How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Somehow the hunting process has to do with masculinity, but I don't quite know how. (2.2.54)
Here, Steinbeck seems to kind of be making fun of the whole notion of expressing your masculinity through an enthusiasm for guns. Mind you, he's definitely not anti-gun or anti-hunting, but he does make fun of hunters who exercise poor judgment or don't have skills (which, in his opinion, is a lot of them).
Quote #5
My wants are simple. I have no desire to latch onto a monster symbol of fate and prove my manhood in titanic piscine war. (2.5.86)
Apparently, Steinbeck is also a little judgy about using fishing to prove one's manliness. For someone who made a big show about how important manliness is to him at the beginning, Steinbeck seems to be against big, showy demonstrations of masculinity. Interesting...
Quote #6
He said bitterly, "If anywhere in your travels you come on a man with guts, mark the place. I want to go see him. I haven't seen anything but cowardice and expediency. This used to be a nation of giants. Where have they gone? You can't defend a nation with a board of directors. That takes men. Where are they?" (3.7.6)
Steinbeck's journalist friend is also kind of concerned about the state of masculinity in America. According to this guy, there aren't any real men to be found—and by that, he means men with guts. Hmm—we wonder what "guts" entails.