Of Mice and Men
By John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck �One of The Great American �Writers of the 20th Century
A Look at the Author
John was the third of four children, and the only son.
learned to appreciate his surroundings,
and loved the Salinas countryside and
the nearby Pacific Ocean; it would be
this appreciation that would later come
out in his writing.
hand in nearby ranches.
The Fields of Salinas, California
The Beauty of Salinas
and spent a lot of time writing in his room.
and edited the school yearbook.
University to please his parents, but only chose
courses that interested him, classical and British
Literature, writing courses, and an odd science
course.
What’s a Bindlestiff?
A hobo, especially one who carries a bedroll.
great success by
readers and critics.
moved into his family’s home. His father helped support
the struggling couple, but unfortunately, they divorced in
1942.
Commonwealth Club of California
Gold Medal for Best Novel by a
Californian for his novel, Tortilla Flat.
and was so widely accepted that Steinbeck
began a book tour that led him to Europe.
was published and became an
instant best-seller; in 1940 it was
awarded the Pulitzer Prize, one
of the most prestigious literary
awards in the world.
stemmed from his experience working
among migrant workers.
researching migrant workers led him to
have more compassion for these workers,
and stirred up his concern for social
justice.
Conger who would father him two
sons before their divorce in 1948.
worked as a war corre-
spondent for the New
York newspaper, Herald
Tribune.
“Don't think for a moment that you will ever be forgiven for being what they call ‘different.’ You won’t! I still have not been forgiven. Only when I am delivered in a pine box will I be considered ‘safe.’ After I had written the Grapes of Wrath the librarians at the Salinas Public Library, who had known my folks remarked that is was lucky my parents were dead so that they did not have to suffer this shame.”
during the anti-war movement due to
his open support of the war and
America’s involvement.
Mural overlooking The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas
The Book
Of Mice and Men
Main Characters: Lennie & George
Lennie Small
George Milton
George and Lennie go to a ranch near Salinas, California, to
work. George is Lennie’s keeper, and Lennie imitates
everything that George does. Lennie previously had been
kicked out of a town for grabbing a girl’s dress. He simply
liked to touch soft items. That is also the reason that he has
a dead mouse in his pocket: Lennie petted him too hardly.
George promises Lennie that some day they will have their
own farm and raise rabbits as well as other animals.
The setting in Of Mice and Men
Soledad, California
California in the 1930s
Why Migrant Workers?
Migrant Workers
Chasing the American Dream
Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
( Emma Lazarus)
Written on the base of the Statue of Liberty
The American Dream �
The American Dream
Is the American dream possible in the historical context of the novel?
Dreams
Dreams
Meet the Other Characters
Candy
Curley
Curley’s Wife
Crooks
Slim
Other Characters
Themes in Of Mice and Men
Themes in Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men – Title’s Origin
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!
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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