The American Dream Many people immigrated to America in search of a new life and to escape persecution or poverty in their homeland. Immigrants dreamed of making a fortune...but for many, this dream became a nightmare… Horrors of slavery Horrors of the American Civil War (1861-1865) Growing number of slums that were just as bad as in Europe (People had immigrated from Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe) Corruption in the American political system

The Great Depression and Dust Bowl 1929 - Wall Street crashed, beginning the Great Depression In the 1930s, over 9,000 banks failed Many people lost their savings Banks were unable to create new loans People stopped buying items...which led to people being fired As people were unable to work, they were unable to buy Unemployment rose above 25%....even less spending to help the economy

The Dust Bowl Terrible drought and environmental conditions created the turmoil for farmers in the Great Plains (AKA the Dust Bowl) Windstorms uplifted the soil, blowing massive clouds of dust Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes 89 million acres of land were severely damaged or destroyed Most people traveled to California to restart their lives

Migrant Workers Before technology created farm machinery, humans had to do a lot of the farm work by hand Between the 1880s and 1930s, thousands of men would travel the countryside in search of work, including the harvesting of wheat They would earn $2.50 or $3 a day, plus food and shelter 1930s - unemployment rate was high in the US. With so many people looking for work, agencies would send farm workers to work where needed In the novel, George and Lennie were sent to work by an agency

John Steinbeck Born February 27th in 1902 in Salinas, California During his childhood, Steinbeck learned to appreciate his surroundings and the nearby countryside. This would later come out in his writing. Steinbeck worked during his summers as a hired hand in nearby ranches

John Steinbeck cont’d... At 14, he decided to become a writer and spent a lot of time writing in his room 1919-1925 He attended Stanford University to please his parent...but only chose courses that interested him (classical & British literature, writing courses, and odd science courses) However, Steinbeck did NOT receive a degree because he would drop in and out of school to work with migrant workers and bindlestiffs on CA ranches.

What’s a Bindlestiff? A hobo, especially one who carries a bedroll

Steinbeck’s Writing Career During the late 1920s and 1930s, Steinbeck concentrated on writing and wrote several novels set in California. Steinbeck gained great success by readers and critics.

Steinbeck’s Writing Career 1929 - He published his first novel, Cup of Gold 1935 - He won his first literary prize, Commonwealth Club of California Gold Medal for best novel, Tortilla Flat. 1936 - Of Mice and Men was published, and was so widely accepted that Steinbeck began a book tour that led him to Europe 1939 - Grapes of Wrath was published and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize Both Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath stemmed from his experience working alongside migrant farmers. Led him to have more compassion for these workers and stirred up his concern for social injustice

Of Mice and Men Tells the story of George and Lennie, two migrant farm workers during the Great Depression The title is an ALLUSION to the poem, “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns Was originally meant to be a play In many ways, it is structured like one...several long scenes, stage- direction like descriptions, and large amounts of dialogue The novel has been banned periodically in the United States for its profane language, morality, violence, and its depiction of the mentally challenged

Of Mice and Men Originally called Something that Happened Originally meant for children May 1936, he wrote a manuscript…but his puppy ate it

Setting Farmland of the Salinas valley, where Steinbeck was born The ranch in the novel is in Soledad, which is southeast of Salinas on the Salinas river The descriptions of the countryside and ranch is based off of Steinbeck’s own experiences

Meet George and Lennie George Milton - small and quick witted man who travels with, and cares for, Lennie. His behavior is motivated by his desire to protect Lennie and to eventually deliver them to the farm of their dreams Lennie Small - large, lumbering, childlike migrant worker. Due to his mild mental disability, Lennie completely depends upon George for guidance and protection. Gentle and kind, he does not understand his own strength His love for petting soft things, such as small animals, dresses, and hair, leads to disaster.

Meet the Other Characters Candy - an aging ranch handyman. Because of his age, he worries about his future on the ranch and seizes on George’s description of the farm he and Lennie will have, offering his life savings if he can join Curley - The boss’ son. He wears high-heeled boots to distinguish himself from the field hands. He is also very aggressive who seeks to compensate for his small stature by picking fights with larger men Curley’s Wife - Only female character in the novel. Often referred to as a “tramp,” “a tart,” and a “looloo”

Meet the Other Characters Crooks - The black stable-hand who gets his name from his crooked back. He is often isolated from the other men because of his color Slim - Highly skilled mule driver. The only character who seems at peace with himself, and the other characters often look to him for advice

Themes The Nature of Dreams People’s aspirations and the forces that work against them Humans give meaning to their lives by creating dreams Loneliness Humans crave contact with others to give life meaning Powerlessness The characters are often the underdogs of society, yet we feel compassion towards these characters through the writing Fate My Brother’s Keeper (are we responsible for those who are less fortunate?) Nature

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