1.
Characterization
Name
Physical Appearance
Objects/Places associated with them
Actions
Thoughts
Other character’s comments / narrator’s comments about the character
Morning, you’ll be needing 3 sheets of paper for class today, and one copy of the small orange and black book Of Mice and Men in the back.
Title paper 1: “Notes: Of Mice and Men” – set aside
Title paper 2: Of Mice and Men Characters – set up the chart you see on the back and front of this piece of paper
Title paper 3: Of Mice and Men Setting

2. On the back: Notes About Setting: Page #
The back side of your paper will be for you to take note of setting.
You need bullet points of mentions of setting as well as page numbers.

3. Of Mice and Men
By John Steinbeck

4. Identifying Characteristics of Realism
There is the belief among the Realists that humans control their destinies; characters act on their environment rather than simply reacting to it. Character is superior to circumstance.
The purpose of writing is to instruct and to entertain. Realists were pragmatic, relativistic, democratic, and experimental.
The subject matter of Realism is drawn from "our experience,"
relations between people and society are explored.
Emphasis is placed upon scenic presentation, de- emphasizing authorial comment and evaluation.

5. Realistic Techniques 1. Settings thoroughly familiar to the writer
2. Plots emphasizing the norm of daily experience
3. Ordinary characters, studied in depth
4. Complete authorial objectivity
5. Responsible morality; a world truly reported
The Realists generally reject the kind of symbolism suggested by Emerson when he said "Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact." Their use of symbolism is controlled and limited; they depend more on the use of images.

6. John Steinbeck Born in Salinas, California, on February 27, 1902
Parents encouraged his love of writing
Learned about ranch life as a teen during summers
These experiences would help him create rich characters and beautiful descriptions of the land
Graduated from Salinas High School in 1919
Attended Stanford University
His attendance was poor, and he only took classes that interested him (for example, writing, literature, and marine biology)

7. Biography Left Stanford in 1925 Moved to New York City
His first novel, Cup of Gold, was published in 1929
The Pastures of Heaven and To a God Unknown followed
Married his first wife, Carol Henning, in
Lived in Pacific Grove (close to Monterey).
Tortilla Flat (1935) received the California Commonwealth Club's Gold Medal for best novel by a California author.
He left Stanford permanently in 1925 and moved to New York City to follow his dream of becoming a writer.
His first novel, Cup of Gold, was published in 1929, but was not well received. Next, were The Pastures of Heaven and To a God Unknown. Pastures of Heaven is a terrific book, but, again no one in the literary community seemed to care about it.
Steinbeck married his first wife, Carol Henning, in She was really Steinbeck’s unofficial editor; after all, she was the only one who could read Steinbeck’s tiny scrawl (he hated typing). They lived in Pacific Grove (close to Monterey).
Tortilla Flat (1935) marked the turning point in Steinbeck's literary career. It received the California Commonwealth Club's Gold Medal for best novel by a California author.

8. Biography The Grapes of Wrath (1939) won the Pulitzer Prize.
War Correspondent during World War II
Some of his war articles were published in Once There Was a War.
Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962
A private person who did not seek publicity.
Died December 20, 1968, in New York City
Survived by his third wife, Elaine (Scott) Steinbeck and one son, Thomas.
His ashes were placed in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Salinas.
Steinbeck continued writing, using a lot of research, personal experiences, and observations about people and their hopes, sorrows, and dreams. The Grapes of Wrath (1939) won the Pulitzer Prize.
During World War II, Steinbeck was a war correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune. Some of his writing work there ended up in a collection called Once There Was a War.
John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 “...for his realistic as well as imaginative writings, distinguished by a sympathetic humor and a keen social perception.”
.Pretty much, Steinbeck was a private person who did not seek
publicity.
. He died December 20, 1968, in New York City and is survived by his third wife, Elaine (Scott) Steinbeck and one son, Thomas. His ashes were placed in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Salinas (and I have been there!).

9. Of Mice and Men Novella Published in 1937
It tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in California.
Based on Steinbeck’s own experiences in the 1920s

10. Setting
Of Mice and Men is set on a Salinas Valley ranch in California during The Great Depression of the 1930s.

11. 1930s Great Depression Era Photos

12. 1930s Salinas Valley Lettuce Pickers

13. 1930s Dust Bowl

14. 1930s California Migrant Camp

15. Additional Background
Many migrant workers from the Midwest and South (notably, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas), migrated to California in search of work.

16. 1930s Migrant Family

17. The Most Famous Photo of the Depression

18. Character George Lennie Lennie’s traveling companion
Like a parent to Lennie
Talks about how much better his life would be without needing to care for Lennie
Good hearted
Easily frustrated by Lennie
Large and childlike character
Mentally challenged
Depends on his best friend, George
They share a dream of owning a ranch
Nice and loving
Does not know his own strength.

19. Title The title is from Robert Burn’s poem “To a Mouse” which reads:
“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men/ Gang aft agley.”
(The best laid schemes of mice and men/ Often go awry).

20. Characterization
George (text and pg #)
Lennie (text and pg. #)
Name
Physical Appearance
Objects/Places associated with them
Actions
Thoughts
Other character’s comments / narrator’s comments about the character

21. On the back: Notes About Setting: Page #
The back side of your paper will be for you to take note of setting.
You need bullet points of mentions of setting as well as page numbers.

22. As you read You’ll be getting a completion grade:
No phones
No earbuds
No talking
No outside work
No sleeping
= Credit for reading
Resources to help you finish reading:
Full PDF version of story posted on hodgeel.weebly.com
Of Mice and Men full audiobook on YouTube
Lots of copies of the book at our library for check out.
The goal is to read the first three chapters pages 1-66 by the end of next week.

23. As you read please highlight or mark any evidence that . . .
Illustrates the relationship between Lennie and George.
Illustrates the dreams of the various characters.
Illustrates the beliefs of euthanasia (refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain or suffering).