Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Context
The American Dream
The American Dream: Everyone has a
dream to strive for. The poor ranch
hands wish to be their own bosses,
and actually have stability in their
lives.
The American Dream
The term was first used by James Truslow Adams in his
book The Epic of America which was written in 1931. He
states:
"The American Dream is "that dream of a land in
which life should be better and richer and fuller for
everyone, with opportunity for each according to
ability or achievement. It is not a dream of motor cars
and high wages, but a dream of social order in which
each man and each woman shall be able to achieve
the fullest stature of which they are capable of, and
be recognized by others for what they are, regardless
of the circumstances of birth or position."
Steinbeck
• John Steinbeck was
born in 1902 in Salinas,
California. As a
teenager, he spent his
summers working as a
hired hand on
neighbouring ranches.
He studied
intermittently at
Stanford University and
he left without earning
his degree.
Questions
• 1. What aspects of his life has Steinbeck
included in ‘Of Mice and Men’?
• 2. Can you name another writer that
included aspects of his life in his work?
• 3. A/A*: What does that suggest about
American writers and the subjects they
chose to write about?
Steinbeck
• After University, he worked as a reporter
and caretaker, and first earned critical
acclaim with his novel Tortilla Flat,
published in 1935. In 1962, he won the
Nobel prize for literature.
Nobel Prize for literature
acceptance speech
• In his Nobel prize acceptance speech he
said “ … the writer is delegated to declare
and to celebrate man’s proven capacity for
greatness of heart and spirit-for gallantry
in defeat, for courage, compassion and
love. … I hold that a writer who does not
passionately believe in the perfectability of
man has no dedication or any membership
in literature.”
Question
• According to Steinbeck, what is the role of
a writer? (put in your own words).
• Does he do this in ‘Of Mice and Men’? Say
how.
California Wanderers
• Steinbeck’s best known works deal
intimately with the plight of desperately
poor California wanderers, who, despite
the cruelty of their circumstances, often
triumph spiritually.
• 4. In the novel, who are the wanderers
and do they triumph?
The background to the novel
• Of Mice and Men was published in 1937 and
Steinbeck won the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for The
Grapes of Wrath.
• Steinbeck sets Of Mice and Men against the
backdrop of Depression-era America. The
economic conditions of the time victimized
workers like George and Lennie, whose quest
for land was thwarted by cruel and powerful
forces beyond their control, but whose tragedy
was marked, ultimately, by steadfast
compassion and love.
The History of Migrant Farmers in
California
• After WW1, a recession led to a drop in
the market price of farm crops, which
meant that farmers were forced to produce
more goods in order to earn the same
amount of money. The stock market
crashed in 1929, and by 1933
unemployment peaked at 25%.
Okies
• The increase in farming activity across the Great
Plain and drought caused fertile land to become
desertlike. Hundreds of thousands of families
packed their belongings and headed to
California, which seemed like a promised land.
Migrant workers became known as ‘Okies’ as
many were from Oklahoma. Okies were often
met with scorn by California farmers and natives,
which only made their dislocation and poverty
even more unpleasant.
Further Reading: A/A*
• The Grapes of Wrath