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Topics of Discussion
John Steinbeck’s Biography
America in the Great Depression
The Novel: Of Mice and Men
Student Learning Goals
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John Steinbeck“Man himself has
become our greatest hazard and our only hope.”
From John Steinbeck’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech 1962
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John Steinbeck BiographyBorn in Salinas, CA in 1902From a Middle Class FamilyWhile in college at Stanford, he worked with underpaid laborersWrote about his travels and life experiences
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Steinbeck’s Writing
Published novels, travel writing, and movie scripts
Criticized social injustices of the working class
Commented on the moral corruption of America
Awarded Nobel Prize in 1962
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Steinbeck’s Writing (cont.)
Used plain, everyday language
Presented normal people with physical and mental flaws
Portrayed the American Depression
Of Mice and Men – Title’s Origin
The title of the novel comes from a poem by the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759 -96)
The best laid schemes o’ mice and menGang aft agley [often go wrong]And leave us nought but grief and painFor promised joy!
The best laid schemes of mice and men often go wrong- referring to a little mouse who had so carefully built her burrow in a field to protect herself and her little mice babies – and the burrow is turned over and destroyed by the man plowing.
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Setting Set in the Salinas Valley, CA – near the town of SoledadTakes place over the course of 3 daysDuring the time period of the Great Depression – ranch work was difficult to find due to the large migration to California
The Fields of Salinas, California
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The Great Depression
1929 – 1930’s
Begins with the Stock Market Crash
Businesses failed, workers lost their jobs, and families fell into poverty
The Great Depression (cont.)
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•Most severe economic downturn in American history
•Began with the Stock Market crash of 29 October 1929
•Lasted until the start of American involvement in World War II
•Unemployment rose to 30%
•50% of commercial banks failed
•Crop prices fell by 50%
•Over-production led to unemployment
•Hunger, despair, poverty, homelessness – millions of Americans had their lives destroyed
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Of Mice and Men Background
The story of two ranch workers who travel throughout California in search of the American Dream
Two main characters: George and Lennie
Dream: To own a piece of land to grow crops, raise animals, and live peacefully
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Point of View
3rd person omniscient
Steinbeck reveals his themes through the characters of George and Lennie
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Conflict
Protagonists: Main characters of the story, George and Lennie
Antagonists: Characters or obstacles that the main characters must combat
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Themes: The struggles of ordinary people
Loneliness
Hopes and Dreams
Friendship
Dignity and Pride
The American Dream
Racial Prejudice
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Structure
Language: Lyrical (descriptive) and Naturalistic (down to earth, ungrammatical, and realistic)
Six chapters, covering 3 days, each set on or near a ranch
Chapters 1 and 6 take place in the same location, creating a circular effect
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Student Learning Objectives for Of Mice and Men
Analyze the features of setting and their importance in a literary textCompare and contrast the author’s use of direct and indirect characterizationDistinguish how conflicts, parallel plots and subplots affect the pacing of the actionExplain how literary techniques are used to shape the plot
Microcosm: a miniature representation of the world
*The ranch is a microcosm of the world.
*The ranch and characters represent the world and people in general.
Microcosm: Definition?
Vocabulary
Anguish
Contemplate
Morose
Recumbent
Derogatory
Mollify (mollified)
Liniment
Pugnacious
Scourge
Slough
Stable buck (derogatory)
Euchre
Words of Wisdom…In every bit of honest writing in the world there is In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme try to understand each othertheme try to understand each other. . John Steinbeck: 1938 Journal EntryJohn Steinbeck: 1938 Journal Entry
VOCABULARYVOCABULARYanguished anguished (adj.): (adj.): anguishanguish is is a feeling of great physical or a feeling of great physical or mental pain. mental pain. contemplatedcontemplated (v.) To (v.) To contemplatecontemplate something is to something is to think about it. think about it. moroselymorosely (adv.): in a sad, (adv.): in a sad, gloomy mannergloomy manner recumbentrecumbent (adj.): still; (adj.): still; without movement without movement bridledbridled (v.): to pull one's head back in (v.): to pull one's head back in anger or prideanger or pridecomplacentlycomplacently (adv.): in a (adv.): in a pleased, satisfied manner pleased, satisfied manner derogatoryderogatory (adj.): belittling (adj.): belittling and insulting and insulting linimentliniment (n.): a medicated (n.): a medicated liquid rubbed on the skin to liquid rubbed on the skin to ease sore muscles and ease sore muscles and sprains sprains
mollifiedmollified (adj.): soothed; (adj.): soothed; pacified pacified ominouslyominously (adv.): in a (adv.): in a threatening way threatening way pugnaciouspugnacious (adj.): eager (adj.): eager and ready to fight and ready to fight scourgesscourges (n.): a (n.): a scourgescourge is anything that inflicts is anything that inflicts discomfort or suffering discomfort or suffering sloughslough (v): get rid of (v): get rid of stable buckstable buck (n.): a (n.): a stablestable is a building where horses is a building where horses are kept. A are kept. A buckbuck, in this , in this case, is a case, is a derogatory word word for a black man. for a black man. bemusedbemused:: preoccupied; deep preoccupied; deep in thought in thought euchreeuchre: a card game: a card game
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