In Dubious Battle | Literary Precedents

In Dubious Battle Literary Precedents

In Dubious Battle takes its title from Milton's Paradise Lost, Book I (1658), in which Satan vows to engage the forces of heaven "in dubious battle" even if it means eternal vanquishment. That reference sets a tone for Steinbeck's novel, and suggests a way to view the main characters: as Satan-like figures, not because they are inherently or necessarily evil, but because they are determined to persevere in their battle against capitalism even when odds for success are overwhelmingly against them. The novel may also be viewed as a bildungsroman,a work that focuses on the initiation, education, and maturation of Party worker Jim Nolan.