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Of Mice and Men

By John Steinbeck

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Topics of Discussion

John Steinbeck’s Biography

America in the Great Depression

The Novel: Of Mice and Men

Student Learning Goals

John Steinbeck

One of The Great American Writers of the 20th Century

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John Steinbeck“Man himself has

become our greatest hazard and our only hope.”

From John Steinbeck’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech 1962

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John Steinbeck BiographyBorn in Salinas, CA in 1902From a Middle Class FamilyWhile in college at Stanford, he worked with underpaid laborersWrote about his travels and life experiences

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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

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Steinbeck’s Writing (cont.)

Used plain, everyday language

Presented normal people with physical and mental flaws

Portrayed the American Depression

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 menGang aft agley [often go wrong]And leave us nought but grief and painFor 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.

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Setting Set in the Salinas Valley, CA – near the town of SoledadTakes place over the course of 3 daysDuring the time period of the Great Depression – ranch work was difficult to find due to the large migration to California

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The Fields of Salinas, California

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The Great Depression

1929 – 1930’s

Begins with the Stock Market Crash

Businesses failed, workers lost their jobs, and families fell into poverty

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The Great Depression

People migrate to California for work

Government is depended on for food

The Great Depression (cont.)

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•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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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

What’s a Bindle stiff?

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A hobo, especially one who carries a bedroll.

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Point of View

3rd person omniscient

Steinbeck reveals his themes through the characters of George and Lennie

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Conflict

Protagonists: Main characters of the story, George and Lennie

Antagonists: Characters or obstacles that the main characters must combat

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Themes: The struggles of ordinary people

Loneliness

Hopes and Dreams

Friendship

Dignity and Pride

The American Dream

Racial Prejudice

American Dream

What is the American Dream?Give specific examples/details

The dream . . .

House

Job

Family

Money to live on

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The reality . . .

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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

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Student Learning Objectives for Of Mice and Men

Analyze the features of setting and their importance in a literary textCompare and contrast the author’s use of direct and indirect characterizationDistinguish how conflicts, parallel plots and subplots affect the pacing of the actionExplain how literary techniques are used to shape the plot

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.

Microcosm: Definition?

Vocabulary

Anguish

Contemplate

Morose

Recumbent

Derogatory

Mollify (mollified)

Liniment

Pugnacious

Scourge

Slough

Stable buck (derogatory)

Euchre

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

VOCABULARYVOCABULARYanguished anguished (adj.): (adj.): anguishanguish is is a feeling of great physical or a feeling of great physical or mental pain. mental pain. contemplatedcontemplated (v.) To (v.) To contemplatecontemplate something is to something is to think about it. think about it. moroselymorosely (adv.): in a sad, (adv.): in a sad, gloomy mannergloomy manner recumbentrecumbent (adj.): still; (adj.): still; without movement without movement bridledbridled (v.): to pull one's head back in (v.): to pull one's head back in anger or prideanger or pridecomplacentlycomplacently (adv.): in a (adv.): in a pleased, satisfied manner pleased, satisfied manner derogatoryderogatory (adj.): belittling (adj.): belittling and insulting and insulting linimentliniment (n.): a medicated (n.): a medicated liquid rubbed on the skin to liquid rubbed on the skin to ease sore muscles and ease sore muscles and sprains sprains

mollifiedmollified (adj.): soothed; (adj.): soothed; pacified pacified ominouslyominously (adv.): in a (adv.): in a threatening way threatening way pugnaciouspugnacious (adj.): eager (adj.): eager and ready to fight and ready to fight scourgesscourges (n.): a (n.): a scourgescourge is anything that inflicts is anything that inflicts discomfort or suffering discomfort or suffering sloughslough (v): get rid of (v): get rid of stable buckstable buck (n.): a (n.): a stablestable is a building where horses is a building where horses are kept. A are kept. A buckbuck, in this , in this case, is a case, is a derogatory word word for a black man. for a black man. bemusedbemused:: preoccupied; deep preoccupied; deep in thought in thought euchreeuchre: a card game: a card game