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1. Describe the type of vehicle Steinbeck required for his journey.

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He needed a four-wheel drive, 3/4 ton pick-up truck with a camper top.

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2. Where did Steinbeck begin his journey?

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He started at Sag Harbor, New York.

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3. Identify Rocinante.

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Rocinante was the name Steinbeck gave his truck.

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4. Describe Steinbeck's traveling companion.

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He was a french poodle named Charley.

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5. Identify Fayre Eleyne.

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Fayre Eleyne was the name of Steinbeck's boat.

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6. For whom was the boat named?

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The boat was named for Steinbeck's wife.

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7. What did Steinbeck see in the eyes of many of the people he met during his journey?

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He saw a look of longing. People wished to be able to do what he was doing.

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8. In what ways did American cities and towns look the same?

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All were ringed with trash, surrounded by rusting and wrecked vehicles, and were smothered by rubbish.

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9. Where did Steinbeck like to observe people?

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He went to bars, churches and roadside restaurants. He also listened to the morning radio.

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1. Describe Steinbeck's method for washing his clothes during his trip.

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He placed the clothes, soap and water into a garbage bucket tied to the closet pole in the back of his truck. The truck's movement juggled the contents for the entire driving day. He rinsed the clothes at the end of the day, and dried them the next day on a line in the truck.

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2. What was Steinbeck's impression of Deer Isle?

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He said that it is like Avalon; it disappears when you are not there.12

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3. How did Steinbeck protect Charley in Maine during hunting season?

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He wrapped Charley's tail in red kleenex so he would not be mistaken for a deer.

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4. Why did Steinbeck head for Aroostook County, Maine?

answer

He wanted to see the potato crops.

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5. What does vacilando mean?

answer

It describes the act of going somewhere with a direction in mind but not caring whether or not you get there.

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6. From where were the Maine migrant farmers?

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They were French Canadians called Canucks.

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7. In which state are the White Mountains?

answer

They are in Maine.

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8. What was different about the Sunday sermon given in the church in Vermont?

answer

It was an old-fashioned "fire and brimstone" sermon.

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1. Why didn't Steinbeck cross the Canadian border?

answer

He didn't have a rabies vaccination certificate for Charley. The U.S. would not let him re-enter the country without that certificate.

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2. What was Steinbeck's opinion of super-highways?

answer

He thought that they were wonderful for moving goods, but that they were not very good for people who were interested in seeing the countryside of America.

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3. What clannish group of people who speak a specialized language did Steinbeck discover on the super-highways?

answer

He discovered long-distance truckers.

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4. Why was coffee considered the great get-together symbol?

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Having a cup of coffee provided the chance to rest and to have a change from the continuous stretch of highway.

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5. Why did Steinbeck consider mobile homes to be a revolution in living?

answer

He thought they were comfortable, compact, easy to keep clean, and easy to heat.13

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6. What questions did Steinbeck have about Americans and roots?

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Are Americans restless and never satisfied? Is the need or urge to be somewhere else greater than the need for roots?

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7. To what was Charley allergic?

answer

He was allergic to insecticides.

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8. What difference in people did Steinbeck notice as he crossed the Ohio line?

answer

The people became open and out-going.

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9. What were Steinbeck's observations about regional speech?

answer

He thought that regional speech was perhaps disappearing because people were listening to radio and television voices so much.

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10. Who came to visit Steinbeck in Chicago?

answer

His wife came.

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11. How did Steinbeck find the Ambassador East hotel?

answer

He hired a taxi to lead the way.

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12. Identify Lonesome Harry.

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He was the former occupant of Steinbeck's hotel room at the Ambassador East.

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1. How was Charley torn three ways?

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He had anger towards Steinbeck for leaving him, he was happy to see Rocinante, and he had a certain pride in his appearance.

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2. What are the Wisconsin Dells?

answer

The Wisconsin Dells are formations in the countryside sculptured by the ice in the Ice Age.

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3. What are the Twin Cities?

answer

The Twin Cities are Minneapolis and St. Paul.

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4. What are the W.P.A. Guides to the States?

answer

They are a complete set of books which give a comprehensive account of the geography, history and economy of the U.S.A.

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5. Where in the country did Steinbeck find the east-west middle of the country?

