To a God Unknown

To a God Unknown is a novel by John Steinbeck, first published in 1933.

Related Topics:
Novel - John Steinbeck - 1933

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In this short novel, Steinbeck explores the relationship of man to his land. The plot follows a man, Joseph Wayne, who moves to California in order to establish a homestead leaving his father, who soon dies.

Related Topics:
Plot - Homestead

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Joseph builds himself a house, and invites his brothers to join him with their wives, and he himself gets married. Although his father has died, Joseph feels that he is somehow still living, in a large oak beside house.

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As the land prospers, Joseph starts to establish a pagan-like relationship with the land; completing various ritual type actions from time to time, which he feels will help the land.

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Most people around him don't understand what he's doing, and one of his brothers, a devout Christian, understands very well, and is strongly opposed. The same brother kills the old oak, and so for Joseph, kills the father, the land's protector.

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Soon after a famine comes to the land, and Joseph, who feels himself intrinsically tied to the land, struggles against it, physically and spiritually.

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The novel examines what is meant by belief and how it affects different people. It also portrays the connection between the farmer and the land, a common theme, which appeared also in his later novels, such as East of Eden. It was one of Steinbeck's first books.

Related Topics:
Belief - East of Eden - Steinbeck's

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