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Mrs. Milligan
Of Mice and Men Background Internet Research
Introduction: In order to truly appreciate Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, it is
important to establish some general background regarding Steinbeck's life and times. In
addition, it is also crucial to understand the history behind the novel. If you have already
read this novel, you will gain a better appreciation for the novella once you learn more
about the setting.
Directions: For your category, click on the red titles, read, and research the websites.
Take brief notes on your topic. You will have time to collaborate and share information
with your group members after you work individually.
Category 1: The Life and Times of John Steinbeck
• John Steinbeck: The 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature - This site contains biographical
information, a bibliography of John Steinbeck's works as well as the award
presentation speech and a short documentary.
• Biography.com – An account of Steinbeck’s life and accomplishments.
• National Steinbeck Center - The National Steinbeck Center's mission is to tell the story
of John Steinbeck's rich legacy and to present, create, and explore stories of the
human condition.
Category 2: The Great Depression
 History.com on the Great Depression -A Definition and starting point for other topics
related to the Great Depression.
• America in the 1930s - An interactive website about America in the 1930s. Includes
film and radio clips, photographs, and publications from the decade.
• People's History: Breadline 1929-1939 - Part of PBS's People's Century television
series, this site explores the massive unemployment in America during the Great
Depression and offers interviews and a timeline.
• The American Experience: Riding the Rails - A timeline of the Great Depression.
Category 3: Migrant Workers in America
• Farming in the 1930s - A description of the mass exodus of 'Okies' from Oklahoma to
California, Oregon, and Washington in the 1930s.
• Migrant Workers: Photographs by Dorothea Lange - A government site containing
biographical information and a collection of photographs by Dorothea Lange, an
important documentarian of 1930s America.
• The Migrant Experience - A Library of Congress site documenting the plight of
migrant workers in the United States.
• The Nation: Berry Picker - A first-person account of migrant farming in 1934.
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Mrs. Milligan
Category 4: The Dust Bowl Years
• Dust Bowl and Farming: Library of Congress - Excerpt contains a concise explanation
of the farming techniques and the storms that were the cause of the Dust Bowl.
• The American Experience: Surviving the Dust Bowl: Mass Exodus - Provides
information about the midwestern drought that led to mass migrations into
California, the setting of 'Of Mice and Men' and 'The Grapes of Wrath'.
• Voices from the Dust Bowl - An online presentation of a multi-format ethnographic
field collection documenting the everyday life of residents of Farm Security
Administration (FSA) migrant work camps in central California in 1940 and
1941. This collection consists of audio recordings, photographs, manuscript
materials, and publications.
• About the Dust Bowl – A Chronicle of the 8 years that are considered the Dust Bowl.
Category 5: Race and Gender in the 1930s
• Issues of Race in the 1930s - A summary of important events in race relations during
the 1930s.
• Race Relations in the 1930s and 1940s - Information about race relations during the
Great Depression. Includes photographs and publications from the period.
• Racial Discrimination during the late 1930s and 1940s – Pictures reveal the racially
discriminatory practices that businesses clearly portrayed.
• Women in the 1930s - An article summarizing the treatment of women in the 1930s.
• Women of the Century: 1930s - A Discovery Education website summarizing the
achievements of women in the 1930s.
Category 6: Mental Retardation
• Mental Retardation: Causes and Symptoms - A New York Times article summarizing
the causes, effects, and treatments of mental retardation.
• The ARC: Intellectual Disabilities - The national organization of and for people with
mental retardation and related disabilities and their families.
• Athens Lunatic Asylum – This Website gives an overview of the history and treatment
of mental illness in the US
• Disability History timeline – This page provides a historical timeline concerning those
with mental retardation.