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He found the middle in Fargo, North Dakota.14

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6. Where in the country did Steinbeck believe the east-west middle should be?

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He thought it should be at the Missouri River at Bismarck, North Dakota.

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7. What area of the country seemed like the work of an evil child?

answer

The Bad Lands did.

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1. What state did Steinbeck fall in love with and consider to be a great splash of grandeur?

answer

Montana

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2. What did Steinbeck learn about Charley at Yellowstone?

answer

He found out that Charley was not as peace-loving and cowardly as he had believed. Charley wanted to fight the bears!

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3. What did Steinbeck tell Robbie's father about hairdressers?

answer

He told him that women confided in their hairdressers and that gave the hairdressers a lot of power.

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4. Describe Charley's ailment and Steinbeck's solution to the problem.

answer

Charley had bladder problems and could not urinate. Steinbeck gave him sleeping pills to make him relax so he could rid himself of fluid.

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1. What tree causes wonder and respect in men?

answer

The giant redwood trees do.

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2. Redwoods were once located in England, Europe and America. What happened to them?

answer

They were wiped out by the moving glaciers.

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3. Where was Steinbeck born?

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He was born in Salinas, California.

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4. Why did Steinbeck go to Monterey?

answer

He wanted to cast his absentee ballot.

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5. On what issue did Steinbeck and his sisters argue constantly?

answer

They argued about politics.

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6. For whom was Charley named?

answer

He was named for Steinbeck's Uncle Charley.15

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7. While crossing the Mojave Desert, how did Steinbeck and Charley cool off?

answer

They poured water over themselves. (The air was so dry that the water's evaporating made them feel cool.)

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8. At first, Steinbeck considered killing the coyotes. What did he finally do?

answer

He opened two cans of dog food and left them for the coyotes.

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9. What factor found in all living things was especially present in the desert?

answer

The will and need to survive was especially strong in the desert life.

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1. Which state is the only state that came into the Union in a treaty?

answer

Texas is the only one.

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2. Why did Texas seek freedom from Mexico?

answer

The Texans didn't want to pay taxes. Also, Mexico had abolished slavery and the Texans did not want to free their slaves.

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3. What are the reasons Steinbeck felt that he could not be objective about Texas?

answer

He knew the countryside and had friends and relations in that state.

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4. Why was Charley left in Amarillo?

answer

He was recovering from another illness.

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5. Why did Steinbeck dread traveling to the South?

answer

He knew he would see pain, fear, bewilderment and confusion caused by desegregation.

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6. Who were the Coopers?

answer

They were the only black family in Salinas, the only black family Steinbeck had known during his childhood.

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7. Why did Steinbeck choose to go to New Orleans?

answer

He wanted to witness the school desegregation.

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8. Who were the Cheerleaders?

answer

They were a group of white women who would gather at the school to scream at the black students.16

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9. Besides the black student, who else did the Cheerleaders verbally assault?

answer

They also verbally assaulted the white man who brought his white child to school.

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10. What did the southerners think about northerners?

answer

They thought that the northerners came to the south to cause trouble and to stir things up.

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11. Where during his trip did Steinbeck's journey end before he returned home?

answer

His trip was really finished at Abingdon, Virginia. By the time he got there, he had had enough time on the road, was tired, overloaded with input, and ready to put up his feet in his own home.

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12. Why couldn't Rocinante go through the Holland Tunnel?

answer

The truck carried butane tanks which were not allowed in the tunnel.

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13.What was the final event of Steinbeck's journey?

answer

He got lost in his own hometown.

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Charley:

answer

He is a light brown old French gentleman poodle. Steinbeck portrays Charley as immensely wise and precocious and uses him as an instrument for making connections with the many people he encounters on his journey.

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Charley's actual name is

answer

Charles le Chien

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Steinbeck says charley is what color?

answer

blue

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Rocinante:

answer

Named after Don Quixote's horse, Steinbeck's truck becomes symbolic of his mood and perspective during his trip. His truck is often a comforting shelter when Steinbeck is overwhelmed and disheartened by his journey. Additionally, it represents Steinbeck's view of his own impact on the surrounding ecology. He travels in a way that is self-contained in order to minimize his impact on the environment.

