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John SteinbeckA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Jody is the protagonist of John Steinbeck’s coming-of-age stories about the Tiflin ranch. He is 10 years old at the beginning of “The Gift,” and a “little boy” (198) at the beginning of “Leader of the People,” which occurs before “The Gift.” One defining physical feature is his “mouth that worked when he thought” (137). He has trouble obeying his father, Carl, which causes Carl to call Jody “Mr. Big-Britches” (201).
Jody harms animals. In the first story, he throws pieces of white quartz at a “bird or at some rabbit” (140). This kind of violence against animals escalates as the stories progress and Jody ages. In the second story, he uses a slingshot to kill a bird. Jody feels no remorse about this, but covers up his actions: “He didn’t care about the bird, or its life, but he knew what older people would say if they had seen him kill it” (166). Jody is only concerned about not getting into trouble, mostly with his father.
The pivotal moment in Jody’s Coming of Age is getting and losing the red pony, Gabilan. Jody fails to uphold his responsibility, falling asleep when he is supposed to be watching the sick pony, twice.
By John Steinbeck
Cannery Row
Cannery Row
John Steinbeck
East of Eden
East of Eden
John Steinbeck
Flight
Flight
John Steinbeck
In Dubious Battle
In Dubious Battle
John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck
Sweet Thursday
Sweet Thursday
John Steinbeck
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights
John Steinbeck
The Chrysanthemums
The Chrysanthemums
John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck
The Harvest Gypsies
The Harvest Gypsies: On the Road to the Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck
The Log From The Sea of Cortez
The Log From The Sea of Cortez
John Steinbeck
The Long Valley
The Long Valley
John Steinbeck
The Moon Is Down
The Moon Is Down
John Steinbeck
The Pearl
The Pearl
John Steinbeck
The Wayward Bus
The Wayward Bus
John Steinbeck
The Winter Of Our Discontent
The Winter Of Our Discontent
John Steinbeck
To a God Unknown
To a God Unknown
John Steinbeck
Tortilla Flat
Tortilla Flat
John Steinbeck
Travels With Charley
Travels With Charley
John Steinbeck
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