Of Mice and Men

Context
1. John Steinbeck
  1. Born in California
  2. Interested in farm labourers and spent time working with them
    1. Inspiration for his wirting
  3. Wrote a number of novels about poor people who worked on the land and dreamed of a better life
2. The Depression
  1. 29th October 1929 - Wall Street Crash
    1. Led to the Depression - 1930 - 1936
      1. People lost life savings
      2. 1/3 of America were unemployed
  2. Series of droughts in southern mid-western states
    1. Failed harvests and dried-up land
      1. Farmers forced to move off their land
    2. Economic migrants headed to California but were turned back
      1. Set up home in large camps in California valleys
        Sought work as casual farmhands
        Ranch hands like George & Lennie lucky to have work
Plot
1. The story begins when George and Lennie prepare to arrive at a ranch to work - and ends in tragedy just four days later.
  1. Makes it much more dramatic: one event follows on from another in rapid succession
  2. There is a sense of inevitability - we sense that there will be no way out for Lennie.
2. The story is told in the third person, so we are provided with a clear, unbiased view of all the characters.
3. Circular plot
4. Time of day
  1. Lennie and George arrive at the ranch in the morning, early in the day, when possibilities are open
  2. Lennie dies as the sun is setting, suggests that Lennie's death was 'right'. The sun sets when a day is complete, so Lennie dies when his life is 'complete'.
Characters
1. George
  1. Good friend to Lennie because of promise to Lennie's Aunt Clara
    1. Looks after Lennie
    2. Needs Lennie
      1. So he isn't lonely
      2. His strength gets him jobs
    3. Shares a dream with Lennie
  2. Honest with people he trusts
2. Lennie
  1. Limited intelligence
    1. Relies of George
      1. Shares a dream with George
  2. Gentle & kind
  3. Incredibly strong
    1. Described as animal-like
3. Slim
  1. Natural leader
    1. Respected
    2. Quiet dignity
  2. Understands George & Lennie's relationship
    1. Helps George
  3. Know little about him
    1. Mysterious quality
    2. "Too good to be true"
4. Curley
  1. Boss' son
    1. Doesn't need to work much
  2. Small and hates big guys
    1. Looks for opportunities to fight
  3. Possessive of his wife
5. Curley's wife
  1. No name
    1. Curley's "property"
  2. Flirtatious
    1. Lonely
      1. Only woman
      2. Doesn't like Curley
        Married him to spite her mother
6. Crooks
  1. Only black person
    1. Isolated
      1. Lonely
    2. Referred to as the "nigger"
    3. Proud and aloof
  2. Intelligent
    1. Concerned about rights
7. Candy
  1. Oldest on ranch
    1. Knows he'll be thrown out when he's too old
  2. Lost hand in accident
  3. His dog's his only friend & companion
    1. Gets shot by Carlson
  4. Apart of George & Lennie's dream
    1. Finds Curley's wife dead
Themes
1. Loneliness

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	Created by samuelroscoe14 almost 9 years ago