Of Mice and Men - 01 Getting started

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Voor we beginnen

2x toets examenidioom, voor EN na de toetsweek. Je mag zelf kiezen.

Toetsweek = leestoets

Waar denk je aan bij 'literatuur'?

Of Mice and Men: Introductie

Of Mice and Men

In period 4 you are going to read a short novel 

called Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This lesson is the first introduction to the story and themes

Have fun and actively participate! 

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck

• Born in 1902 in Salinas, California
• Grew up during the 1920's and the Great Depression
• Lived, just like the characters in of Mice and Men, in Southern Californa
• Poor background + did study at  Stanford University
• Wrote social novels dealing with the economic problems of rural labour
• Award-winning novels

The Title

The title of the novel comes from a poem by the 18th century Scottish poet Robbie Burns.

It is about a mouse which carefully builds a winter nest in a wheat field, only for it to be destroyed by a ploughman. 

The mouse had dreamed of a safe, warm winter and is now faced with the harsh reality of cold, loneliness and possible death. 

There is a parallel here with George and Lennie's joyful fantasy of a farm of their own, and its all-too-predictable destruction at the end of the story.          Listen to the original Scottish poem >>>

Inspiration for the novel

When Steinbeck was a young adult, he spent his summer vacations working as a hired hand on local ranches. 

 His interactions with the people he met during those summers greatly influenced the characters he created throughout his career. 

 In an interview about Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck revealed that all the characters in the novel are composites based on real people. 

Synopsis

Of Mice and Men places the reader in Depression-era California, traveling from job to job with two migrant labourers, George Milton and Lennie Small. 

 The novel explores their friendship, in contrast to the isolation of their peers, and the way dreams can either motivate or unmotivate people. 

 It also addresses a variety of issues, including racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, that play out against the backdrop of lonely people seeking happiness. 

Wat verwacht je van het boek?

Themes

Of Mice and Men has several themes, the most important ones are: 

loneliness, friendship  and dreams  Foreshadowed (voorspelt) by the reference to Burns' mouse

These themes interlock: 

people who are lonely have most need of dreams to help them through. 

Other themes include: poverty, the American Dream, Good vs Evil, fear, racism

Of Mice and Men - Background

Let's learn about The World of 1937

Afterwards you should know more about:

The American Dream

The Great Depression

The Dust Bowl

The world of 1937

1. What is the American Dream?
Answer in your own words

Key term 1: The American Dream

The American Dream is the ideal of equality, liberty and happiness; through hard work everybody is able to improve their lives and achieve that which they deserve based on their abilities. (e.g. rags to riches).

2. Why is the American Dream so attractive?

1. You don't need to work hard
2. It will be given to you
3. Anyone can achieve it if they work hard
4. Your family needs to be rich

3. Is the American Dream in general truly ‘attainable’ by all people?

1. Yes, working hard makes you rich
2. No, most are working hard just to survive
3. Yes, there are fair opportunities for everyone
4. No, only the rich can achieve it

4. What was the Great Depression?
Answer in your own words

Key term 2: Great Depression

A worldwide economic crisis starting in America and taking place during the 1930s (1930-1936), following the economic prosperity of the 1920s. 

The crash of the stock market in 1929 is usually referred to as the inciting incident.

The Great Depression
of the 1930's

• Roaring 
•  Stock Market crashed
• Half of the US banks went bankrupt
• Migrant workers
• The American Dream (George and Lennie's farm)

5. What effect did the Great Depression NOT have on the lives of ordinary Americans?

1. They lost their jobs
2. They lost their savings
3. They had to pay more taxes
4. It caused extreme poverty

6. How did the Great Depression NOT change American society?

1. People lost hope in the Americain dream
2. Resulted in subsidizing pensions and aids
3. Government became protector of well-being
4. The government gained more influence

Key term 3: the Dust Bowl

A period of drought and dust storms; because of the farming practices in the Midwest and lack of rain the land dried out and harvest was minimal. 

The dry soil was easily picked up by the wind, causing clouds and storms of dust. 

7. What effect did the Dust Bowl have on the lives of farmers?

1. Their animals died
2. No rain = hardly any harvest
3. They left towards the West
4. They became sick

8. How did the events of Great Depression and the Dust Bowl challenge the concept of the American Dream?

1. Working hard wasn't enough anymore
2. People needed help from the government
3. People lost their jobs = can't work hard
4. People lost their homes = no safe place/dream

Finishing up

You know:

Why the novel is called Of Mice and Men

The three main themes

Background information on the world of 1937