The History Behind Of Mice and MenOf Mice and Men

The novella we are going to read is set in the 1930s in California.

KWL Chart

WWWhat I WANT to Know

LLWhat I LEARNED

     

What do you know about Of Mice and Men? Find the KK on the chart below and

write down everything you know about Of Mice and Men. Next, in the column

labeled WW, write down what you want to learn about Of Mice and Men. Do not

write in the LL column. A sample is provided for you.

The book is about mice The book is about mice and men.and men.

Do the mice talk?Do the mice talk?

KKWhat I KNOW

Bloom's: knowledge

Steinbeck’s Experiment with Literary Form

•Read the paragraph in your packet about Steinbeck’s experiment with literary form

1.What are some things you learned about Steinbeck’s from this section?

2.What should we keep in mind when reading a novella that can be read as both a book and seen on the stage?

Censorship

• Read the paragraph in your packet that deals with censorship.

1.Should students be allowed to read controversial books? Why or why not?

An American Writer

• Read each the short article about John Steinbeck

• Write a one sentence summary next to each paragraph

Style• The novella is written in 3rd person,

omniscient (all seeing) point of view.

• Chapter 1 is written very poetically at the beginning. The language used is in a lyrical style. It contrasts very much with the down-to-earth, rough language found in the rest of the novel.

•Unemployment

•Desperation

•Homelessness

•Extreme Poverty

•Helplessness

•The Reality and Attainability of the American Dream

The Setting

AKA “Bindle Stiffs”

• Male migrant workers became known as “bindle stiffs.”

• What do you think life was like for these men?

The Great Depression was the worst economic crisis of the 20th century

Businesses closed their doors, factories shut down, and banks failed.

1 of every 4 Americans was unemployed

Homeless rates skyrocketed

Unequal Distribution of Wealth0.1% of society making 42% of wealth

• No middle class

• Supply not equal to demand, so businesses suffered

• Easy credit policies; people began to accumulate debt

Prices were very different in the 1930s.

•Read the Great Depression

•What surprises you the most? •What surprises you the most?

Stock Market Crash

• Stock prices fell• Huge sums of money lost

October 24, 1929

The Results of Black TuesdayBank FailuresBank Failures

Unemployment – By 1933, MILLIONS out of work!

Unemployment Lines

Food Lines

Homelessness and

Helplessness

Depression & Despair

What was the Dust Bowl?

• WATCH THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS AND RECORED THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DISCRIBE THE LIFE OF A MIGRANT WORKER.

• Migrant Workers & Salinas Valley Video-FINISHED

• Migrant Workers in California Video

Pictures of the Dust Bowl

The Setting

The setting is the time, place, and social environment that surrounds the characters. The setting is recognized by the senses–– what the characters see, hear, feel, etc.

Understanding the setting is important because it often reveals the mood of the story. It can also give the reader hints about what may happen.

Let’s look at the setting of the novel.

The time period is the 1930s near Soledad, California.

Steinbeck describes the countryside with rich sensory details that allow the the reader to visualize the setting.

The Setting

John Steinbeck wasThe story Of Mice and Men takes place on a ranch in Soladad, in the Salinas Valley of central California.

In the 1930s the area was rich in agricultural crops, such as “green gold” or lettuce, sugar beets, and beans. Farm workers piled crops on tractor beds and delivered the crops to nearby packing houses.

Today, the Salinas Valley is still known for its agricultural products and is the third most productive agricultural county in the state producing over two billion dollars in gross sales.

SaliSalinas nas VallValleyey

The Setting

John Steinbeck wasThe Great Depression was in full swing during the time period in which Steinbeck sets his novel.

After the crash of the stock market in 1929, thousands of people made their way to California to escape from the farmlands in the Midwest.

In Steinbeck’s novel, the main characters make their way from town to town working as migrant farm workers, dreaming of owning a little house and small piece of land.

Setting

Sections 1, 5 and 6 in the novel take place along Salinas River. The story ends where it begins, bringing the story full circle.

Sections 2 - 4 take place on aranch where the main characters, George and Lennie, find work.

Several events take place in the bunkhouse on the ranch. The bunkhouse is where the reader learns a lot about the characters.

A bunkhouse is a building on a ranch for workers to sleep in. It isn’t very fancy.

Comprehension Check

1. The Story Of Mice and Men takes place on a ranch in a) Los Angeles b) Soladad c) Sacramento

b) Soladad

2. In the 1930’s the area was rich in a) cattle b) gold c) agricultural crops

c) agricultural crops

3. In Steinbeck’s novel, the main characters make their way from town to town working as migrant

a) tax collectors b) sales men c) farm workersc) farm workers

Directions: select the best answer to each questionDirections: select the best answer to each question