Of Mice and Men

facts about john Steinbeck

• The first draft 'Of Mice and Men' was eaten by Steinbeck's dog.
• Steinbeck hand wrote his books in pencil; while writing 'East of Eden' he used 60 pencils a DAY.
• Steinbeck was presented the Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Author's attitude

• Steinbeck's attitude towards the book, 'Of mice and Men', is to show the inside word of the little people. I don't mean the literal small people but the people who don't have the kind of significant that the rich have. In this book Steinbeck shows the utter imaganation of the little people; as if to say "We have dreams too".

What was going on?

• The Great Deppression.
• The president, Herbert Hoover, wasn't a very good president...
• People escaped into the world that the radio provided along with going to the movies to watch comedies and hard gangster movies.

What was going on around the world?

• Stock Market crash.
• Adolf Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany.
• King Edward VIII of England gave up his throne to marry Wallace W. Simpson. (AWW)

Time and setting

• The book is centered in the 1930s California.
• The world that they live in revolves around work and pay so they can ultimetly settle down.

Main Characters

• George Milton: small and quick. He is a good man but puts up his walls when around people he dosn't know.
• Lennie Small: Tall and strong. He might not be a smart guy but he has a way of being a good guy. He likes rabbits!

Conflict!

• A conflict that occurs is immediately when George and Lennie arrive at the new farm bunkhouse. Curley, their employer's son, sees Lennie as a big guy, not the big guy that has the mind of a child. Curley comes at Lennie when Lennie is smiling at his own thoughts; Curley had mistaken him for laughing at him. When George tells Lennie to fight back, Lennie grabs Curley's hand and crushes it.

CONFLICT 2.0!

• Candy's dog is getting old; it already is old actually. The dog has a distinct odor along with the fact that the dog can barely walk without pain. Slim is sick of the dog in the bunkhouse and gives Candy the option: he either kills the dog himself or he will do it for him. Candy loves the dog but gives into Slim and lets him carry out the job.

Predictions

• Lennie dies.
• Slim doesn't have a heart.
• George lives out the rest of his life alone.

The best thing

• George letting Lennie die with the idea of livin' of the lan' even on his death bed.

The worst thing

• LENNIE DIES