the world and man's place in nature and its environs, affecting a combined vision of the cosmic whole. Man, nature, world, animals and all non-living mechanism are various essentials that formulate the universe. Each one of these has a specific value and place in the universe. Their existence is planned in a distinct way and all existence in a dynamic equilibrium. All the experimental laws of biology give explanation of the balance, at the same time emphasizing the requirement for harmonious existence with each of the parts playing their notes perfectly. Any disturbance would result in confusion, reducing the world to a state of disorder. With the system breakdown, the world would go back to a time before the creation of world to the original unregulated and unformed elemental chaos. Steinbeck exposes the foibles and follies of man which hasten him towards the annihilation.