Of Mice and Men

Lesson Objective:By the end of the lesson I will be

able to provide a historical background to the novel

Make BRIEF notes:The American Dream

• People from all over the world started to travel to America in the 15th Century onwards.

• Many reasons for travelling to a new country – fleeing from religious persecution, escaping from poverty, the prospect of starting a new life.

• The dream was based on the idea that in America you could buy a plot of land and build a house and make a comfortable living.

• The dream is based on the idea that if you work hard you will be rewarded with material goods and happiness.

• Whoever you were, no matter what your background was, America offered a chance of hope and freedom.

• *the dream was just that – it was not reality.

The basis of the American Dream is that in America:

Work = money = build a house, buy a car, find a wife, start a family = happiness = everybody is equal

By the time John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in the 1930s, this ‘dream’ had turned into a ‘nightmare’.

Money = greed = Capitalism = the divide between the rich and poor is widened

The depression• After World War I the economy of the whole world was in danger.• This was made worse in 1929 when the economy of the USA suffered

– the Wall Street Crash.• People who had savings lost all their money and businesses suffered

and so had to make major cutbacks.• Many people in America lost their jobs and had no income at all.• People travelled towards California where the land was arable. • Even when they had work it was not always reliable, so they might

lose their job at any point if the farmer couldn’t pay them.• Many farm workers travelled towards the West to get work – any work

they could get. Many farm workers earned about $3 a day.• These men were called ‘Migrant Workers’ they travelled from place to

place looking for any work• Lennie and George are examples of migrant workers.

Three important things

• Write down three things that you have learnt about the historical background to the novel

Chapter 1- up to page 28

• We meet George and Lennie.• They spend the night camping in the open as they are

making their way towards a new job.• They ponder on their dream of owning a plot of land.

• As we read look out for the following:– Steinbeck’s vivid description of the landscape– His descriptions of the two main characters– His descriptions of animals– Metaphors / personification / imagery

Of Mice and Men

Lesson Objective:

To show understanding of Steinbeck’s techniques

Describe Lennie and George in your own words.

Animal ImageryAnimals actually seen:• Lizard• Rabbit• Racoons• Dogs• Deer• Heron• Mouse• Water snake

Lennie:

“dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws”

“snorting in the water like a horse”

“Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water”

Animals referred to:

Techniques

• Using animal imagery (a bit like a metaphor or simile) gives the reader more of an idea about the character.

• Look at how Steinbeck creates an image of Lennie in the reader’s mind by comparing him to a bear and a horse.

What is the effect of describing Lennie like this?

- How does the audience react to Lennie?

- How does this technique illustrate how Lennie differs to George?

Contrasts:

• Look at this quote from page 1“On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees – willows fresh and green with every spring…”

• Where else in this chapter can you find an example of contrast?– Find a quote to show contrasts in the two

main characters from page 19

Complete the following paragraphs

John Steinbeck introduces the characters and the setting of the novel by using two techniques:

Paragraph 1- Animal Imagery- Quote- Explain the effect

Paragraph 2- Contrasts- Quote- Explain the effect