Of Mice and Men

1. Of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck

2. A Look at the Author • Born February 27th in 1902 in Salinas, California, John was the third of four children, and the only son. • During his childhood, Steinbeck learned to appreciate his surroundings, and loved the Salinas countryside and the nearby Pacific Ocean; it would be this appreciation that would later come out in his writing. • Steinbeck worked during his summers as a hired hand in nearby ranches with migrant workers and bindlestiffs in California.

3. The Book • Of Mice and Men was originally called Something That Happened. • When Steinbeck first thought of the idea for the book he intended it to be for children. Steinbeck told a friend that he was experimenting with a new “dramatic form.” • In May 1936, he wrote a manuscript, but his puppy (a setter called Toby) ate it! • The book is written much like a three act play.

4. The setting in OfMice and Men • The novel is set in the farmland of the Salinas valley, where John Steinbeck was born. • The ranch in the novel is near Soledad, which is south-east of Salinas on the Salinas river. • The countryside described at the beginning and end of the novel, and the ranch itself is based on Steinbeck’s own experiences.

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

6. Migrant Workers • These workers would earn $2.50 or $3.00 a day, plus food and shelter. • During the 1930s, 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. These work cards were job assignment given to them by an agency.

7. The American Dream • You can be successful if you work hard and live morally. • America is the land of opportunity. • Freedom to work hard and be happy is enshrined in the Constitution. • The Dream assumes equality of opportunity, no discrimination, freedom to follow goals and freedom from victimization.

8. Why are books banned or challenged? Published in 1937, Of Mice and Men has long been a fixture of high school English curriculums. Author John Steinbeck used his own experience as a bindlestiff to tell the story of two migrant workers, one of whom is developmentally disabled, living and working in Depression-era California. Lennie and George dream of acquiring their own piece of land, but are thwarted by forces beyond their control. The book debuted to instant acclaim, and was soon adapted for the screen and stage. But that didn’t insulate it from censorship challenges; in fact, Of Mice and Men is amongst the most challenged books of the last few decades. Challenges have included complaints about “profanity,” “morbid and depressing themes,” and the author’s alleged “anti-business attitude.” Others have called it “derogatory towards African Americans, women, and the developmentally disabled.”

9. 7 Common Character Types Flat Round Dynamic Static Stock/Archetypal Foil Confidante

10. Round • Characters that are described in depth, with many details, are well-rounded characters. They are called round characters. • The main character in a story is almost always round. • If you are reading a story and you feel like you know a character extremely well, then most likely the character is round.

11. Flat • Characters that are not described well —that you are not given much information about — are flat characters.

12. Static and Dynamic • The key word when dealing with the difference between static and dynamic characters is ‘change’. • The type of change, though, is specific. We are only concerned with internal changes —changes which occur within the character. • Internal changes include a change in his/her personality, a change in his/her outlook on life, a change in his/her values, or it could be an overall change in the nature of the character.

13. Static • Static = not moving or changing (ex: static electricity is static unlike current electricity which is moving!! • In order for a character to be considered a static character, the character must remain basically the same throughout the entire story. • The character does not undergo any internal changes.

14. Stock/Archetypal Character A ‘stock’ character is… • special kind of flat character who is instantly recognizable to most readers. • They are ‘stock’ or ‘typecast’ or ‘stereotypical’ characters Examples include: the ruthless businessman the shushing old, white-haired librarian the dumb jock • They are usually not focus characters nor are they developed in the story. (They fulfill background or filler roles.)

15. Foil Character A‘foil’ character is… • special kind of character who is used to enhance another character through contrast i.e. as opposites they highlight qualities of a central character Examples include: Mercutio is considered a foil to Romeo and Benvolio is a foil character to Tybalt. • They are not focus characters nor are they developed in the story. (They help us learn more about another character or aspect of a story.)

16. Confidante Character A‘confidante’ character is… • special kind of character who the main character confides in. • When the main character confides (shares/trusts) they reveal qualities, personality, thoughts, feelings Example: - The Friar could be the confidante character for Romeo and Juliet • A confidante helps us learn more about our central/main character

17. Using this passage, create a list of adjectives for both Lennie and George. “He heard Lennie’s whimpering cry and wheeled about. ‘Blubberin’ like a baby! Jesus Christ! A big guy like you.’ Lennie’s lip quivered and tears started in his eyes. ‘Aw, Lennie!’ George put his hand on Lennie’s shoulder. ‘I ain’t takin’ it away jus for meanness. That mouse ain’t fresh, Lennie; and besides, you’ve broke it pettin’ it. You get another mouse that’s fresh and I’ll let you keep it a little while,’” (9).

