In one of the most memorable passages in the novel, Steinbeck’s narrator laments the circumstances in which when a "crop grew, and was harvested, no man had crumbled a hot clod in his fingers and let the earth sift past his fingertips. No man had touched the seed, or lusted for the growth. Men ate what they had not raised, had no connection with the bread." Why did Steinbeck seem to think this mattered, and was he right to think so?

The given circumstance mattered as it helped to develop the theme of inhumanity.

Yes, I think Steinback is right to think so.

Explanation:

The passage is taken from John Steinback's novel entitled 'The Grapes of Wrath.' The novel is set during the time of Great Depression and Dust Bowl.

One of the theme of that the author has portrayed in the novel is inhumanity of man over man. This is a repetitive theme found in the novel during the time of Great Depression and Dust Bowl.

In the given passage, Steinback is illustrating the same theme of inhumanity of man over man. The narrator is mourning over the fact that people who did not struggle to grow the crop were fed instead those who struggled. During the time of Great Depression, rich landowners in California became so inhumane that they hired immigrants to cultivate their farms but did not gave anything to them to eat. They were cruel to them and treated them with barbariously. For Steinback, this situation mattered as it helped to develop thhe theme of inhumanity.

Yes, I think Steinback was right to think so because who did not labour for the food were well fed and those who worked hard to reap the harvest were left empty stomach.