At the age of thirteen, most children are still naive about their future careers. However, in 1915, a boy barely thirteen years old was encouraged by his English teacher to become a writer (French 1). Unbeknownst to the teacher, the boy would undoubtedly become a writer in the same way as DH Lawrence, John Keats or William Faulkner. The boy in question is John Steinbeck. Although Steinbeck's era was a time of isolation and sorrow, between economics and global conflicts, this desperate time provided many opportunities for Steinbeck. For example, he would intentionally immerse himself in adverse conditions that others were experiencing without having a choice. In particular, the experiences of the Great Depression and World War II allowed John Steinbeck to change the world with pen and paper. Perhaps the greatest influence in Steinbeck's writing can be seen in his experiences of the Great Depression while living in California. Before Steinbeck made his living as a writer, he experienced the world from different perspectives working in positions such as surveyor, mason, ranch hand, and store clerk (John Steinbeck). Seeing the world from the perspective of a hard worker allowed Steinbeck to form his first ideas that would become the basis of his first stories. The crisis that hit California between 1930 and 1936 was the Dust Bowl, which, according to a website devoted to the Great Depression, states that "one million acres of farmland across the Plains became worthless." due to severe drought and agricultural overexploitation” (Causes of). Due to the desperate situation, Steinbeck was able to witness its severity on several occasions. In fact, in 1935, Steinbeck was allowed to spend a week at Weedpatch, where a camp was...... middle of paper... ...to be carried out before it was too late. Works CitedBloom, Harold. John Steinbeck. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2008. Print. "Causes of the Great Depression | The Great Depression | Causes, Effects, Timelines." Causes of the Great Depression | The Great Depression | Causes, effects, deadlines. Croft Communications. Internet. May 9, 2012.French, Nonfiction revisited by Warren G. John Steinbeck. New York: Twayne, 1996. Print.John (Ernst) Steinbeck." Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. May 7, 2012. Noble, Donald R. The Steinbeck Question: New Essays in Criticism Troy, NY: Whitston Pub., 1993. Print. Tedlock, EW and CV Wicker and his critics: University of New Mexico, 1957. Print. Swisher, Clarice Lectures on John Steinbeck, California: Greenhaven, 1996. Print..