John Steinbeck was born in Salinas California on February 27, 1902. His mother was a
school teacher in the public school in Salinas. Steinbeck grew up in the beautiful
Salinas Valley which furnished most of the material for his novels. His mother read to
him, at an early age, famous literature of the world which planted a seed in his
imagination. He entered Stanford in 1920, remaining there until 1925 but never
graduating. In 1930 Steinbeck married Carol Henning. Steinbeck died in 1968.
After college, Steinbeck moved to New York, where he worked briefly for the old New York
American newspaper and helped with the construction of Madison Square Garden. His first
book, Cup of Gold (1929), appeared two months before the stock market crash and sold
about fifteen hundred copies. Steinbeck returned to California, living in migrant worker
camps to furnish inspiration for writing novels that described the problems and stresses
of the times.
Of Mice and Men takes place during the great depression in the Salinas Valley,
California. It is a story about two farm-hands, George Milton and his large retarded
friend, Lennie Small. George and Lennie are on their way to a farm that has harvesting
jobs available. While camped along side a river George and Lennie talk about their
dreams of someday owning a farm with rabbits for Lennie to take care of. The next day
George convinces the farm boss to hire Lennie and him. Lennie's Love for feeling soft
things becomes a problem when he is playing with a puppy and accidentally kills it. The
wife of Curley, the boss's son, comes into the barn to talk to Lennie. The climax comes
when Curley's wife lets Lennie feel her hair, but he strokes it too hard and she becomes
scared. Lennie holds her tightly to keep her from screaming and ends up breaking her
neck. The resolution of the story happens when George shoots Lennie through the back of
the head. George does this for Lennie's own good. The main theme of the story is that,
no matter how lowly on the social scale, everyone has the unalienable right to pursue
their individual dreams. While the value of friendship is another strong point that
comes through in the book.
Magill, Frank N. ?Of Mice and Men? Masterpieces of American Literature. Harper Collins
Publishers, 1993.
?[Of Mice and Men] is perhaps the finest expression of the writers lifelong sympathy for
abused common people.?
Roberts, James L. Cliffs Notes on Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Lincon, Nebraska: Cliffs
Notes Inc., 1966.
?Part of Steinbeck's greatness lies in his ability to capture [the] tone of basic
reality.?
Of Mice and Men is based solely on the events that transpired in the Salinas Valley
during the great depression. The story accurately shows what life was like among most
people just trying to survive. John Steinbeck actually lived as a migrant worker during
the depression, this is how he managed to so truthfully portray the lives of the people
who were simply striving to make their lives better.
Works Cited
Author Background
Hart, James D. ?Steinbeck, John? The Oxford Companion to American Literature. Oxford
University Press, 1983.
Salzman, Jack ?Steinbeck, John? The Cambridge Book of American Literature. Cambridge
University Press.
Plot Analysis
Magill, Frank N. ?Of Mice and Men? Masterpieces of American Literature. Harper Collins
Publishers, 1993.
Roberts, James L. Cliffs Notes on Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Lincon, Nebraska: Cliffs
Notes Inc., 1966.
Criticisms
Magill, Frank N. ?Of Mice and Men? Masterpieces of American Literature. Harper Collins
Publishers, 1993.
Roberts, James L. Cliffs Notes on Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Lincon, Nebraska: Cliffs
Notes Inc., 1966.
Historical Perspective
?Depressions and Recessions? The Book of Knowledge. Grollier Incorporated, 1993.
?United States of America, The: History? Colliers Encyclopedia. MacMillan Educational
Company, 1990.
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