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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Background on Steinbeck. Born in Salinas, California in 1902 Most of his famous books were written: in the 1930s and 1940s took place during that same time period (Great Depression Era) Set in California. Background on Steinbeck, Cont.
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Background on Steinbeck • Born in Salinas, California in 1902 • Most of his famous books were written: • in the 1930s and 1940s • took place during that same time period (Great Depression Era) • Set in California
Background on Steinbeck, Cont. • His books deal with the • lives and problems of working people • His characters are usually • immigrants from Mexico or other parts of the U.S. looking for a better life in California
Steinbeck Timeline • 1902 Born Feb. 27th in family home • 1919 Graduated from Salinas High School • 1919-1925 Attended Stanford University • 1925 Went to NYC, working odd jobs, including manual labor for construction of Madison Square Garden. Could not find publisher • 1926 Returned to California
Steinbeck Timeline Cont. • 1929 Cup of Gold became first published novel • 1930 Married Carol Henning • 1934 Mother died in the Salinas home • 1935 Father died • 1936 Of Mice and Men, set around Soledad, was produced as a novel and then a play
Steinbeck Timeline Cont. • 1938 The Grapes of Wrath- Inspired nationwide attention on the living conditions and exploitation of farm workers during the Great Depression • 1940 Film version of The Grapes of Wrath • 1940 Received the Pulitzer Prize for the novel Grapes of Wrath • 1942 Divorced his wife
Steinbeck continued • 1943 Married Gwyndolyn Conger- a war correspondent in Europe for the Herald Tribune of NY during WWII • 1948 Divorced wife again • 1949 Met Elaine Scott • 1950 Married Elaine Scott • 1952 East of Eden, his major work about the history of Salinas Valley published
Steinbeck Continued • 1960 Traveled through America with his poodle to write Travels with Charley. Took his last view of the Salinas Valley from Fremont Peak. • 1962 Accepts the Nobel Prize in Stockholm. • 1968 Died December 20th in New York • 1969 March 4th , his ashes were buried in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Salinas
Setting of OMAM • Farmland of Salinas Valley • Steinbeck’s father owned land in the area and Steinbeck worked as a farm hand • The ranch in the story • Near Soledad, south-east of Salinas on Salinas River • The town Weed is nearby
Migrant Farm Workers • When OMAM was published, almost half America’s grain was harvested by huge combine harvesters • George and Lennie (main characters of OMAM) are some of the last migrant farm workers • Migrant workers earned $2.50 or $3.00 a day, plus food and very basic accommodation
1930s • Unemployment in United States very bad • New Deal • Agencies sent farm workers to where they were needed • George and Lennie got their work cards from Murray and Ready’s, one of these agencies
THE AMERICAN DREAM • Immigrants dreamed of a better life in America • Wanted to escape persecution or poverty • For many the dream became a nightmare • Slavery, American civil war, slums, corruption • As a whole the dream ended with the Wall Street crash of 1929
The Dream, not a Dream Anymore • With the crash of Wall Street came the Great Depression • The dream only survived for individuals who made their way west to California • The growing popularity of cinema was the last American dream for many, Curley’s wife was one: “Coulda been in the movies, had nice clothes.”
Why Of Mice and Men? • Title comes from a poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns, “To A Mouse” “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!”
