Travels with Charley Theme of Truth

This theme is definitely the not-so-evil fraternal twin of the "Literature and Writing" theme, since some of Steinbeck's observations on "truth" and how to access it are also musings on representation. Can you represent truth? Is all truth subjective? These are the kind of questions that Steinbeck seems to ponder in Travels with Charley, and ultimately he seems less convinced of the idea of "absolute" truth. Hmm, that revelation probably sheds some light on why Steinbeck might think it's okay—nay, perhaps even better—to veer away from the purely factual in conveying his general memories and impressions of the U.S. After all, if he gets the spirit of what he saw and what people said right (which is probably the hard part), then what does it matter if he misremembers when a particular conversation took place, or the exact profession of the person talking?

We're not saying it's right or that Steinbeck would necessarily put his feelings in exactly those terms, but it certainly seems that the author thought it was okay to veer away from just the facts, ma'am. Whether readers think it's okay? Well, that's another story.

1. Steinbeck seems to like implying that truth and knowledge are all kind of relative and situational. Do you think he believes that all the time? How do we know?
2. Does it bother you that Steinbeck plays fast and loose with the truth, given the fact that he's dealing with serious topics like race relations and nuclear war? Does that tendency kind of detract from the importance of what he's saying about these topics?
3. Sometimes Steinbeck seems to think he knows, well… everything, and other times he suggests that no one can ever really know anything—himself included. What gives? Does he come off like an authority, or is he as confused and clueless as anyone else? If he has authority, what's the basis of it?

Steinbeck is totally untrustworthy. He fictionalizes his whole "travelogue," which means we have to kind of doubt the truth of, well, everything he "observes."

Most people like to think they have a handle on their own reality, but Steinbeck is really attuned to how subjective truth is. The fact that he makes us aware of that makes him more "honest" in a certain way than anyone else.