In this episode, Ian, Megan, and Emily weigh Steinbeck’s philosophical musings on the Great Question of life against the “enfleshed” experience of his characters. How much control do Lee, Adam, Cal, and Aron have over their lives? What role do the opinions of other people play in their identity? Do we have the power to change ourselves?

To follow our reading schedule, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.centerforlit.com/hee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

P.S. Are you looking for our seasons on War and Peace or Les Misérables? Previous seasons of HEE are now available to paid Substack subscribers.

CenterForLit’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit centerforlit.substack.com/subscribe