Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck The

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck The (often banned) Naturalism/Modernism story of two migrant farm workers: their dreams, friendship, and struggle to survive in depression era California.

M&M’s Setting • When: 1930’s, Depression Era • Where: South of Soledad, CA • Farm Country; based on Steinbeck’s experiences

The Fields of Salinas, California

Historical Background: Migrant Workers • Before technology created farm machinery, humans had to do a lot of the farm work by hand. • Between the 1880 s and the 1930 s thousands of men would travel the countryside in search of work. • Such work included the harvesting of wheat.

• These workers would earn $2. 50 or $3. 00 a day, plus food and shelter. • During the 1930 s, the unemployment rate was high in the U. S. , and with so many men searching for work, agencies were set up to send farm workers to where they were needed. • In the novel, George and Lennie (the two main characters) were given work cards from Murray and Ready’s, which was one of the farm work agencies.

The American Dream • What is your definition?

The American Dream • From the 17 th Century onwards, immigrants have dreamed of a better life in America. • Many people immigrated to America in search of a new life for themselves or their families. • Many others immigrated to escape persecution or poverty in their homeland.

American Dream cont’d • These immigrants dreamed of making their fortunes in America. • For many this dream of riches became a nightmare. there were horrors of slavery, there were horrors of the American Civil War, there was a growing number of slums that were just as bad as those in Europe there was also great corruption in the American political system which led to many shattered hopes

• This era affected the whole world during the 1930 s, but even in the midst of hardship, some people’s dreams survived. • Thousands of people made their way west towards California to escape from their farmlands in the mid. West that were failing due to drought. • The characters of George and Lennie dreamt of having a “little house and a couple of acres” which was their own dream.

Great Depression • The idea of an American Dream for many was broken when on October 24 th 1929, the Wall Street crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression • Panic lead to the deepest economic depression the nation had ever known • Lasted until 1939, when WWII broke out • Causes included loss of foreign markets, a farm depression, lack of buying power for most people • Effects: Businesses went bankrupt, banks closed, factories shut down, farms were foreclosed upon • 1 in 4 were unemployed in 1933

Title’s Allusion To A Field Mouse On turning up her nest with the plough, Nov, 1785 Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie, O, what panic's in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty, Wi' bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee, Wi' murd'ring pattle! Thou saw the fields laid bare an' wast, An' weary Winter comin fast, An' cozie here, beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel coulter past Out thro' thy cell. That wee-bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, Has cost thee monie a weary nibble! Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble, But house or hald. To thole the Winter's sleety dribble, An' cranreuch cauld! But Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be pointless: The best planned schemes of Mice an' Men, But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane, Often go awry, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, And leave us nothing but grief and pain, I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve; Gang aft agley, What then? poor beastie, thou maun live! Instead of promised joy! An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, A daimen-icker in a thrave 'S a sma' request: I'm truly sorry Man's dominion Has broken Nature's social union, An' justifies that ill opinion, Which makes thee startle, At me, thy poor, earth-born companion, An' fellow-mortal! I'll get a blessin wi' the lave, An' never miss't! Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin! It's silly wa's the win's are strewin! An' naething, now, to big a new ane, O' foggage green! An' bleak December's winds ensuin, Baith snell an' keen! For promis'd joy! Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me! The present only toucheth thee: But Och! I backward cast my e'e, On prospects drear! An' forward, tho' I canna see, I guess an' fear! by Robert Burns