18. What does this tell us about these two characters as well as the human condition? “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. . . . With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us,” (13)

19. What is the speaker’s attitude toward its subject? “Both men glanced up, for the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off. A girl was standing there looking in. She had full, roughed lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers. ‘I’m lookin’ for Curley,” she said. Her voice had a nasal, brittle quality,” (31).

20. What does this tell us about Candy as well as Carlson’s outlook on life? “Carlson said thoughtfully, ‘Well, looka here, Slim. I been thinkin’. That dog of Candy is so God damn old he can’t hardly walk. Stinks like hell, too.,. Ever’ time he comes into the bunkhouse I can smell him for two, three days. Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up? I can smell that dog a mile away. Got no teeth, damn near blind, can’t eat. Candy feeds him milk. He can’t chew nothing else,’” (36)

21. Consider character types. How would you characterize Slim? “‘He ain’t no cuckoo,” said George. ‘He’s dumb as hell, but he ain’t crazy. An’ I ain’t so bright neither, or I wouldn’t be buckin’ barley for my fifty and found…George fell silent. He wanted to talk. Slim neither encouraged nor discouraged him. He just sat back quiet and receptive…George looked at Slim and saw the calm, God-like eyes fastened on him. ‘Funny,’ said George, ‘I used to have a hell of a lot of fun with ‘im. Used to play jokes on ‘im‘cause he was too dumb to take care of ‘imself,’” (40).

22. Do you agree with Carlson or Candy? Consider all the conversations surrounding Candy’s dog. How does this controversy characterize both? ‘‘‘If you want me to, I’ll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with. Ain’t nothing left for him. Can’t eat, can’t see, can’t even walk without hurtin,’” (47).

23. How does this characterize both Slim and Curley? ‘‘‘You got your sense in hand enough to listen?’ he asked. Curley nodded. “Well, then listen,’ Slim went on. ‘I think you got your han’ caught in a machine. If you don’t tell nobody what happened, we ain’t going to. But you jus’ tell an’ try to get this guy canned and we’ll tell ever’body, an’ then you will get he laugh.’ ‘I won’t tell,’ said Curley. He avoided looking at Lennie,” (64-65).

24. Compare the two texts. What do they tell us about Crooks? I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads . . . every damn one of ’em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ’em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head. They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s jus in their head,” (74). “A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ books or thinkin’ or stuff like that. Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so. Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some other guy and ast him if he sees it too. He can’t tell. He got nothing to measure by. I seen things out here. I wasn’t drunk. I don’t know if I was asleep. If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an’ then it would be all right. But I jus’ don’t know,” (73).

25. What is the speaker’s attitude towards its subject? “She slipped out the door and disappeared into the dark barn. And while she went through the barn, the halter chains rattled, and some horses snorted and some stamped their feet,” (82).

26. Connect this to Of Mice and Men “But little Mouse, you are not alone,In proving foresight may be vain:The best laid schemes of mice and menGo often askew,And leave us nothing but grief and pain,For promised joy!Still you are blest, compared with me!”

27. What is the difference between these two thesis statements? Everyone should drive a hybrid car because they pollute less, they get better mileage, and they reduce gasoline costs. Everyone should drive a hybrid car.

28. What is the difference between the two? Everyone should drive a hybrid car because they pollute less, they get better mileage, and they reduce gasoline costs. Everyone should drive a hybrid car because they pollute less, they get better mileage, and they help reduce gasoline costs.

29. What is a Thesis Statement? • It is typically one sentence that is an abstract noun with the author’s purpose. • It states the main idea or argument of your essay. • It lets your reader know what to expect. • It is the basis for your entire essay. • A closed thesis must be parallel.

30. What does a thesis statement do? A thesis statement… • provides the point you want to prove. • Presents your argument in a concise form. • gives the structure your essay will follow.

31. Are there different types of thesis statements? Open vs. Closed An OpenThesis does not contain the body points. i.e. Everyone should drive a hybrid car. A Closed Thesis includes the body points. i.e. Everyone should drive a hybrid car because they pollute less, they get better mileage, and they help reduce gasoline costs.

32. Your thesis is the foundation of your essay The entire essay attempts to prove that your thesis is correct. Constantly refer back to your thesis to make sure that your essay is staying on track If you used a Closed Thesis, your body paragraphs should cover each of the points mentioned in your thesis and in the same order.

33. Consider the novella: Who understands George and his actions? Compare the beginning of chapter 1 to chapter 6. Author’s purpose? Compare power to those that are powerless. If the setting of the novella represented our world as a whole, which group of people would your character represent?