1. Introduction

2. born in Salinas, California in 1902. Starting in HS, he wrote and submitted stories to magazines; wanted to be a writer by 14. worked on a dredging crew or in a sugar beet plant to get money for Stanford although he never completed his degree met hoboes, fruit-pickers and migrant workers through his work ‘I think I would like to write the story of this whole valley, of all the little towns and all the farms and the ranches in the wilder hills. I can see how I would like to do it so that it would be the valley of the world.” Steinbeck’s letter to George Albee, Salinas, 1933 won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 novels include: The Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl, Of Mice and Men and East of Eden died in 1968 Biography of John Steinbeck

3. Steinbeck’s America

6. ‘The ancient commission of the writer has not changed. He is charged with exposing our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams for the purpose of improvement.’ ‘Man himself has become our greatest hazard and our only hope. So that today, Saint John the Apostle may well be paraphrased: In the end is the word, and the word is man, and the word is with man.’ From: John Steinbeck’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech 1962

7. Great Depression Most severe economic downturn in American history Began with the Stock Market crash of 29 October 1929 Lasted until the start of American involvement in World War II Unemployment rose to 30% 50% of commercial banks failed Crop prices fell by 50% Over-production led to unemployment Hunger, despair, poverty, homelessness – millions of Americans had their lives destroyed

19. The Book Of Mice and Men was originally called Something That Happened. When Steinbeck first thought of the idea for the book he intended it to be for children. Steinbeck told a friend that he was experimenting with a new 'dramatic form’ (a book intended to be performed like a play). In May 1936 he had a written manuscript - but his puppy (a setter called Toby) ate it! He said of the book: "It is an experiment and I don't know how successful.”