1. Steinbeck decides that he must travel around America if he wants to be a good American writer. What life experience might he
have had that would give him this perspective? 2. Identify at least two instances where Steinbeck uses figurative language in his account. Describe the effect the figurative language has.
3. Based on the excerpt you read, do you think Steinbeck's purpose was more to inform or to entertain? Use details to support your answer.
4. You've read only part of the first section of Steinbeck's account, but based on what you've read, what message do you think he is setting up to communicate to his reader? Why do you think this?
5. Describe one inference you were able to make from explicit or implicit details in the text. Does the inference contribute to your expectations about what will happen later in the book?
