OF MICE AND MEN

1. OF MICE AND MEN By John Steinbeck

2. The setting for the novel is the Salinas Valley in California, mainly on a ranch. It is set in the 1930’s The setting- Salinas Valley

3. Following the collapse of the Wall Street stock market in 1929 the US entered a prolonged period of economic depression. During this period of harsh poverty and long term unemployment, hordes of migrant workers came to California from other parts of America in search of work. Migrant workers

4. A series of droughts and failed crops in Oklahoma and Arkansas in the South West added to migration West. Men, mostly travelling alone, migrated from ranch to ranch on short term, poorly paid contracts. A migrant worker travelling

5. The two main characters of the novel are George and Lennie, two farm labourers who travel from ranch to ranch to work. They, like many others, dream of owning their own land. George and Lennie

6. …”the best laid schemes o’ mice and men, gang aft agley” From “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns No matter how hard we try to plan our future, things often go wrong. The title of the novel relates to this idea. The significance of the title.

7. The main themes (the ideas behind the story) of the novel are: • Loyalty and friendship • Loneliness and isolation • The dream of a better life The themes of the novel

8. We will be studying this novel in order to gain an understanding of: • Plot and plot structure • Characterisation • Themes • Language use/ writer’s style. This will form the basis for the Critical Essay in the Critical Reading section of your Nat 5 exam. Our study of the novel

9. The scene is set • We meet George and Lennie • We gain a clear understanding of both characters and of their relationship • We gain an understanding of how this novel is structured. • We see examples of the writer’s skilful use of descriptive language. Chapter One