The Wayward Bus in the Grip of Socialist and Feminist Critical Discourse

Abstract

In Slovenia, several Steinbeck’s works that demonstrate the writer’s departure from the social consciousness of The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and his move to more sophisticated views on human existence were until very recently undeservedly marginalized. One of these works is The Wayward Bus (1947). With the thematic and philosophical bearings that did not match the prevailing image of the writer as an advocate for the workers’ cause conceived on the grounds of his “politically correct” writing of the late 1930s, the novel has remained virtually unknown to Slovenian readers. By analyzing Steinbeck’s portrayals of femininity and masculinity, which have earned him the label of misogynist, the article shows that The Wayward Bus is a slap in the face, but certainly not just for women. With his portrayal of Elliott Pritchard, which is perhaps one of the most effective of Steinbeck’s depictions of characters who drop the artificial masks of civilization and lose control of themselves, Steinbeck uncovers the lies of middle-class respectability and attacks the hypocrisy, greed and immorality of the contemporary American society. In this sense, the article reveals that there is much more to recommend in this novel than what was noticed by those who, blinded by the restraints of expectations imposed by the ruling regime, showed no interest to unravel the complexity of this seemingly simple and still relevant story.