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Of Mice and MenOf Mice and Men
By John SteinbeckBy John Steinbeck
Mr. G’s English 9 HonorsMr. G’s English 9 Honors
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John SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck
• Born and raised in Salinas area, the setting of this and other stories.
• Attended Stanford, left to find work.
• Did some work on a company owned farm.
• Moved to NYC to work in journalism – fired because he was too subjective.
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The Salinas ValleyThe Salinas ValleySalinas Valley still called “The Lettuce Belt.” Soledad home to large farms to this day…as well as a prison.
Monterey once housed a tremendous fish canning industry, setting for Cannery Row (now a tourist zone).
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Events in HistoryEvents in History at the time of the story.at the time of the story.
• The Great Depression: over 30% of US workers unemployed.
• The Dust Bowl: Midwest US ravaged by dust storms, farms destroyed.
• Most farms owned by large companies,staffed with seasonal, migrant farm workers…sound familiar?
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Life of a “bindlestiff”Life of a “bindlestiff”• Migrant workers carried beds and belongings in a
bundle.• Most Hispanic, Asian. OM&M focus is on white worker.• Average wage about $2.50/day, or about $600/year.• Workers lived in bunkhouses.• Most lived job-to-job, many spending earnings on bars
and brothels instead of saving.
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Women in Depression era campsWomen in Depression era camps
• Treated as property, little freedom
• Confined to domesticity
• Roles changing
• Right to vote comes, so does opportunity
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Mentally DisabledMentally Disabled• No tolerance. General public frightened.• Marriage disallowed; segregation and
sterilization common (a practice later adopted by Hitler).
• Rights not granted until 1975, 1990, and 1997.• Lennie an exception due to George’s presence.
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Racial Tension and Vigilante JusticeRacial Tension and Vigilante Justice
• Segregation was still a function of life in California.
• Racially motivated lynching common.
• Mob violence high, vigilante groups common.
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SourcesSources• Steinbeck dropped out of Stanford, worked
on ranches and farms.• Robert Burns poem “To a Mouse.” The best-laid
schemes o' mice an 'men Gang aft agley,
Structure•Play format: 3 acts of two chapters
•Objective tone – like a newspaper
•Takes place across three days
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ThemesThemes
• Idealism vs Reality
• Alienation, lonliness, and poverty
• Race and Racism
• Class conflict
• Mental Disability
• Loyalty
• Friendship