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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Mr. Tarlton —HNE1 Spring 2013. Author Biography—John Steinbeck. Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. He came from a Middle class family. His father was the county treasurer and his mother was a school teacher.
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Of Mice and Menby John Steinbeck Mr. Tarlton—HNE1 Spring 2013
Author Biography—John Steinbeck • Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. • He came from a Middle class family. His father was the county treasurer and his mother was a school teacher. • She inspired his love of books and reading. • He attended Stanford University but did not graduate. • In his twenties, he traveled to NYC wanting to become a freelance writer, but he failed and moved back to California. • He then began working seriously on short stories and novels. • Steinbeck revealed in interviews a lot about his writing. • All of the characters in Of Mice and Men were based on real people. • He felt afraid every time he started writing because of the experiences he had previously undertaken.
Summary—Of Mice and Men • The novel was published in 1937 after the acclaim of his novel Tortilla Flatbut before his novels The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. • The story emphasizes the themes about: • The plight of laborers • The perils of isolation • The hope for a better future. • Set in California during The Great Depression, it teaches about the life of migrant workers in the 1930’s. • It is very descriptive, has easy dialogue, and a faced-paced timeline. • The characters represent a segment of society that was largely ignored in its day. • There is a strong analysis of: • The balance of power • The importance of friendship • The role of dreams in lives.
Of Mice and Men—Novel Setting • Set in the Salinas Valley of Southern California in the late 1930s, the era of The Great Depression. • Steinbeck attempts to make sense of life in the early decades of the 20th Century. • He sees the humanity in a class of people who are often ignored by writers and by society at large.
Of Mice and Men—Characters • Lennie Small • Lennie is a nondescript, hulking creature of a man who childlike mentality continually gets him into scrapes with men who neither respect nor understand him. • George Milton • George is a small, lean man, used to fighting for his place in the world. He oversees and protects Lennie. • Slim • Slim is a tall skinner (a skilled mule-driver) who serves as a counselor to the ranch hands. • Candy • Candy is the one-handed ranch worker who has lived past his prime. • Curley’s Wife • She is never named, nor is she respected by the men of the ranch. • Crooks • Crooks is the African-American stable buck who gets his name because of a spinal injury inflicted by a kicking horse. • Curley • Curley is the boss’ son; he possesses a jealous, cruel streak.
