BA English Short Stories: Attitude of the poor people in 'Breakfast' by John Steinbeck

The attitude of poor people towards life is very positive in the story "Breakfast". They are charmingly simple and satisfied people. The girl, the wife of the younger man, is an example of female purity in the countryside. The young man himself represents honest hardworking villagers.

The old man was representative of wise, old villagers who had decided in favor of the innocence and simplicity of their life rejecting all worldly advancement at the cost of their souls. 

They did not have guaranteed regular work. It depended on good weather condition and high farm production how much and for how long they could work. Yet, they tried to work harder to earn more and live better. They feared and loved God and prayed for His favor. The writer is surely the main character, the hero, who is at the centre of the main action. He registered the behavior of the other characters towards each other and towards him. He studied their attitude towards life philosophically and carried his impressions of their characters with him. We come to know how much a man of sympathy, deep understanding and keen observation he was. The young woman the young man and the old man were so much satisfied and happy, because they worked honestly as laborers. They were not greedy. They were truly religious.

The writer himself was influenced greatly by their superb qualities.