Of Mice and Of Mice and MenMen

ByJohn

Steinbeck

Genre• Of Mice and Men is a “novella,” meaning a small

novel—longer than a short story, shorter than a novel.

• Steinbeck himself was going for a new genre; he called it a “play-novelette,” a short novel that contained the sparseness of language and description of a play.

• As you read, notice how easily the chapters could be played out on the stage.

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Biographical InformationBiographical Information• John Steinbeck--1902-1968• Born in Salinas, California• Enrolled in Stanford University

in 1919 and attended through 1925 but never earned a degree

• Worked the fields while in college picking strawberries, lettuce, sugar beets and broccoli

• Moved to NY and worked as a journalist and a laborer

• Published his first book Cup of Gold (1929)

• Got married and moved back to California

• Earned fame and financial security with his book Tortilla Flats (1935)

Most famous work- The depression era novel- The Grapes of Wrath

The Dust BowlThe Dust Bowl• 1931: Drought hit the mid-western

and southern plains (Oklahoma,

Texas, Kansas and other states).

• 1932-1933: Dust storms ravage the

region. 1932, there were 14 such

storms, the number increased to 38

in 1933. Crops, livestock, and the

remainder of the region’s livelihood

begin to crash.

• Farmers migrated primarily to the

San Joaquin Valley in California.

• These migrants often faced difficulties: hard work, poverty and prejudice.

Depression Era Novels Steinbeck wrote three books that chronicled the trials encountered by migrants, who traveled from Dust Bowl regions to the San Joaquin Valley in California. Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath are the two most famous of the “Dust Bowl” novels. In these novels, Steinbeck glorified the unity of these workers and family members, but often portrayed farm owners and county representatives in a negative light. These novels were very controversial at the time.

Novel Background• Of Mice and Men was published in 1937• Chronicles the travel of two of these Dust Bowl migrants - George and Lennie• Lennie is based upon a real person- “He’s in an insane

asylum in California right now. I worked alongside him for many weeks. He killed a ranch foreman. Got sore because the boss had fired his pal and stuck a pitchfork right through his stomach. I hate to tell you how many times. I saw him do it. We couldn’t stop him until it was too late.” – (Steinbeck to the New York Times in 1937)

• The two had worked on other farms, but had continuously been fired because of Lennie’s actions.

• They have the dream of buying their own small parcel of land and being their own bosses.

The origin of the titleThe origin of the titleOf Mice and Men comes from “To a Mouse,” apoem by Robert Burns.This stanza is included in the poem: 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!What does Burns mean by this stanza?Originally, Steinbeck was going to name his novel, "Something

That Happened."

Characteristics of Workallegory

• An allegory is a common literary device. It is usually a short story or book that tries to get across an important message about how people live or how they should live.

• Characters in an allegory usually stand for ideas and their names often show the ideas they stand for.

• What ideas could George and Lennie stand for? How about Slim and Carlson, Candy and Crooks?

Barron's Educational Series, Inc © Copyright 1993, World Library, Inc.

Characteristics of WorkThe ranch as a MICROCOSM of the USA

• A microcosm is a miniature world. Individual people within a microcosm represent groups of people in the larger world.

• Steinbeck wrote the ranch as a microcosm of American society, representing elements of farm communities in the U.S. during the Depression: poverty, loneliness, a homeless feeling.

• Barron's Educational Series, Inc © Copyright 1993, World Library, Inc.

Literary Period or Movement• Of Mice and Men employs a very particular type of realism

called "naturalism," which is a literary and philosophical movement that seeks to apply the scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings. Naturalist novels often explore the world as a place where you have to fight to survive in a universe that has no morality and doesn’t care about you. It’s not unusual for naturalist novels to end in degradation and despair.

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Symbol: MWDS p. 4• Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors

used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.• The river• Hands (referred to more than 100 times, why? )• George and Lennie’s Farm • Candy’s dog • Lennie’s puppy • The bunkhouse• As you read, and review what you have read,

think about what these symbols represent