1. Of Mice and Men Background Knowledge

2. 1902 – 1968. Born in Salinas, California. His novels can be classified as social novels dealing with the economic problems of rural labor, but there is also a streak of worship of this soil in his books. Steinbeck often wrote about the dark period of the Great Depression as well as loneliness and economic depression

5. In 1929, The stock market crashed on October 29. It was known as “Black Tuesday.” The idea of stock brokers jumping out windows was, in fact, a myth. 50% of children did not have “adequate food, shelter, clothing, or medical care” (Freedman 4). Some went without, and children fainted from starvation. Many children stopped going to school.

7. In the 1920s, there’s no government programs to help those in need. Soup kitchens are run by charities. Lines were very long, and some people spent their day waiting for one meal. For some, it was picking from the trash. Some people would go into restaurants to pretend they were going to order. Instead they made Hoover Soup.

8. When the waitress turned her back, people would grab anything on the table including: *Ketchup *Salt *Pepper *Mustard And more and pour it into their water. They’d drink it down, say they changed their minds, and then leave.

9. A few years into the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl started. This was caused by severe drought and dust storms.

10. The dust is EVERYWHERE! Food, drink, houses, lungs, etc. Many people fled their homes. They moved west. Some lived in boxcars; others lived in old cars or the streets. The destination of most was California. For farmers, the dust killed the crops and their income. They couldn’t pay off their loans, so they had to auction of their belongings in “penny auctions.” Luckily, friends would help them.

11. Farmers and citizens head west to get a job. These people became known as Migrant Workers. Once in California, many moved into settlements.

12. Named after President Herbert Hoover, the shanty towns became known as Hoovervilles.

13. Out goes Hoover… In comes Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his “New Deal” policy.

14. In 1933, FDR became President. He and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, received thousands of letters from kids. The problem was segregation for some of them. FDR designs the New Deal policy to help America recover.

15. The New Deal included ideas such as: *Social Security *National Recovery Administration *Securities and Exchange Commissions *Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDR used to talk to the nation on the radio. These were called “Fireside Chats” and were all about encouragement. Many agree that the Great Depression ended in 1939. FDR’s speeches and plans reignited the belief in the American Dream

16. Many came from all over to find a job in California. A typical worker would move with the harvest. He would start in the North and move south over the course of a few months. They would also compete for jobs.

17. Many worked hard in order to achieve: THE AMERICAN DREAM But what is the American Dream?

18. According to James Truslow Adams, The American Dream is when, “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (214). For some it is the pursuit of material goods: cars, homes, money, etc. For others, the American Dream represents a quaint and happy life.