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who is named after Don Quixote's horse

answer

Rocinante

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Steinbeck's Wife Elaine:

answer

Steinbeck mentions his wife and the life he shares with her with fondness.

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Steinbeck spends Thanksgiving with Elaine and her family where?

answer

in Texas.

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Man on the Submarine:

answer

He provides an example of the "future" of America. He performs his job solely for its "usefulness" and financial benefits without regard for its ethical implications though he mans a nuclear armed submarine. Steinbeck sees disregard of ethical principles in favor or financial gain as a growing trend in America during his trek across the country.

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Waitress in Maine:

answer

She is described as listless and unhappy, a person who can suck the joy out of a room just by her presence. She represents what Americans are becoming in Steinbeck's eyes: people who lack goals and purpose and do not believe in the prospects of the ever-dwindling "American Dream."

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Dairy Man:

answer

Steinbeck describes the dairy man as the most content person that he meets on his journey. He is the only person who does not seem to want to go somewhere else. The irony is that the milkman has a Ph.D. in Mathematics and evident training in Philosophy. He represents the ideal that people can choose to be happy or content, no matter their situation.

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Miss Eleanor Brace:

answer

She is the owner of the house where Steinbeck stays while visiting Deer Isle. Not much is said about her in the text, but her female cat George is described as being a completely useless feline in contrast the ever alert and helpful Charley.

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Woman with the Pomeranian:

answer

Though she only appears briefly, Steinbeck uses her to represent the upper class in American society. She is mean to Charley and rude to Steinbeck. Steinbeck portrays her as having an acidic personality and it is implied that she is overly familiar with alcohol alluding to the pampered and purposeless life of the upper class.

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Preacher at John Knox Church:

answer

Steinbeck portrays this fire and brimstone preacher as a likable character. Steinbeck believes that unlike most preachers in America, this one is not willing to water down his moral and spiritual beliefs to win a popularity contest. He represents the ideals of religion in America before the 1950s when religion became commonly appropriated to justify middle class consumerism.

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Joe and Family (Mobile Home Dwellers):

answer

Steinbeck encounters Joe, a mechanic, and his family and sits down with them for a conversation. Joe and his wife rave about the advantages of having a mobile home and say that it is a necessity in an unsure economy. They state that they would rather have comfort than roots, which is why the mobility of a home appeals to them. Steinbeck uses Joe and his family to illustrate the emerging American perspective that convenience and mobility are more important than stability and long term relationships.

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Cabin Owner and Son:

answer

When Steinbeck encounters the unhappy duo of father and son, the son is immediately captivated when he discovers that Steinbeck is from New York, a place he has always wanted to visit. He and his father disagree on almost everything; his father wants him to be a "traditional" man who hunts and works hard, whereas the son has taken courses on how to be a hairdresser. The struggle between the two can be viewed as a conflict between the traditional and new value system emerging in American society.

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Gas Station Owner:

answer

After blowing out one of his tires during a rainstorm, Steinbeck makes it to a gas station where he meets an "evil-looking service-station man" who restores his "faith in the essential saintliness of humans" (142). Though outwardly the man appears to be frightening, he shows kindness to Steinbeck in a way that no one else does on the trip. He calls several stores to find Steinbeck new tires and eventually gets his brother-in-law to bring new tires to the gas station. Through this character, Steinbeck shows that appearances are not always what they seem; just like Americans are trading roots for convenience, they are also not likely to recognize goodness in people if they do not fit a certain physical standard.

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The Cheerleaders:

answer

The Cheerleaders are a group of racist mothers who vehemently protest against integration outside a school in New Orleans. Steinbeck watches their protest with disgust, writing that the things they say are so vulgar that neither he nor the newspapers will repeat them. He contrasts their position as hate-mongers with the traditional role of nurturing motherhood. He leaves New Orleans as quickly as possible, so sickened by the Cheerleaders that he cannot even bring himself to eat at a restaurant.

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Hitchhiker:

answer

Steinbeck offers a white man of about thirty with stringy blonde hair a ride on his way out of New Orleans. The hitchhiker reveals his belief that the Cheerleaders are "doing their duty" in trying to run the African American children out of the school (204). Dismayed, Steinbeck eventually tells the man to get out of the car, and in his review mirror can see the young man shouting obscenities at him.

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