What was Steinbeck's central idea about human nature?
My thinking, I suppose, is that folks are fundamentally good, or at least they strive to be, even when the world kicks them down. There's a deep-down kinship, a 'phalanx' as I've called it, that binds people, especially in times of hardship. You see it when the Okies help each other, even when they have next to nothing. It's not about grand theories; it's about the simple acts of kindness, the shared load, the 'kindness of strangers.' When people are pushed to the edge, that's when their true character, their 'fate,' shows through, and often it's a yearning for something decent.
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