The Concept of the Free-Thinking Individual
Though not explained until later in his writing career, perhaps Steinbeck's clearest and most celebrated philosophy was that of the free-thinking and independent individual. He was regularly filled with awe of the human spirit, the vast independence and will of a man or woman with a goal in mind, be it to find a home, support a family, or simply to survive. This concept of the powerful individual is highlighted in each of Steinbeck’s works. In East of Eden he writes:
And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about. (132)
In his fiction, Steinbeck’s philosophy is often dictated not through narrative voice but through the conversations and speculations of his characters, individuals who possess either a deep understanding of the world or a strong longing to understand. Characters like Lee and Sam Hamilton of East of Eden, Jim Casy of Grapes of Wrath, and Doc of Cannery Row all expound great wisdom and ideology though they seem to be unaware of their own philosophical abilities. However, in the quote above, Steinbeck is writing in the first person, incorporating his own voice into the narrative. But moments like these are very rare in his works. It seems Steinbeck preferred to deliver his philosophy through the mouths of great characters because then not only could he highlight the anguish of philosophy, the mental struggle for answers and the obsessive need to tie up all loose ends of an idea, but also because in this way he showed that each "philosophy" is the result of a lived experience. Steinbeck enjoyed the ordinary, the daily grit and grime, the basics of human existence. It is far easier to tell a story, to extrapolate an idea, when it is the child of an experience, the offspring of a true moment, than when it is a feeling derived from cold and abrasive third person narrative.
The most effective example of Steinbeck's philosophy of the individual is found in another section of East of Eden, in which Lee, the Chinese servant, explains the concept of "timshel." This moment is fascinating for two reasons. First, because in it Steinbeck explores the notion that independence and individuality are the children of the Christian concept of free will, deriving from the Hebrew word "timshel," which means "thou mayest." Second, because Steinbeck insists on delivering this idea through a Chinese character. In his Journal of a Novel, Steinbeck writes of Lee, "And beyond all this he is going into the book because I need him. The book needs his eye and his criticism which is more detached than mine" (73). Lee’s explanation of "timshel" is, in itself, a lovely example of the concept of "timshel." Despite his social position, Eastern heritage and domestic responsibilities, Lee chooses to learn Hebrew, chooses to spend years of his life unpacking a concept simply because it fascinates him. And this is the true meaning of Steinbeck's glory in the individual: "the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected."