"The Snake"

Discussion starters:

  • What do you make of the female visitor, whom Hughes calls "an enigmatic character, probably one of the most bizarre in Steinbeck's fiction" (69)?
  • Why does Steinbeck set this story alone indoors? What does that contribute to the symbols or themes in the work?
  • Garcia suggests that "for each frustration there exists an always painful compensation" (26). Do you find that so in this story?

Critical Sources:

 Garcia, Reloy. "Steinbeck's 'The Snake': An Explication." Hayashi 25-31.

 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.

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