Extended Reading Review

Meghan Cleverly

Review of The Pastures of Heaven

By John Steinbeck

Summary:

The Pastures of Heaven begins in a fictional valley located near Monterey, California. The book contains twelve interrelated short stories.  Each story is told from the point of view of a different character in the valley who has ties to the Munroe Family.  In 1928, twenty families lived in the valley on their own little farms. Although it only boasted a small general store, post office, and schoolhouse, the valley was thought to be heaven on earth with its beautiful farmland.

The first story begins with the Munroe family’s move to the Battle Creek farm, which the locals believed to be cursed. He moved his family to the valley because “he thought perhaps he could find rest and security on a little farm” (Steinbeck & Nagel 1995). The family quickly settles into the valley and acclimate with other members of the town. The father, Bert Munroe, is quick to befriend and become involved; his wife is dutiful in assisting to her husband’s needs as well as her three children. Despite living on a cursed farm, the Munroe’s interactions with others begin innocently and without serious repercussions. However, as each story moves historically through time, little by little the curse catches up to them and inflict torment on the other townspeople who are pursuing their own individual dreams.

Through each story the narrator voices the dreams and aspirations of families around the valley, a few of which include:  John Whiteside dreams of a large family to inhabit his farmhouse; Edward “Shark” Wicks dreams to become the wisest businessman in the area; Helen Van Deventer hopes the valley will become a healing spot for her diabolical daughter; Molly Morgan pursues her dreams of creating energy in the school classroom. As each story is connected through interactions with the Munroe family, “tragedy [is] somehow precipitated by their presence” (Steinbeck & Nagel 1995). John Whiteside’s farmhouse burns down; Shark Wicks is exposed for being a fraudulent businessman; Helen Van Deventer’s daughter commits suicide; and Molly Morgan’s teaching career abruptly ends.

Analysis:

Just like a garden must be planned and taken care of, so did the character’s dreams.  Each character had a unique vision that they had to carefully plan, prepare, and cultivate in order for it to flourish. While several more characters’ stories and dreams are shared than previously mentioned, Steinbeck’s purpose is not to inform us of all the different dreams and aspirations of the people of the valley, but rather their abnormalities and shortcomings in pursuit of their dreams. Even though each character put forth a lot of effort towards their individual dreams, with equal effort they all came crashing down.  Just like a farmer may try his hardest to care for his crops and to nurture them, they can easily fail.  While the farmer might have followed every guideline and precaution like any other farmer, it could be that his personality just doesn’t have what it takes to be a successful farmer. Steinbeck uses this theme to show that although the characters might have done everything right, at times who we are as people can be our own downfall. 

Although Steinbeck’s diction is often very morbid, he uses it as a psychological motif throughout each story.  As each different story of members of the valley is told, we discover that normalcy is just an illusion, and “all who build on pretense are forced to a painful recognition of reality” (Steinbeck & Nagel 1995). Each character is also riddled with some form of compulsion, delusion, physical handicap, or mental instability. While describing each character’s set of flaws or problems, Steinbeck is really asking the reader to look inwardly at themselves. While most people don’t identify themselves with something as extreme as gnomes or fairies, such as the character Tularecito does, we each identify ourselves in some way. Steinbeck urges us to ask what makes one person’s form of identification normal, and another’s abnormal. Steinbeck uses very expressive and visual language to show that we are all riddled with flaws whether we accept those as normal or not. Steinbeck also uses this theme of normalcy to show things are only as normal as we perceive them to be.

Although the valley is full of beautiful farmland waiting to be cultivated along with other opportunities for its people, the underlying tragedy is that this idealized version of the American dream fails. Steinbeck uses irony to portray that the reality of heaven on earth is temporary at best.  Before moving into the valley, each family felt that owning and cultivating their land was a gift from God—and for a time it was. But the story concludes with “broken dreams and thwarted ambitions” (Steinbeck & Nagel 1995).  Although Steinbeck uses the members of the Munroe family as facilitators for cursing the other townsfolk, the curse is fate and—as portrayed through every short story—fate has a way of catching up and forcing reality over dreams.

Steinbeck’s use of folklore is what brings each story to life—the kind of story you tell your children and your children’s children about. Suddenly the reader is transported to their own little town surrounded by neighbors of their own whose similar character quirks can be identified as well as their personalities. At first glance the reader’s own town things might seem pretty ordinary. However, just like the Munroe’s brought havoc to the valley, the element of chance often has a way of coming into every town. Through his use of folklore, he allows the reader to to read between the lines and examine the fact that sometimes we just can’t explain why something had to happen. Just like a sudden storm might ruin a beautiful field of crops despite careful preparation and precaution, so too can the storms of life rain down on plans and dreams.

I personally loved reading The Pastures of Heaven. At first I struggled comprehending how so many short stories could possible fit together thematically. I eventually came to the realization that just as a plant has a humble beginning as a seed, through time and care it can flourish into a beautiful plant, so it is with The Pastures of Heaven. Steinbeck’s descriptive diction enabled me as a reader to be transported to the fertile farmland where I was able to find the magic of the valley.  Upon completion I would have to agree that despite the curse of fate, this agricultural town really is heaven on earth.

 Works Cited:

Steinbeck, John, and James Nagel. The Pastures of Heaven. New York: Penguin, 1995. Print.