Background Background InformationInformationJohn Steinbeck and John Steinbeck and

The Great DepressionThe Great Depression

• He was born in Salinas, California in 1902.

• He lived and worked in California.

• He worked on a dredging crew or in a sugar plant to get money for college although he never completed a degree.

• He met hoboes, fruit-pickers, and migrant workers through his work.

• ‘I think I would like to write the story of this whole valley, of all the little towns and all the farms and the ranches in the wilder hills. I can see how I would like to do it so that it would be the valley of the world.” Steinbeck’s letter to George Albee, Salinas, 1933

• He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962

• His best known novels include: The Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl, East of Eden, Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men, and The Red Pony

• He died in 1968

Biography

Great Depression• Most severe economic downturn in American history

•Began with the Stock Market crash of 29 October 1929

•Lasted until the start of American involvement in World War II

•Unemployment rose to 30%

•50% of commercial banks failed

•Crop prices fell by 50%

•Over-production led to unemployment

•Hunger, despair, poverty, homelessness – millions of Americans had their lives destroyed

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The BookOf Mice and Men was originally called Something That Happened.

When Steinbeck first thought of the idea for the book he intended it to be for children. Steinbeck told a friend that he was experimenting with a new 'dramatic form'.

In May 1936 he had a written manuscript - but his puppy (a setter called Toby) ate it!

He said of the book: "It is an experiment and I don't know how successful."

•100 miles south of San Francisco

•60 miles south of Silicon Valley

•17 miles east of Monterey/Carmel

•10 miles east of the Pacific Ocean

Unemployment Rates

20025.8%

19261.8%

19293.2%

19308%

193324.9%

193819%

Main Characters

Lennie Small

Lennie is a large, Lennie is a large, lumbering, childlike lumbering, childlike migrant worker. Due to his migrant worker. Due to his mild mental disability, mild mental disability, Lennie completely depends Lennie completely depends upon George, his friend upon George, his friend and traveling companion, and traveling companion, for guidance and for guidance and protection. The two men protection. The two men share a dream, a vision share a dream, a vision that Lennie believes in that Lennie believes in wholeheartedly. Gentle and wholeheartedly. Gentle and kind, Lennie nevertheless kind, Lennie nevertheless does not understand his does not understand his own strength. His love of own strength. His love of petting soft things, such as petting soft things, such as small animals, dresses, and small animals, dresses, and people’s hair, leads to people’s hair, leads to disaster. disaster.

George MiltonGeorge Milton George is a small, wiry, quick-George is a small, wiry, quick-

witted man who travels with, witted man who travels with, and cares for, Lennie. and cares for, Lennie. Although he frequently speaks Although he frequently speaks of how much better his life of how much better his life would be without his would be without his caretaking responsibilities, caretaking responsibilities, George is obviously devoted George is obviously devoted to Lennie. George’s behavior to Lennie. George’s behavior is motivated by the desire to is motivated by the desire to protect Lennie and, protect Lennie and, eventually, deliver them both eventually, deliver them both to the farm of their dreams. to the farm of their dreams. Though George is the source Though George is the source for the often-told story of life for the often-told story of life on their future farm, it is on their future farm, it is Lennie’s childlike faith that Lennie’s childlike faith that enables George to actually enables George to actually believe his account of their believe his account of their future. future.

Along with Lennie,George is a Along with Lennie,George is a migrant worker.migrant worker.

Why Migrant Workers?Why Migrant Workers?

Before technology Before technology created farm machinery, created farm machinery, humans had to do a lot humans had to do a lot of the farm work by of the farm work by hand.hand.

Between the 1880s and Between the 1880s and the 1930s, thousands of the 1930s, thousands of men would travel the men would travel the countryside in search of countryside in search of work.work.

Such work included the Such work included the harvesting of wheat and harvesting of wheat and barley.barley.

Migrant WorkersMigrant Workers These workers would earn These workers would earn

$2.50 or $3.00 a day, plus $2.50 or $3.00 a day, plus food and shelter.food and shelter.

During the 1930s, the During the 1930s, the unemployment rate was unemployment rate was high in the U.S., and with so high in the U.S., and with so many men searching for many men searching for work, agencies were set up work, agencies were set up to send farm workers to to send farm workers to where they were needed.where they were needed.

In the novel, George and In the novel, George and Lennie (the two main Lennie (the two main characters) were given work characters) were given work cards from Murray and cards from Murray and Ready’s, which was one of Ready’s, which was one of the farm work agencies.the farm work agencies.

Meet the Other CharactersMeet the Other Characters

CandyCandy CurleyCurley Curley’s WifeCurley’s Wife CrooksCrooks SlimSlim CarlsonCarlson

CandyCandy

Candy is an aging Candy is an aging ranch handyman, ranch handyman, Candy lost his hand in Candy lost his hand in an accident and worries an accident and worries about his future on the about his future on the ranch. Fearing that his ranch. Fearing that his age is making him age is making him useless, he seizes on useless, he seizes on George’s description of George’s description of the farm he and Lennie the farm he and Lennie will have, offering his will have, offering his life’s savings if he can life’s savings if he can join George and Lennie join George and Lennie in owning the land.in owning the land.

