1. The Importance of the Title

2. The Importance of the Title
‘Something That Happened’

3. ‘Something That Happened’
Suggests all the things that happen in the story are not special but just the normalities of life in 1930s America.
It could have been called ‘An Amazing Thing Happened’ but it was just ‘something’. John Steinbeck is saying nothing here is unique.

4. The Title The title comes from a poem by a Scottish poet Robert Burns
named ‘To A Mouse’.
Based on a true event. He was ploughing/farming and came across a house a mouse had built (hay) and knocked it over by mistake.
Poem in 1st person writing to the mouse.

5. The Title ‘The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft agley’
‘The most prepared plans of animals and humans often go wrong.’

6. So Why The Title Of Mice and Men?
From the poem: The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men / Gang aft agley
Meaning: No matter how hard or well we plan for something, our plans can often fail to become reality...or worse, they can end up going terribly wrong.
What 3 predictions can you make about the book from this poem alone?
Write them down. 1. 2. 3.

7. Saying that plans can often go wrong.
One of the themes of the poem and OMAM is FATE.
Our lives have a predestined route. We can plan to do things and have dreams/ambitious but ultimately fate decides, no matter what.
As JS has changed his title it suggests that he believes in fate too.
Applies to all the characters in OMAM. CW wanted to be an actress but fate decides she will be a lonely woman on a ranch and die at the hands of Lennie. Crooks wanted…
It’s quite a negative view of life but it seems to be what JS thought about life.
Links well with the American Dream. The AD goes against fate as it says if you work hard you can achieve anything but fate says that’s wrong and everything is pre-determined.