The Biblical Archetypes In John Steinbeck’s Works

As a Nobel Prize laureate for literature， John Steinbeck(1902-1968)is generallyconsidered as one of the most important American writers in the20th century. As aproliifc author，Steinbeck has produced nearly twenty novels during his lifetime.These works win the popularity from wide readers and attract the enthusiasm of quitea few critics.Researchers in different times have put forward various ideas andinterpretation from multiple angles，such as symbolic interpretation，naturalism.Somescholars have also begun to examine the works from Archetypal criticism,But therestill is not any article which carries on comprehensive and systematic Archetypalanalysis to the novel.Therefore this thesis will utilize the Biblical archetypes to analyze Steinbeck’s ifctions.We analyze Steinbeck’s ifctions in a objective perspective which is based on the linkbet’ween Steinbecks ifctions and Biblical culture. So that we can ifnd the worksartistic value and charm.This article is divided into four chapters. The ifrst chapter introduces the characters ofthe Biblical archetypal，according to its character，the main characters are mainlydivided into the prototype of the good and evil，the prototype of good mainlyincluding Christ prototype and prototype Moses, the evil prototype mainly includingSatan prototype and Cain prototype. The second chapter introduces the stories basedon the Biblical archetypal.They represent the well-known stories of the Bible as thearchetype,including the "exodus", the story of Cain and Abel, Satan’s temptation.Thethird chapter introduces the image of the Biblical archetypal, grape and the garden ofEden in Bible are two important images also appearing in his works.The last partintroduces the artistic value of the Biblical archetypal.Steinbeck builds up acomprehensive and profound world for the readers. Using the perspective of theBiblical archetypal can make the readers have some new views. This part analysesthree aspects which are social history, cultural tradition and personal artistic.