1. Of Mice, Men and Dustbowls You’ve probably heard the term “the American Dream.” What exactly is the “American Dream”? Is it any different from the hopes and dreams we have as individuals? Thinking back to yesterday’s discussion about the Depression and the Dustbowl and last night’s reading, who are these characters that live in the bunkhouse and work at the ranch? What might their understanding of “the American Dream” be?

2. Quick Write Let’s listen to the following song by Woody Guthrie about leaving the Dust Bowl to find a job in California, but finding nothing available because of the Depression (song sample provided, only audio will be used): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46mO7jx3JEw Prompt: Put yourself in the singer’s shoes. What do you think his hopes and dreams might have been before the Great Depression? What is it that he hopes for now, and what’s standing in his way? Partners pair off to discuss your reflections and then we will move into a class-wide discussion.

3. Chapter Three: Theme/Vocabulary In the reading for chapter two, how does the theme of the American Dream come into play, based on what we understand of that concept from the exercises from the beginning of this class? Keep this in mind as we read chapter three. Vocabulary: Mottled –spotted; blotched with colors Recumbent – leaning; resting Bindle – a blanket roll of personal belongings Please note these in your WordsAlive section of your journals, finding an example of each in chapter three of the text.

4. Silent Reading (pp. 30-35) Pay close attention to how Steinbeck portrays Lennie, and what seems to be important to this character.

5. Literature Circles Discussion Prompt: A. Think back to yesterday’s reading. Do Lennie and George have a dream? What are their dreams? What might be a symbol of Lennie’s dream? B. John Steinbeck wrote that Lennie “was not to represent insanity at all, but the inarticulate and powerful yearning of all men” (Steinbeck as cited by Bloom & Hobby, 2009). How does this help you to understand Lennie’s character in relation to his dreams? How do you feel about how Steinbeck has chosen to portray Lennie?

6. Listen to the following clip of President Franklin Roosevelt delivering a “fireside chat.” http://www.history.com/audio/fdrs-fireside-chat-on-dust-bowl - fdrs-fireside-chat-on-dust-bowl “No cracked earth, no blistering sun, no burning wind, no grasshoppers are a permanent match for the indomitable American farmers and stockmen and their wives and children who have carried on through desperate days, and inspire us with their self-reliance, their tenacity and their courage. It was their fathers' task to make homes; it is their task to keep those homes; it is our task to help them win their fight (American Presidency Project, 2011). http://www.history.com/audio/fdrs-fireside-chat-on-dust-bowl - fdrs-fireside-chat-on-dust-bowl What do you think of President Roosevelt’s tone in his fireside chat, and the way he spoke of “the indomitable American farmer”? What might his understanding of the “American Dream” be?

7. Modernism John Steinbeck’s writing is often associated with a literary era known as modernism. Steinbeck’s modernism took a more pessimistic view of an individual’s ability to of achieve their dreams, versus the much more idealistic view taken by writers from previous literary eras, such as Walt Whitman.pessimistic John Steinbeck (1902-1968) Modernist Era Walt Whitman (1819-1892) American Romantic Era

8. Compare/Contrast Come my tan-faced children, Follow well in order, get your weapons ready, Have you your pistols? have you your sharp-edged axes? Pioneers! O pioneers! For we cannot tarry here, We must march my darlings, we must bear the brunt of danger, We the youthful sinewy races, all the rest on us depend, Pioneers! O pioneers! O you youths, Western youths, So impatient, full of action, full of manly pride and friendship, Plain I see you Western youths, see you tramping with the foremost, Pioneers! O pioneers! (Walt Whitman, 1865) Sketch-to-stretch Draw a quick sketch in your journals based on how the act of movement and of marching towards destiny made you feel. “ “ “We gotta keep it till we get a stake. We can’t help it, Lennie. We’ll get out jus’ as soon as we can. I don’t like it no better than you do.” He went back to the table and set out a new solitaire hand. “No, I don’t like it,” he said. “For two bits I’d shove out of here. If we can get jus’ a few dollars in the poke we’ll shove off and go up the American River and pan gold. We can make maybe a couple of dollars a day there, and we might hit a pocket” (Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men 1993, p. 36). Sketch-to-stretch Draw a quick sketch in your journals based on how this passage made you feel. Pair off and share your drawings. Discuss the similarities and differences between your drawings and the differences between how each passage made you feel.