Steinbeck, John: 1902-1968

Of Mice and Men, 1937 - Information about the Book

General Information | Facts | Articles

General Information
- The novel explores the themes of loneliness and isolation.
- Information from Wikipedia
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Facts
- The book takes its title from Robert Burns' poem To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough, 1785 (Burn's original version and standard English translation). See especially the second last stanza with the line "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley" (The best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry).
- "Of Mice and Men" appears on the American Library Association's list of the Most Challenged Books of the 21st Century.
- The novel was removed from Tennessee public schools in 1984 when the School Board Chair promised to remove all "filthy books" from public school curricula and libraries. This classic was also banned from a public school in Ohio in 1980. It was furthermore banned and challenged in the USA in 2017/2020 for "racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students." ALA American Library Association
- Of Mice and Men takes place during an era in United States history called the Great Depression.
  Steinbeck wanted his novel to reach the very workers he was writing about, but he knew that many poor farm workers were illiterate. He had seen theater troupes performing for farm labor camps, and he got the idea that he could write a novel that was made up almost entirely of dialogue, so that it could also be produced as a play.
  Steinbeck had almost finished his first draft of the novel when his dog tore the manuscript to shreds. He wrote to his editor, "Two months work to do over again. I was pretty mad, but the poor little fellow may have been acting critically." He eventually rewrote the novel. The play was produced soon after, and both the novel and the play were huge successes. Of Mice and Men has remained one of Steinbeck's most popular novels, and it's been made into a movie three times, in 1939, 1981, and 1992.
  Garrison Keillor, The Writer's Almanac, February 6, 2004
- Explanations of places, etc.
- Idioms
- Characters
  
  George Milton - The protagonist, a small, quick-witted man who looks after his friend Lennie. Despite being intelligent, he is stuck working as an itinerant ranch hand. He dreams of one day owning a farm with Lennie.
  Lennie Small - A large man with the mind of a child, possessing tremendous physical strength but little understanding of his own power. He loves petting soft things but often accidentally kills them. Lennie's intellectual disability makes him dependent on George.
  
  Curley - The antagonist, the son of the ranch owner. A confrontational and aggressive young man with a Napoleon complex, he wears high-heeled boots and picks fights with larger men like Lennie to prove his masculinity. He is extremely possessive and jealous of his flirtatious wife.
  
  Curley's Wife - The only female character, she remains nameless throughout the novella, reflecting how she is viewed as Curley's possession. Dissatisfied with her life, she flirts with the ranch hands, leading to tragic consequences.
  
  Candy - An elderly ranch handyman, he lost his hand in a machine accident and worries about being fired due to his disability. He offers to contribute his life's savings to George and Lennie's dream of owning a farm.
  
  Crooks - The lonely, disabled black stable buck who faces discrimination and has insight into the futility of George and Lennie's dream of a farm.
  
  Slim - A skilled ranch hand who is respected by the others. He represents an unbiased perspective and serves as a truth-teller in the story.
  
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- Characters
- Topics
  
  Loneliness and Isolation
  The migrant ranch workers like George and Lennie lead solitary lives, constantly moving from place to place in search of work. Their friendship is a rare bond that provides companionship amidst the loneliness of their existence. Crooks, the black stable hand who is forced to live apart due to racism, epitomizes the isolation and lack of belonging experienced by many during that time.
  Broken Dreams and Harsh Reality
  George and Lennie's dream of owning a small farm represents the pursuit of independence and a better life, echoing the American Dream. However, the harsh economic realities of the Depression era make this dream unattainable, underscoring the gap between idealism and the brutal challenges of survival.
  
  Discrimination and Social Injustice
  The novella shines a light on the discrimination faced by characters like Crooks due to his race, Lennie due to his mental disability, and Curley's wife due to her gender. It exposes the injustices and lack of dignity afforded to such marginalized groups in that society.
  
  Powerlessness and Mercy Killing
  Lennie's mental disability renders him powerless, unable to control his own strength or comprehend the consequences of his actions. This leads to his accidental killing of Curley's wife and George's mercy killing of Lennie to save him from an agonizing death at the hands of a lynch mob - a disturbing yet pragmatic choice in those brutal times.
  
  Through its simple yet profound narrative, "Of Mice and Men" poignantly captures the struggles, injustices, and fragile dreams of America's most vulnerable during the Great Depression.
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Articles
- Why "Of Mice and Men" is Still Relevant: "American movies and television shows are still filled with the ultimate belief that you can go to Los Angeles and become a movie star or a rock star, that you can move to San Francisco or Silicon Valley and build the next Microsoft, the next Apple"
- The Meaning in a Nutshell. "As a novel that deals with life during the Depression, it advocates for people to look out for one’s fellow man and to be kind to each other."
- Audio (5:23)
  'Of Mice And Men' Is More Than An American Story. NPR Radio; April 19, 2014
  Transcript
- Frank Lavallo discusses the novel with readers. From Evergreen Podcasts.