Of Mice and Men Research:
The Life of John Steinbeck:
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902, in which the setting of Of Mice and
Men takes place. As a teenager, his time was spent working on ranches near his home and
then at 1919 he enrolled in Stanford University in which he studied for 6 years but left
without a degree. He had multiple jobs in the next 5 years ranging from a reporter, to a
caretaker while attempting to complete his first novel. He didn’t have success within his
writing until 1935 when his novel ‘Tortilla Flat’ was published and he was able to support
himself. Most of his books revolved around the topic of poor Californian men with high
spirits.
Some Background Info on Of Mice and Men:
The book setting occurs in the Era of the American Depression. 2 men with the names of
George and Lennie are the main characters in this novel who are affected financially by the
Depression. They search for land to work on and the aim at the end is to set up their own
farm. However, this proves difficult as there are factors which they cannot control.
The American Dream:
The American Dream was the ideology which included success, high social status,
independence, prosperity and having land of their own. The only way to achieve this
however was through hard work, though, many realised it was unrealistic and not
completely achievable. California seemed like golden land at the time, which is why so many
families relocated so quickly for the chance if a better life.
What was The Great Depression/Wall Street Crash?:
On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed by 15%, triggering the Great Depression
which was the worst economic collapse in the modern industrial world. The New York stock
market crashed which led to a disaster of events. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 23%,
which lead to poverty and people desperate for any type of work. Banks failed and
businesses closed which left more than 15 million Americans unemployed. In turn, The
Great Depression also led to a decrease in the market price of farm crops. For the farmers,
this meant they had to increase their crop production to in turn bring in the same amount of
income.
The Dustbowl:
There was a period of large dust storms that damaged the agriculture and farming of
Americans. Due to the economic crisis during the Great Depression, there was an increase of
farming on the Great Plains which meant the soil that there was started to erode away.
Prior to this, there was also a severe 7-year drought which turned fertile plains into a desert
like area, thus called ‘The Dustbowl’. There were extremely high temperatures and
extended drought which did not help the situation. They then heard that the soil in
California was rich and of good quality. The farmers and those who were unemployed
started to use this information and planned their new lives in California.
The Life of John Steinbeck:
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902, in which the setting of Of Mice and
Men takes place. As a teenager, his time was spent working on ranches near his home and
then at 1919 he enrolled in Stanford University in which he studied for 6 years but left
without a degree. He had multiple jobs in the next 5 years ranging from a reporter, to a
caretaker while attempting to complete his first novel. He didn’t have success within his
writing until 1935 when his novel ‘Tortilla Flat’ was published and he was able to support
himself. Most of his books revolved around the topic of poor Californian men with high
spirits.
Some Background Info on Of Mice and Men:
The book setting occurs in the Era of the American Depression. 2 men with the names of
George and Lennie are the main characters in this novel who are affected financially by the
Depression. They search for land to work on and the aim at the end is to set up their own
farm. However, this proves difficult as there are factors which they cannot control.
The American Dream:
The American Dream was the ideology which included success, high social status,
independence, prosperity and having land of their own. The only way to achieve this
however was through hard work, though, many realised it was unrealistic and not
completely achievable. California seemed like golden land at the time, which is why so many
families relocated so quickly for the chance if a better life.
What was The Great Depression/Wall Street Crash?:
On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed by 15%, triggering the Great Depression
which was the worst economic collapse in the modern industrial world. The New York stock
market crashed which led to a disaster of events. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 23%,
which lead to poverty and people desperate for any type of work. Banks failed and
businesses closed which left more than 15 million Americans unemployed. In turn, The
Great Depression also led to a decrease in the market price of farm crops. For the farmers,
this meant they had to increase their crop production to in turn bring in the same amount of
income.
The Dustbowl:
There was a period of large dust storms that damaged the agriculture and farming of
Americans. Due to the economic crisis during the Great Depression, there was an increase of
farming on the Great Plains which meant the soil that there was started to erode away.
Prior to this, there was also a severe 7-year drought which turned fertile plains into a desert
like area, thus called ‘The Dustbowl’. There were extremely high temperatures and
extended drought which did not help the situation. They then heard that the soil in
California was rich and of good quality. The farmers and those who were unemployed
started to use this information and planned their new lives in California.
