When Men Give Birth: Production and Reproduction in John Steinbeck's Selected Works.

The main goal of this paper is to reach beneath the surface of John Steinbeck's literary works in order to analyse the metaphorical connections between the long-term violence, abuse or oppression of women and the depletion of the land portrayed in several of his novels. For this purpose, excerpts dealing with the topic of production and reproduction in the works In Dubious Battle, To a God Unknown, "The Forgotten Village", East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath are analysed to explore Steinbeck's depiction of the connection between the land and the female body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]