John Steinbeck, “The Murder”

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Steinbeck’s short story “The Murder” first appeared in

The North American Review

in April 1934, and, despite its relatively obscure status today, it won the O. Henry award for best short fiction the same year. It was later included in the collection entitled

The Long Vaclley

in 1938. Like several other stories in this volume, including “The Chrysanthemums”, “The White Quail”, and “The Harness”, “The Murder” depicts a marriage that is unequal and restrictive and which eventually is broken by an act of violence. In short, it is a depressing tale of how divergent cultures and ethnic traditions impact gender roles and sexual expectations.

The setting is the Canon del Castillo in Monterey County, a locale close to the Corral del Tierra, the site of Steinbeck’s earlier

1491 words

Citation: Meyer, Michael J.. "“The Murder”". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 December 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=25829, accessed 19 March 2024.]

25829 “The Murder” 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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