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Of Mice and Men Historical Context.

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Presentation on theme: "Of Mice and Men Historical Context."— Presentation transcript:

1 Of Mice and Men Historical Context

2 Meet John Steinbeck Born in Salinas, California, 1902-the setting in Of Mice and Men Went to Stanford University where he enrolled in literature and writing courses until he left without earning a degree. Won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962 Died in 1968

3 History of Migrant Farmers in California
After World War I, economic downfall forced farmers to produce more to earn the same amount of money. They bought more land to do this, but then went in debt. Stock Market Crashed & The Great Depression began. Farmers lost land and were forced to find work. Remember the Dust Bowl? Many farmers packed their bags and headed to the promised land of California. History of Migrant Farmers in California

4 By the time that Of Mice and Menwas published almost half of America’s grain areas were harvested by huge combine harvesters. Five men could do what would have taken 350 men a few years earlier. Huge numbers of men travelled the countryside between the 1880s and the early 1930s harvesting wheat. They earned $2.50 or $3.00 a day, plus food and very basic accommodation. During the 1930s, when there was very bad unemployment in the US, agencies were set up under the New Deal to send farmworkers to where they were needed. George & Lennie (main characters) got their works cards from Murray and Ready’s, one of these agencies.

5 Steinbeck illustrates in Of Mice and Men how grueling, challenging, and often unrewarding the life of migrant farmers could be.

6 Where does this story take place?
Salinas, California is just south of San Francisco

7 Salinas, California & Salinas River

8 OMM is set in the farmland of the Salinas valley, where John Steinbeck was born and which he knew all his life. Steinbeck’s father owned land in the area and as a young man Steinbeck had worked as a farm hand. The town of Weed is nearby.

9 Migrant Worker: A person who moves from place to place to get work, esp. A farm laborer who harvests crops seasonally.

10 The dream of finding fortunes and immigrants making a better life for themselves ended with the Wall Street crash of 1929. The dream, did, however, survive for individuals. Thousands made their way west to California to escape their farmlands in the mid-west. The growing popularity of cinema was the last American Dream for many. The American Dream

11 Brief Character introduction
There are two characters in this book: Lennie and George. They are some of the last of the migrant farm workers. Lennie has a large stature and George has a small, wiry stature. Lennie also has a mild mental disability. Brief Character introduction

12 Discussion Questions What do you know about mental disabilities?
How could living with a mental disability affect your life style? How could living with a family member who has a mental disability affect your lifestyle? Is having a friend with a mental disability different from having a friend without a mental disability? Discussion Questions

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