Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck Mr. G’s English 9 Honors

John Steinbeck • Born and raised in Salinas area, the setting of this and other stories. • Attended Stanford, left to find work. • Did some work on a company owned farm. • Moved to NYC to work in journalism – fired because he was too subjective.

The Salinas Valley Salinas Valley still called “The Lettuce Belt.” Soledad home to large farms to this day…as well as a prison. Monterey once housed a tremendous fish canning industry, setting for Cannery Row (now a tourist zone).

Events in Historyat the time of the story. • The Great Depression: over 30% of US workers unemployed. • The Dust Bowl: Midwest US ravaged by dust storms, farms destroyed. • Most farms owned by large companies,staffed with seasonal, migrant farm workers…sound familiar?

Life of a “bindlestiff” • Migrant workers carried beds and belongings in a bundle. • Most Hispanic, Asian. OM&M focus is on white worker. • Average wage about $2.50/day, or about $600/year. • Workers lived in bunkhouses. • Most lived job-to-job, many spending earnings on bars and brothels instead of saving.

Women in Depression era camps • Treated as property, little freedom • Confined to domesticity • Roles changing • Right to vote comes, so does opportunity

Mentally Disabled • No tolerance. General public frightened. • Marriage disallowed; segregation and sterilization common (a practice later adopted by Hitler). • Rights not granted until 1975, 1990, and 1997. • Lennie an exception due to George’s presence.

Racial Tension and Vigilante Justice • Segregation was still a function of life in California. • Racially motivated lynching common. • Mob violence high, vigilante groups common.

Sources • Steinbeck dropped out of Stanford, worked on ranches and farms. • Robert Burns poem “To a Mouse.” The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men Gangaft agley, Structure • Play format: 3 acts of two chapters • Objective tone – like a newspaper • Takes place across three days

Themes • Idealism vs Reality • Alienation, lonliness, and poverty • Race and Racism • Class conflict • Mental Disability • Loyalty • Friendship

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

Presentation Transcript

Of Mice and men

Of Mice and Men..

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men:

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

“Of Mice and Men”

Of mice and men

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

OF MICE AND MEN.

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

“Of Mice and Men”

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men