CurleyCurley

Curley is the boss’s son Curley is the boss’s son and wears high-heeled and wears high-heeled boots to distinguish boots to distinguish himself from the field himself from the field hands. Rumored to be a hands. Rumored to be a champion prizefighter, he champion prizefighter, he is a confrontational, mean-is a confrontational, mean-spirited, and aggressive spirited, and aggressive young man who seeks to young man who seeks to compensate for his small compensate for his small stature by picking fights stature by picking fights with larger men. Recently with larger men. Recently married, Curley is plagued married, Curley is plagued with jealous suspicions and with jealous suspicions and is extremely possessive of is extremely possessive of his flirtatious young wife.his flirtatious young wife.

Curley’s WifeCurley’s Wife

Curley’s wife is the only Curley’s wife is the only female character in the female character in the novel. The men on the novel. The men on the farm refer to her as a farm refer to her as a “tramp,” a “tart,” and a “tramp,” a “tart,” and a “looloo.” Dressed in fancy, “looloo.” Dressed in fancy, feathered red shoes, she feathered red shoes, she represents the temptation represents the temptation of females in a male-of females in a male-dominated world. dominated world. Steinbeck depicts Curley’s Steinbeck depicts Curley’s wife not as a villain, but wife not as a villain, but rather as a victim. Like the rather as a victim. Like the ranch-hands, she is ranch-hands, she is desperately lonely and has desperately lonely and has broken dreams of a better broken dreams of a better life. life.

CrooksCrooks Crooks, the black stable-hand, gets his name from his Crooks, the black stable-hand, gets his name from his

crooked back. Proud, bitter, and caustically funny, he is crooked back. Proud, bitter, and caustically funny, he is isolated from the other men because of the color of his skin. isolated from the other men because of the color of his skin. Despite himself, Crooks becomes fond of Lennie, and though Despite himself, Crooks becomes fond of Lennie, and though he derisively claims to have seen countless men following he derisively claims to have seen countless men following empty dreams of buying their own land, he asks Lennie if he empty dreams of buying their own land, he asks Lennie if he can go with them and hoe in the garden. can go with them and hoe in the garden.

SlimSlim A highly skilled mule driver and the acknowledged A highly skilled mule driver and the acknowledged

“prince” of the ranch, Slim is the only character who “prince” of the ranch, Slim is the only character who seems to be at peace with himself. The other characters seems to be at peace with himself. The other characters often look to Slim for advice. A quiet, insightful man, Slim often look to Slim for advice. A quiet, insightful man, Slim alone understands the nature of the bond between George alone understands the nature of the bond between George and Lennie, and comforts George at the novel’s tragic and Lennie, and comforts George at the novel’s tragic ending.ending.

Themes

The American Dream

The Reality

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Other Themes in Other Themes in Of Mice Of Mice and Menand Men

The Nature of DreamsThe Nature of Dreams In essence, In essence, Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men is as much a story is as much a story

about the nature of human dreams and aspirations about the nature of human dreams and aspirations and the forces that work against them as it is the and the forces that work against them as it is the story of two men. story of two men.

Humans give meaning to their lives—and to their Humans give meaning to their lives—and to their futures—by creating dreams. Without dreams and futures—by creating dreams. Without dreams and goals, life is an endless stream of days that have goals, life is an endless stream of days that have little connection or meaning. little connection or meaning.

George and Lennie’s dream—to own a little farm of George and Lennie’s dream—to own a little farm of their own—is so central to their own—is so central to Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men that it that it appears in some form in five of the six chapters. appears in some form in five of the six chapters.

LonelinessLoneliness In addition to dreams, humans crave contact with In addition to dreams, humans crave contact with

others to give life meaning. Loneliness is present others to give life meaning. Loneliness is present throughout this novel. throughout this novel.

Themes in Themes in Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men continuedcontinued

PowerlessnessPowerlessness Steinbeck’s characters are often the underdogs, and he shows Steinbeck’s characters are often the underdogs, and he shows

compassion toward them throughout the body of his writings. compassion toward them throughout the body of his writings. Powerlessness takes many forms—intellectual, financial, Powerlessness takes many forms—intellectual, financial, societal—and Steinbeck touches on them all.societal—and Steinbeck touches on them all.

FateFate Life’s unpredictable nature is another subject that defines the Life’s unpredictable nature is another subject that defines the

human condition. Just when it appears that George and Lennie human condition. Just when it appears that George and Lennie will get their farm, fate steps in. will get their farm, fate steps in.

My Brother’s KeeperMy Brother’s Keeper Steinbeck makes the reader wonder whether Steinbeck makes the reader wonder whether mankindmankind should should

go alone in the world or be responsible and helpful to others go alone in the world or be responsible and helpful to others who are less fortunate. who are less fortunate.

NatureNature Steinbeck uses nature images to reinforce his themes and to Steinbeck uses nature images to reinforce his themes and to

set the mood. set the mood.