Exploring John Steinbeck and Of Mice and Men: Insights into the Great American Depression

1. Of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck

3. Topics of Discussion • John Steinbeck’s Biography • America in the Great Depression • The Novel: Of Mice and Men • Student Learning Goals

4. John SteinbeckOne of The Great American Writers of the 20th Century

5. John Steinbeck “Man himself has become our greatest hazard and our only hope.” From John Steinbeck’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech 1962

6. John Steinbeck Biography • Born in Salinas, CA in 1902 • From a Middle Class Family • While in college at Stanford, he worked with underpaid laborers • Wrote about his travels and life experiences

7. Steinbeck’s Writing • Published novels, travel writing, and movie scripts • Criticized social injustices of the working class • Commented on the moral corruption of America • Awarded Nobel Prize in 1962

8. Steinbeck’s Writing (cont.) • Used plain, everyday language • Presented normal people with physical and mental flaws • Portrayed the American Depression

9. Of Mice and Men – Title’s Origin • The title of the novel comes from a poem by the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759 -96) The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft agley [often go wrong] And leave us nought but grief and pain For promised joy! The best laid schemes of mice and men often go wrong- referring to a little mouse who had so carefully built her burrow in a field to protect herself and her little mice babies – and the burrow is turned over and destroyed by the man plowing.

10. Setting • Set in the Salinas Valley, CA – near the town of Soledad • Takes place over the course of 3 days • During the time period of the Great Depression – ranch work was difficult to find due to the large migration to California

12. The Fields of Salinas, California

14. The Great Depression • 1929 – 1930’s • Begins with the Stock Market Crash • Businesses failed, workers lost their jobs, and families fell into poverty

15. The Great Depression • People migrate to California for work • Government is depended on for food

16. The Great Depression (cont.) • 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

19. Of Mice and Men Background • The story of two ranch workers who travel throughout California in search of the American Dream • Two main characters: George and Lennie • Dream: To own a piece of land to grow crops, raise animals, and live peacefully

20. What’s a Bindle stiff? A hobo, especially one who carries a bedroll.

21. Point of View • 3rd person omniscient • Steinbeck reveals his themes through the characters of George and Lennie

22. Conflict • Protagonists: Main characters of the story, George and Lennie • Antagonists: Characters or obstacles that the main characters must combat

23. Loneliness Hopes and Dreams Friendship Dignity and Pride The American Dream Racial Prejudice Themes: The struggles of ordinary people

24. American Dream • What is the American Dream? • Give specific examples/details

25. The dream . . . • House • Job • Family • Money to live on

26. The reality . . .

30. Structure • Language: Lyrical (descriptive) and Naturalistic (down to earth, ungrammatical, and realistic) • Six chapters, covering 3 days, each set on or near a ranch • Chapters 1 and 6 take place in the same location, creating a circular effect

31. Student Learning Objectives for Of Mice and Men • Analyze the features of setting and their importance in a literary text • Compare and contrast the author’s use of direct and indirect characterization • Distinguish how conflicts, parallel plots and subplots affect the pacing of the action • Explain how literary techniques are used to shape the plot

32. Microcosm: Definition? Microcosm: a miniature representation of the world *The ranch is a microcosm of the world. *The ranch and characters represent the world and people in general.

33. Anguish Contemplate Morose Recumbent Derogatory Mollify (mollified) Liniment Pugnacious Scourge Slough Stable buck (derogatory) Euchre Vocabulary

34. Words of Wisdom… • In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme try to understand each other. John Steinbeck: 1938 Journal Entry

35. VOCABULARY anguished (adj.): anguish is a feeling of great physical or mental pain. contemplated (v.) To contemplate something is to think about it. morosely (adv.): in a sad, gloomy manner recumbent(adj.): still; without movement bridled (v.): to pull one's head back in anger or pride complacently (adv.): in a pleased, satisfied manner derogatory (adj.): belittling and insulting liniment (n.): a medicated liquid rubbed on the skin to ease sore muscles and sprains mollified (adj.): soothed; pacified ominously (adv.): in a threatening way pugnacious(adj.): eager and ready to fight scourges (n.): a scourge is anything that inflicts discomfort or suffering slough (v): get rid of stable buck (n.): a stable is a building where horses are kept. A buck, in this case, is a derogatory word for a black man. bemused: preoccupied; deep in thought euchre: a card game