What is Realism according to Steinbeck?John Steinbeck was influenced by this movement. The Pearl by Steinbeck

In his works, John Steinbeck employed Social Realism as
the viewing lens for his readers to become conscious of the plight of man.  Here is a
definition of this genre that befits Steinbeck's
writings:

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Social Realism... is an artistic
movement expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial
injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often
depicting working class activities as
heroic.

Having
studied biological phenomena in his travels with a friend, greatly influenced by
philosophical ideas and psychology, Steinbeck became aware of the evolutionary process
along with the importance of the "unconscious" in man.  The conflicts of his narratives
involve expectations against change and the unconscious memory or dreams against altered
circumstances.  Because these real conflicts are what all people experience, Steinbeck,
thus, generates an empathy in his readers towards his
characters. 

In The Pearl, for
instance, though Steinbeck utilizes a fabular form, he yet captures the "biological"
conflict of the Indian whose pastoral world is endangered, the ethnic Indian whose
dignity and culture is threatened.  As a means of expressing this conflict, Steinbeck
uses what Jung termed a "visionary style," one of dreams, songs, recurring myths, and
symbolic characters, such as the doctor and the pearl buyers, who represent the invading
culture and the capitalistic way of life. 

Always in
Steinbeck's works there is the call of a lost Eden, the haunting psychological dream of
every person, a call, however, that is in conflict with contemporary society. For
instance, in The Pearl, Kino hears the Song of the Family, "but no
new songs were added."  As the narrative progresses, Kino and Juana hear the Song of the
Evil.  Kino's brother tells him, "There is a devil in this pearl." So, finally, in a
desperate effort to reclaim their lives and to regain their lost Eden of familial love
and contentment as well as his manhood because the pearl has "become [his] soul," Kino
flings the pearl into the sea from whence it came.

For
Steinbeck, realism is the concern, not just with the social situation, but also with the
heart and soul of man as he informs readers of circumstances that threaten man's
cultural and personal
identity.