Hart has degrees in English literature and creative writing and focuses her writing on literary themes. In this essay, Hart examines Steinbeck's methods in creating the rites of passage theme in his novel.

John Steinbeck's The Red Pony was originally written as four separate short stories, with each story showing different stages of Jody Tiflin's rite of passage into manhood. In each story (or chapter), Steinbeck carefully and skillfully brings together specific circumstances that the young Jody must face. Through the use of explicit examples, as well as subtle metaphors, Steinbeck emphasizes certain character traits of Jody and shows how his personality matures from the first section to the last. By looking closely at Steinbeck's methods of demonstrating the changes in Jody, a greater appreciation of the author's writing skill is unveiled and a deeper appreciation of the story is gained.

The first section of The Red...