Of Mice and Men By: John Steinbeck Introduction and History

Steinbeck Biography  Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California to a middle class family.  He had several brothers and sisters and lived a “normal” childhood.  His father was the town treasurer for Salinas, CA.  From a very young age, his parents encouraged reading and writing, and had very high expectations for their children.

Early Influence At age 9, Steinbeck was given the novel Morte d’Arthur, a collection of stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Early Influence (cont.) Steinbeck credits this book as the reason he wanted to devote his life to writing books. –He was fascinated by the themes of good versus evil and the struggle of oppressed peoples.

School Years In grade school and high school, Steinbeck was known as the class clown. He was not considered by his teachers to be a talented writer and was often bored with his work.

School Years (cont.) He attended Stanford University from He took only classes which interested him, such as writing and philosophy and never earned a degree. His parents considered him a disappointment because he did not become a doctor or a lawyer like they had hoped. From around , Steinbeck was a largely unsuccessful writer. He moved back and forth several times from Salinas, CA to New York, NY. –This made things even more difficult, because it was the beginning of the Great Depression in America.

The Great Depression The Great Depression is the biggest economic downturn in American history. It lasted from 1929 until the 1940’s. During this time, the American dollar was worth almost nothing. The Depression was significantly worse for African-Americans. African-Americans were fired from their jobs so that more whites could work.

The Dust Bowl The dust bowl was a series of dust storms in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States between 1930 and There was a severe drought in these areas, and the land was over farmed. Because of this, the soil dried up to dust and would swirl in large dark clouds, known as “black blizzards.”

The Dust Bowl (cont.) Large areas of land became useless for farming. The families that worked on these farms now had to move west, where the land was more suited for farming. These people would migrate from their homes in the areas of the dust bowl and work on different farms making just enough money to live on. Many of these migrant workers made their way west to California, specifically Salinas, where John Steinbeck lived.

Migrant Workers and the Great Depression During the height of the Great Depression, the national unemployment rate rose as high as 30%. (Compared to an average of just 9%) This made it incredibly hard for workers who had been laid off to find work in their hometown. Because of this, many families moved to the western United States to work on farms and in canning factories.

Salinas, CA Why did they go to Salinas? The economy of the area centers on agriculture. Foods such as wheat, grain, and beans began to be harvested on a large scale in the early 1900’s. Salinas is also a stop on the Southern Pacific Railroad, which makes it easy to transport crops to different markets. During the years after World War I ( ), lettuce became the most profitable crop, earning Monterey County the nickname “America’s Salad Bowl.”

Migrant Worker Influence In order to pay for his tuition, Steinbeck worked during the summers on these farms and canning factories near his home in Salinas doing manual labor. During this work, he met people whom society did not think very highly of—factory workers and migrant farmers. Why might people have had a negative view of these workers?

Migrant Worker Influence While working in the fields with these migrant farmers, Steinbeck listened to their stories of life. He quickly realized that the opinion people had of the migrant workers was not at all accurate. He saw them as honest, hard working people who were trying to survive under the oppression of the economic situation.

Migrant Worker Influence In 1936, Steinbeck was doing a story on these migrant workers for a San Francisco newspaper. He spent almost one year living and working with them. It was during this time that Steinbeck was inspired to write Of Mice and Men, which was published in 1937.

Of Mice and Men: a Novella Of Mice and Men is a “novella.” A Novella generally has fewer conflicts than a novel, but more than a short story. The novella is also more concerned with personal and emotional examination of characters, rather than their larger role in society issues. Some authors prefer the novella form because it allows them to focus more on the characters and themes, rather than the complex structure of the novel.

Steinbeck’s Work He has written a number of short stories, essays and novels, including The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, The Pearl, Tortilla Flat, and Cannery Row. Steinbeck used the migrant workers he got to know so well as the inspiration for his characters in almost all of the novels he published. Because of this type of inspiration, most of his work deals with examining the “human condition,” and issues related to this, such as loneliness, isolation, friendship, oppression, and love.

Accomplishments In 1940, Steinbeck was awarded the Pulitzer prize for the novel The Grapes of Wrath. This award is given annually for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably about American life.

Accomplishments In 1962, Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, given to the author who has “produced work of the most idealistic tendency.”

Death and Legacy Steinbeck died in New York in 1968 at the age of 66. He was cremated and buried at the Hamilton family gravesite at Garden of Memories Memorial Park in Salinas, with his parents and maternal grandparents.

Death and Legacy The National Steinbeck Center is located in his hometown of Salinas, CA. It was dedicated to the life and work of Steinbeck, and serves a way to keep the messages of his writing alive.