Travels With Charley By John Steinbeck Analysis

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In the novel entitled Travels with Charley written by John Steinbeck the effects technology is having on humanity is often discussed, saying that it is destroying humanity and that the advancements are something that Steinbeck would rather not be aware of. Humanity is changing due to the instant gratification that is now available because of new technology, making people become less unique and more reliant on technology. The regional differences and the uniqueness of individual people are becoming less exponential in most aspects of life. When Steinbeck says, “the assembly line production of our foods, our songs, our language, and eventually our souls,” he is trying to convey that human lives are becoming less separated and individuals are …show more content…

However, in today’s world, there are very few noticeable differences. With the help of technology, people have been able to combine all of the regional differences to create one culture that extends throughout all of the states. This is a disadvantage to our culture because it allows for more judgement towards people that are not conforming to fit in to the cultural norms. Technology is making people change and become something that they are not, including listening to music that they normally would not listen to or wearing clothes that they would not normally wear. At one point Steinbeck points out that, “"If Teen-Age Angel is top of the list in Maine, it is the top of the list in Montana," (35) because people now have the ability to know what is popular in other states and they copy them, rather than making their own opinion without the input of others. The reason that Steinbeck went on this journey was to reconnect with America. When he sets out, he expects to be able to tell the differences in likes and dislike from state to state, but he finds that it is harder than he thought it would be, because people do not value individuality as much as they value fitting