JOHN STEINBECK

OF MICE AND MEN BACKGROUND

JOHN STEINBECKJOHN STEINBECK* BORN IN SALINAS, CA - (1902-1968)* BORN IN SALINAS, CA - (1902-1968)

* FIRST THREE BOOKS WERE FINANCIAL * FIRST THREE BOOKS WERE FINANCIAL FAILURESFAILURES

* MASTERPIECE = * MASTERPIECE = THE GRAPES OF WRATHTHE GRAPES OF WRATH ABOUT A FAMILY DURING THE GREAT ABOUT A FAMILY DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION WON A PULITZER PRIZE DEPRESSION WON A PULITZER PRIZE IN 1940.IN 1940.

* ATTENDED STANFORD UNIVERSITY; LEFT * ATTENDED STANFORD UNIVERSITY; LEFT WITHOUT A DEGREE.WITHOUT A DEGREE.

* LIVED IN MIGRANT CAMPS TO WORK AND * LIVED IN MIGRANT CAMPS TO WORK AND ASSOCIATE WITH THE PEOPLE ABOUT ASSOCIATE WITH THE PEOPLE ABOUT WHOM HE WROTE.WHOM HE WROTE.

* STEINBECK WAS VERY SHY AND * STEINBECK WAS VERY SHY AND SHUNNED PUBLIC ATTENTION.SHUNNED PUBLIC ATTENTION.

THEMES OF STEINBECK’S THEMES OF STEINBECK’S WRITINGWRITING

* HIS STORIES ARE BASED ON FACT.* HIS STORIES ARE BASED ON FACT.

* OFTEN SET IN CA AND FOCUS ON * OFTEN SET IN CA AND FOCUS ON NATURE WITH DETAILED NATURE WITH DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS.DESCRIPTIONS.

* HE HUMANIZED THE WORKING CLASS * HE HUMANIZED THE WORKING CLASS OUTCAST OR “LOSER.”OUTCAST OR “LOSER.”

* ALLEGORICAL WRITING (USES OF * ALLEGORICAL WRITING (USES OF SYMBOLS AND FIGURATIVE SYMBOLS AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE).LANGUAGE).

* HE WAS INTERESTED IN RAISING THE * HE WAS INTERESTED IN RAISING THE AWARENESS OF HOW PEOPLE LIVEDAWARENESS OF HOW PEOPLE LIVED

“SHACK HOUSE” IN CALIFORNIA DURING THE 30S

* TIME OF GREAT DESPAIR—PEOPLE * TIME OF GREAT DESPAIR—PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS, HOMES, LOST THEIR JOBS, HOMES, SECURITY, AND THEIR SECURITY, AND THEIR HOPEHOPE..

(a.) The Dust Bowl—(a.) The Dust Bowl— dust storms in the Greatdust storms in the Great Plains caused many to Plains caused many to

move from their homes to move from their homes to California. California.

(b.) Vast droughts(b.) Vast droughts and flooding.and flooding.

* ROOTLESSNESS AND POVERTY * ROOTLESSNESS AND POVERTY WERE WAYS OF LIFE.WERE WAYS OF LIFE.

TIME SETTING—THE GREAT DEPRESSION

(1930s)

STYLE, GENRE, and STYLE, GENRE, and THEMETHEME

* GENRE—* GENRE—PLAY-NOVELLETEPLAY-NOVELLETE

* WRITING STYLE—CONCISE, REALISTIC * WRITING STYLE—CONCISE, REALISTIC LANGUAGELANGUAGE

*THEMES:*THEMES:A. FRIENDSHIPA. FRIENDSHIP

B. LONELINESSB. LONELINESS

C. THE WORTH OF AN INDIVIDUAL’S C. THE WORTH OF AN INDIVIDUAL’S LIFE—DOES HUMAN LIFE HAVE A LIFE—DOES HUMAN LIFE HAVE A PURPOSE?PURPOSE?

D. DISILLUSIONMENT WITH THE D. DISILLUSIONMENT WITH THE AMERICAN DREAMAMERICAN DREAM

CHARACTERSCHARACTERS

GEORGE

• PHYSICALLY SMALL

• SMART

• LENNIE’S CARETAKERLENNIE

• PHYSICALLY BIG

• MENTALLY CHALLENGED

• DEPENDENT ON GEORGE