--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father, John Steinbeck, was a man who…" description: "\"My father, John Steinbeck, was a man who held human history in great reverence, and in particular the biographies of those people who had risked their ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fe/thomas-steinbeck-23891_biographies_my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-h_1224465.jpg" --- # My father, John Steinbeck, was a man who held human… ![“My father, John Steinbeck, was a man who held human history in great reverence, and in particular the biographies of those people who had risked their lives, their fortunes, and their worldly honor to defend the rights and prerogatives of those who were powerless to defend themselves.” quote by Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fe/thomas-steinbeck-23891_biographies_my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-h_1224465.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fe/thomas-steinbeck-23891_biographies_my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-h_1224465.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fe/thomas-steinbeck-23891_biographies_my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-h_1224465.jpg) > “My father, John Steinbeck, was a man who held human history in great reverence, and in particular the biographies of those people who had risked their lives, their fortunes, and their worldly honor to defend the rights and prerogatives of those who were powerless to defend themselves.” [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He revered those who sacrifice everything for the powerless, honoring their bravery and moral commitment. **In simple terms:** Respect for selfless defenders of the weak. Key Takeaway Champion and of the oppressed. Themes justice sacrifice human dignity Mood respectful inspirational Type historical ethical When to use this quote - civil rights activism - humanitarian work - legal defense - journalism Key Concepts ethical heroism historical biography Questions to Reflect On - What defines a true hero? - How can society better honor such individuals? A Different Perspective Not all sacrifices are recognized or rewarded. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biographies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biographies/) [Defend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Fortunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortunes/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great Reverence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-reverence-936111/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Held](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/held/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-great-657506/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-history/) [John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-steinbeck/) [Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Powerless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerless/) [Reverence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverence/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steinbeck/) [Steinbeck Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steinbeck-man-3762034/) [Themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/themselves/) [Those](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/those/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Worldly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldly/) ## Related quotes > [You didnt grow up in the shadow of John Steinbeck. He put you on his shoulders and gave you all the light you wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/you-didnt-grow-up-in-the-shadow-of-john-steinbeck-he-put-you-on-his/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [You didn't grow up in the shadow of John Steinbeck. He put you on his shoulders and gave you all the light you wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/you-didn-t-grow-up-in-the-shadow-of-john-steinbeck-he-put-you-on-his/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I was born January 6, 1937, eight years after Wall Street crashed and two years before John Steinbeck published The Grapes of Wrath, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/i-was-born-january-6-1937-eight-years-after-wall-street-crashed-and/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [One of my favorite things I read was John Steinbeck's journals while he was writing 'East of Eden,' which was so cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/one-of-my-favorite-things-i-read-was-john-steinbeck-s-journals-while/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [“Abandon the idea that you are ever going to finish. Lose track of the 400 pages and write just one page for each day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck-from-the-fall-1975-issue-of-the-paris-review/abandon-the-idea-that-you-are-ever-going-to-finish-lose-track-of-the-2/) [John Steinbeck from the Fall 1975 issue of The Paris Review](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck-from-the-fall-1975-issue-of-the-paris-review/) > [“John Steinbeck once said that socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-wright/john-steinbeck-once-said-that-socialism-never-took-root-in-america/) [Ronald Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-wright/) > [How can I teach my boys the value and beauty of language and thus communication when the President himself reads westerns exclusively and cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/how-can-i-teach-my-boys-the-value-and-beauty-of-language-and-thus/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I remember reading 'The Grapes of Wrath' in high school in 1983. My family had immigrated to the U.S. three years before, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-remember-reading-the-grapes-of-wrath-in-high-school-in-1983-my/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [I'm a big John Steinbeck fan. Cormac McCarthy. I've always loved the stories of regular people. Mark Twain, too. When you look back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-neff/i-m-a-big-john-steinbeck-fan-cormac-mccarthy-i-ve-always-loved-the/) [Lucas Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-neff/) > [I nearly always write just as I nearly always breathe. - John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-nearly-always-write-just-as-i-nearly-always-breathe-john-steinbeck/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Maybe what I admired most about John Steinbeck is that he never mortgaged his 45-acre heart for a suite in an ivory tower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/maybe-what-i-admired-most-about-john-steinbeck-is-that-he-never/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [One of the true pleasures of my life has been the work of John Steinbeck. He was one of the people who turned my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-belafonte/one-of-the-true-pleasures-of-my-life-has-been-the-work-of-john/) [Harry Belafonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-belafonte/) > [John Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath' also speaks urgently to today's concerns: the cratered trail of dreams for Mexican immigrants seeking a promised land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-corliss/john-steinbeck-s-the-grapes-of-wrath-also-speaks-urgently-to-today-s/) [Richard Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-corliss/) > [John Steinbeck once wrote, 'Change comes like a little wind that ruffles the curtains at dawn, and it comes like a stealthy perfume of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-scott/john-steinbeck-once-wrote-change-comes-like-a-little-wind-that/) [Lucas Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-scott/) > [“They have the authority of ignorance and that is something you simply cannot combat.” – John Steinbeck”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/they-have-the-authority-of-ignorance-and-that-is-something-you-simply/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More by Thomas Steinbeck > [I've always been fascinated by the Chinese. This goes a long way back to my childhood. The Chinese invented money, movable type, clocks, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-chinese-this-goes-a-long-way-back/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [For someone who loves literature, and all books on principle, being asked to name three titles over a half century of serious reading is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/for-someone-who-loves-literature-and-all-books-on-principle-being/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I started writing serious books so late because I knew I'd be accused of riding on my father's coattails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-started-writing-serious-books-so-late-because-i-knew-i-d-be-accused/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I thought my dad was out of work, because my friends had fathers with briefcases who'd go off somewhere with bow ties on. