In Dubious Battle | Techniques

In Dubious Battle Techniques

More than in any other novel, Steinbeck uses the techniques of drama to focus on characters in conflict in In Dubious Battle. Little attention is given to description, and there is almost no authorial intrusion. Characters speak and act; the reader gets a sense of action and of significance from what is said and done. In fact, at one point, the text itself is set up in the form of a dialogue, with characters' names set beside their speeches as one might find them in a prompt book.

As he does in other works, Steinbeck uses animal imagery to highlight the significance of actions: One can judge characters by observing how they relate to animals, or the way in which their own physical characteristics remind one of certain animals. Finally, Steinbeck is careful to focus on faces as a means of delineating identity. This technique reinforces the central...
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