What do we learn about life in Americas in the 1930's from John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men? John Steinbeck was born and raised in Salinas, in 1902. Steinbeck was of German and Irish ancestry. His father was the county treasurer and his mother was a teacher. Steinbeck attended Salinas High School and went on to study Marine Biology at Stanford University, but failed to finish his course. He travelled to New York and worked as a reporter, unfortunately he was fired. After he took on many different jobs and became an apprentice, a painter, a caretaker, a surveyor and a fruit picker. He married three times in 1930, in 1943 and in 1950. During the World War Two, Steinbeck became a War correspondent. In 1960 he toured 40 …show more content…
At the beginning of chapter two there is a very clear description of the bunkhouse. Steinbeck writes, "The bunk-house was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted. In three walls there were small, square windows, and in the fourth a solid door with a wooden latch. Against the walls were eight bunks, five of them made up with blankets and the other three showing the burlap ticking." This is a clear description of the room. Steinbeck adds, "Near one wall there was a black cast-iron stove, its stove pipe going straight up through the ceiling. In the middle of the room stood a big square table littered with playing-cards, and around it were grouped boxes for the players to sit on." This suggests that the workers lives were based on the ranch and if they were not working then they would be playing cards or going to a whorehouse on a Saturday night. There was a ranking system in America that was similar to an unwritten law. This ranking was used on the ranches and unfortunately put Crooks at the bottom. In America black people were oppressed and were not allowed to prosper. On the ranch Crooks had his own bunk and kept himself to himself. In the story Crooks is inside his bunk, Lennie and Candy come to visit him because him because the other
Steinbeck describes them: “both were dressed in denim trouser and in denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulder”. George and Lennie are deliberately dressed in the same way to signify their lack of individuality and identity as migrant workers . Their “tight blanket rolls” symbolise their lack of possessions and their homelessness. They also suggest that George and Lennie are living in poor, uncomfortable conditions in which they are struggling to survive .
To them it was a dream but to me it would have been a nightmare. The book took place place in the Great Depression and the two main characters of the book, George and Lennie, set out to make a living for themselves by working on a ranch. The ranch the two boys were working on was only a temporary plan before the got enough money to get there own farm and fulfill their american dream. The book Of Mice and Men by “John Steinbeck” shows three different conflicts racism, loneliness, mortality.
What have you learnt about the of 1930’s, as depicted by Steinbeck in “Of Mice and Men?”
John Steinbeck's Presentation in Of Mice and Men of the Culture and Experience of Itinerant Workers in 1930's America
In the book, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck describes the life of two American ranch workers during the 1930s. While the characters aren’t real the events could have still happened.
In the late 1930 unemployment rates were dropping at exponential rates, people were traveling west looking for jobs, hoping to gain even the smallest amounts of money. They were struggling to survive, fighting for jobs and living in horrible conditions. The Dust Bowl had wiped out most of their homes and many were desperate, people referred to them as migrant workers. The story Of Mice and Men revolves around the adventure of two migrant workers, George and Lennie. The book begins with a scene of nature, calm and beautiful yet cruel and complex. Much like nature, John Steinbeck's book tells the dark side of our nation and it’s people. Because of this, Steinbeck's book is still valuable to teach students. His simple yet complex story characterizes
The novella Of mice and men takes place in salinas valley, California during the Great Depression . At this time work was scarce which caused many men to work as farm hands. Steinbeck illustrates these migrant workers well using two male characters, George and Lennie. Who begin work at a farm, where they meet who also are isolated. Although George, Crooks, and Curley’s wife are all isolated, the each try to make a connection with others: however, tragically in the end their attempts are meaningless.
Consider the technique of conflict in ‘Of Mice and Men.’ Discuss with reference to George, Lennie, Curley and Curley’s Wife. Explain the validity of the technique in reference to the novels outcome. *I didn't get many quotes for this draft as I accidentally left my book in my folder *if i put a star in the quote mark then it is a rough quote that i will correct ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck has been highly acclaimed by many as a great American canon - a novel associated with and thought of as one of the most well known novels set in a certain country or area.
Steinbeck had a relatively normal childhood growing up in Salinas Valley California. Steinbeck was born on February 27 1902 in Salinas Valley, California. His father was John Steinbeck Sr. who worked as the Monterey County Treasurer, and his mother, Olivia, worked as a school teacher. Steinbeck mother
John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, takes place during the Great Depression in the 1930’s, in the Salinas Valley, California. It establishes the prospect of the American Dream, discrimination,loneliness, and disenfranchisement through its characters. George and Lennie provided the value of the American Dream, to which the leading female role, Curley’s wife, represents how women are exempt from the American Dream, and appeared as less than equal to men. She developed a form of loneliness throughout the course of the novel. The novella seeks to demonstrate the way of which life was like for the characters of all different statuses and backgrounds. Through Curley’s wife’s character, we are able to see how life was like for a women during
A young African American worker sits in his room reading while the rest of the workers are away. An elderly man lives in fear that he will soon be kicked off of the ranch due to his old age. A misunderstood woman desperately tries to find someone to talk to. Though surrounded by others, each person on the ranch feels lonesome. Of Mice and Men, a novel written by Steinbeck, is set during the Great Depression.
Some men and women in the 1930’s were treated unfairly due to situations they could not control. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a fact based story about two men, Lennie Small and George Milton, who travel together to receive money to help achieve their dream. The two make it to Soledad, California where they stay at this ranch for their job. They meet Slim, a jerkline skinner or the “prince of the ranch”. Candy, the old swamper, Curley the boss’ son and handy man, and Crooks, the African American stable buck. During the 1930’s, America went through a rough time in its history. This time was known as The Great Depression. Businesses and jobs started to drop causing people to go homeless. California is considered the “Gold State” because
John Steinbeck wrote ‘Of Mice and Men’ to show how hard life was for migrant ranch workers during the time of the Great Depression and how they were often exploited by their employers. In showing how George and Lennie’s dream of owning their own piece of land did not come true, Steinbeck explores a wider theme, criticising the idea of the American Dream. The American Dream tells people that there is ‘opportunity for each... regardless of the fortuitous circumstance of birth and position. Steinbeck criticises this as these ranch workers were given few opportunities. Settings play a very important part in the novel as they pinpoint clear times and places giving a sense of realism to the story, but they are also used to create atmosphere.
The story Of Mice and Men took place during the 1930’s. That time period was very different from today. Race and gender were very important characteristics that determined whether a person had the opportunity to make money. The 1930’s were also a time where people started questioning life and the American culture. Many people like John Steinbeck thought that life was very unfair and questioned whether if life was even worth living. In Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck demonstrates that mans dream is destined to be destroyed by a cruel reality.
The novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck is set in America in the 1930’s and it describes the lives of migrant farmers as they go from farm to farm looking for jobs. It also shows the loneliness of the characters and the hard work that they put in. The main characters of the book are Lennie, a man-child, and George, a small man but very powerful character that takes care of Lennie in their journey. Also when they get to the farm they meet the bosses wife who is very lonely and looks for company in the workers. Steinbeck uses characterization to bring his characters to life using various techniques.