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-thought-my-dad-was-out-of-work-because-my-friends-had-fathers-with/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [My only job is to write in such a way that the reader gets a new handle on humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-only-job-is-to-write-in-such-a-way-that-the-reader-gets-a-new/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [When I was fifteen, my father gave me a first edition copy of Ray Bradbury's magnificent work, 'The Martian Chronicles.' I had read other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/when-i-was-fifteen-my-father-gave-me-a-first-edition-copy-of-ray/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I would hardly say that I have a rich knowledge of anything in particular, but I do seem to be burdened with an unseemly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-would-hardly-say-that-i-have-a-rich-knowledge-of-anything-in/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [Since I can't write the greatest American novel, I'm going to write the longest American novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/since-i-can-t-write-the-greatest-american-novel-i-m-going-to-write/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I like writing, but I write for self-improvement more than I do for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-like-writing-but-i-write-for-self-improvement-more-than-i-do-for/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [From my fathers point of view, without a thought for self, a true patriot stands up against the stones of condemnation and speaks for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/from-my-fathers-point-of-view-without-a-thought-for-self-a-true/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [I started writing serious books so late because I knew Id be accused of riding on my fathers coattails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/i-started-writing-serious-books-so-late-because-i-knew-id-be-accused/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [You didn't grow up in the shadow of John Steinbeck. He put you on his shoulders and gave you all the light you wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/you-didn-t-grow-up-in-the-shadow-of-john-steinbeck-he-put-you-on-his/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [My father believed, like Pericles, that a man's genius could be easily judged by the number of unenlightened fools set in phalanx against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-father-believed-like-pericles-that-a-man-s-genius-could-be-easily/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [My father told us all the time: to become a good writer takes writing. Because the more you do it, the better you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-father-told-us-all-the-time-to-become-a-good-writer-takes-writing/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) > [You didnt grow up in the shadow of John Steinbeck. He put you on his shoulders and gave you all the light you wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/you-didnt-grow-up-in-the-shadow-of-john-steinbeck-he-put-you-on-his/) [Thomas Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) [Explore all 25 Thomas Steinbeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/) ## More Biographies quotes > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [The last act in the biography of the hero is that of the death or departure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-last-act-in-the-biography-of-the-hero-is-that-of-the-death-or/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [If I were entering adulthood now instead of in the environment of fifty years ago, I would choose a career that kept me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/if-i-were-entering-adulthood-now-instead-of-in-the-environment-of/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [I have my own biography of Gram Parsons - I don't want to be part of somebody else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmylou-harris/i-have-my-own-biography-of-gram-parsons-i-don-t-want-to-be-part-of/) [Emmylou Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmylou-harris/) > [Biographies of great, but especially of good men are most instructive and useful as helps, guides, and incentives to others. Some of the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/biographies-of-great-but-especially-of-good-men-are-most-instructive/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) > [All Philosophy is Biography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-j-carroll/all-philosophy-is-biography/) [Peter J. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-j-carroll/) > [Life is a biography, not a series of disconnected moments, more or less pleasurable but increasingly tedious and unsatisfying unless one imposes a purposive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dalrymple/life-is-a-biography-not-a-series-of-disconnected-moments-more-or-less/) [Theodore Dalrymple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dalrymple/) > [I hope any poem I've ever written could stand on its own and not need to be a part of biography, critical theory or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-goldbarth/i-hope-any-poem-i-ve-ever-written-could-stand-on-its-own-and-not-need/) [Albert Goldbarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-goldbarth/) > [The richly cadenced prose is hypnotic, the research prodigious, the analysis acute, the mood spellbinding, and the cast of characters mythic in scale. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/the-richly-cadenced-prose-is-hypnotic-the-research-prodigious-the/) [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) > [ I read so ravenously that I would read through whole categories. I was crazy about reading biographies. \[...\] I think biographies are very urgent… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-read-so-ravenously-that-i-would-read-through-whole-categories-i-was/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [I don't want to say that most rock bands live these formulaic biography existences - but they kinda do. There's always a divorce. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-don-t-want-to-say-that-most-rock-bands-live-these-formulaic/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [Formerly Milton's Paradise Lost had been my chief favourite, and in my excursions during the voyage of the Beagle, when I could take only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/formerly-milton-s-paradise-lost-had-been-my-chief-favourite-and-in-my/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [On the other hand, when I give it closer thought, I realize I'm not enough of a dictator to conduct an orchestra because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eberhard-weber/on-the-other-hand-when-i-give-it-closer-thought-i-realize-i-m-not/) [Eberhard Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eberhard-weber/) > [It can be a long gap between the emergence of fully researched historical biographies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-fraser/it-can-be-a-long-gap-between-the-emergence-of-fully-researched/) [Antonia Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonia-fraser/) > [Always live your life with your biography in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/always-live-your-life-with-your-biography-in-mind/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) [Browse all 587 Biographies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biographies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My father, John Steinbeck, was a man who held human history in great reverence, and in particular the biographies of those people who had risked their lives, their fortunes, and their worldly honor to defend the rights and prerogatives of those who were powerless to defend themselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Steinbeck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-held-human-history-in-great/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Biographies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-held-human-history-in-great/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fe/thomas-steinbeck-23891_biographies_my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-h_1224465.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fe/thomas-steinbeck-23891_biographies_my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-h_1224465.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fe/thomas-steinbeck-23891_biographies_my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-h_1224465.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My father, John Steinbeck, was a man who held human history in great reverence, and in particular the…” — Thomas Steinbeck", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Steinbeck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-steinbeck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My father, John Steinbeck, was a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-held-human-history-in-great/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-steinbeck/my-father-john-steinbeck-was-a-man-who-held-human-history-in-great/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```