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Lot 73
UNPUBLISHED STEINBECK ESSAY ON WHAT SEPARATES MAN FROM THE BEASTS. STEINBECK, JOHN. 1902-1968. Autograph Manuscript, "two and one half theories to explain man's superiority over other life forms on our planet," in pencil, 5 pp, 4to, n.p., c.1953, on three-hole lined foolscap,
25 October 2023, 14:00 EDT
New YorkSold for US$7,680 inc. premium
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UNPUBLISHED STEINBECK ESSAY ON WHAT SEPARATES MAN FROM THE BEASTS.
STEINBECK, JOHN. 1902-1968. Autograph Manuscript, "two and one half theories to explain man's superiority over other life forms on our planet," in pencil, 5 pp, 4to, n.p., c.1953, on three-hole lined foolscap, ight toning and thumbing to leaves, small stain at upper right corner of p 1.
"THE TOOL OF HOMO SAPIENS IS THAT RADICAL INDIVIDUAL, WHO ... CHANGES THE LIFE HABITS OF THE SPECIES."
Steinbeck opens this essay by asking "why the human is superior to other animals," and quickly dismisses many popular theories, like opposable thumbs (apes have them "and they rule no lions,"), or upright carriage, "large brain capacity, hairlessness, position of the eyes. None of these satisfy me." Instead, Steinbeck proposes his two and a half theories.
The first is that "humans will eat anything ... This gives the human the ability to live anywhere and on anything. Forbidden other food, he east his relatives, a gift shared only bu certain insects and then only in sexual exhilaration." Steinbeck's second theory, which he calls "half a theory," is that man has never become a fixed species, that his mutations are never ending, which he uses to his advantage. "My third theory explains the second ½ theory. Man has developed the god damnedest appendage in the physical world—the creative individual. It is this instrument which at once makes him great and prevents him from becoming a fixed species."
Steinbeck gives examples first of an ape who accidentally uses a stone to kill a rabbit and then ignores the corpse and a homo sapien who accidentally uses a stone to kill a rabbit, then eats it, then does it again. His neighbors feel that the former is "up to no good. He is utilizing rocks in a radical manner designed to overthrow society as we know it." And so the neighbors attempt to kill the rock thrower. "Sometimes they succeed and set man back a hundred thousand years. But sooner or later George [the rock thrower] survives, fights off the group and establishes an avant garde school of rock throwing ... That's all there is to it. The tool of Homo sapiens is that radical individual, who by accident, hunger, lust, love of beauty, poetic intuitiveness, what ever you want to call it, changes the life habits of the species. The group invariable tries to kill him and ends up using his discovery. Then, just as they get set—another crazy individual stirs them up again."
The essay exemplifies familiar Steinbeck territory, including the disruption and destruction of the creative individual, a theme which reaches is full development in East of Eden, Chapter 13, which closes with the famous lines: "And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about" (East of Eden, p 151).
"THE TOOL OF HOMO SAPIENS IS THAT RADICAL INDIVIDUAL, WHO ... CHANGES THE LIFE HABITS OF THE SPECIES."
Steinbeck opens this essay by asking "why the human is superior to other animals," and quickly dismisses many popular theories, like opposable thumbs (apes have them "and they rule no lions,"), or upright carriage, "large brain capacity, hairlessness, position of the eyes. None of these satisfy me." Instead, Steinbeck proposes his two and a half theories.
The first is that "humans will eat anything ... This gives the human the ability to live anywhere and on anything. Forbidden other food, he east his relatives, a gift shared only bu certain insects and then only in sexual exhilaration." Steinbeck's second theory, which he calls "half a theory," is that man has never become a fixed species, that his mutations are never ending, which he uses to his advantage. "My third theory explains the second ½ theory. Man has developed the god damnedest appendage in the physical world—the creative individual. It is this instrument which at once makes him great and prevents him from becoming a fixed species."
Steinbeck gives examples first of an ape who accidentally uses a stone to kill a rabbit and then ignores the corpse and a homo sapien who accidentally uses a stone to kill a rabbit, then eats it, then does it again. His neighbors feel that the former is "up to no good. He is utilizing rocks in a radical manner designed to overthrow society as we know it." And so the neighbors attempt to kill the rock thrower. "Sometimes they succeed and set man back a hundred thousand years. But sooner or later George [the rock thrower] survives, fights off the group and establishes an avant garde school of rock throwing ... That's all there is to it. The tool of Homo sapiens is that radical individual, who by accident, hunger, lust, love of beauty, poetic intuitiveness, what ever you want to call it, changes the life habits of the species. The group invariable tries to kill him and ends up using his discovery. Then, just as they get set—another crazy individual stirs them up again."
The essay exemplifies familiar Steinbeck territory, including the disruption and destruction of the creative individual, a theme which reaches is full development in East of Eden, Chapter 13, which closes with the famous lines: "And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about" (East of Eden, p 151).