Who was born in california and makes use of symbolism, folklore, oral tradition, popular stories and songs within his novels?
nathaniel hawthorne
john steinbeck
henry james
william faulkner

The correct answer is John Steinbeck. He is famous for his depiction of Californian common folk lives and even won a Nobel prize for his depictions of it.

John Steinbeck was known to be an American author of twenty-seven different books that include sixteen novels, six nonfiction books, and five collections of short stories. He is notable for his comic novels that were widely attributed to be a part of the American literary culture. His works were widely read by many and are considered as great classics of Western literature.
His work was mostly produced in southern and central California where he frequently explored the themes of fate and injustice.