Discussion starters:
- Woodward claims that this story can be read "as a single story with its owl structural and thematic unity" (97). How would you describe this structure and unity?
- Describe Jody's sense of responsibility.
- What does Steinbeck intend, when he writes: "Jody was not a boy any more, and Demon was not a horse. The two together were one glorious individual" (201)?
Critical Sources
:
Hart, Richard E. "Steinbeck on Man and Nature: A Philosophical Reflection." Steinbeck and the Environment. Ed. Susan F. Beegel, Susan Shillingshaw and Wesley N. Tiffney, Jr. Tuscaloosa: U of alabama P, 1997. 43-52.
Hayashi, Tetsumaro, ed. A Study Guide to Steinbeck's The Long Valley. Ann Arbor, MI: Pierian, 1976.
Hughes, R. S. Beyond the Red Pony: A Reader’s Companion to Steinbeck’s Complete Short Stories. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1987.
Timmerman, John H. The Dramatic Landscape of Steinbeck’s Short Stories. Norman, OK: U of Oklahoma P, 1990.
Woodward, Robert H. "The Promise of Steinbeck's 'The Promise.'" Hayashi 97-103.