Jeffrey Boyd
Per. 3
September 8, 1999
Steinbeck
My first impressions of John Steinbeck's Nobel Prize acceptance speech were that it was very bold, very straightforward. He starts off boldly saying what he wishes to speak on, and continues in this fashion. I found his speech straightforward and to the point. He didn't waste any time in saying what he wanted to say, and he used his time to fill us with his genius. I found his criteria for a writer to be extreme, and a bit harsh. I bet there are a lot of great writers out there who do not believe in the perfectibility of man. Personally, I believe that man is perfectible. In the fourth paragraph he states very boldly that he must "roar like a lion out of pride in my profession".
I would say the style of his speech is like a teacher's lesson. He speaks, I feel, like a teacher, educating his students with the knowledge of a seasoned writer. He charges the class with his ideas on what it takes to be a maker of literature. He teaches his beliefs and his ideals. The tone of his speech sounds like a teacher, filling us with history and truth while hoping he can make a difference. After reading this, I felt as though I had learned something about being a writer and the responsibilities that come with that.
I believe the major points Steinbeck emphasizes is that man is perfectible, writers have a deep responsibility, and that we as a species must test our perfectibility by taking responsibility for our choices. Most of the middle of his speech is about how literature has changed and how the writer also needs to change. Throughout he is trying to teach us some of what he has experienced and what others have experienced that we may make the right choices in the future. In the conclusion of his speech he ties in the perfectibility of man with his decree that if we have taken some of the powers of God that we must have hope in our responsibility to make the right choices.
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