CONTEXTUAL AND HISTORICAL

Of Mice and Men

GCSE CONTEXTUAL AND HISTORICAL REFERENCES

You will now be graded on your historical and contextual knowledge

This means you must understand• What was going on in history around the time

of the book.• What it was like to live in those times.• How it felt for different types of people to live

in those times.• Background information to the author.• How all of the above may have influenced the

author.

THE YEAR IS 1937…….LET ME TAKE YOU BACK A LITTLE TO 1927

Fashion Music

Business ArtBuildings

LIFE WAS GOOD UNTIL…..

The 1929 Wall Street CrashThe stock markets crashed

The greatest economic depression in history

Unemployment rose to 13 millionLiving conditions fell as the cost of

living grew.

THE FARMING INDUSTRY

Farmers now had to grow twice as many crops to make the same amount of money.

This meant they needed more workers.

Many families moved to find work.

THE DUST BOWL

From 1930 to 1940 the farming industry experienced what was to be called the dust bowl.Drought and over farming

Huge sandstorms

MIGRANT WORKERS

Many migrant workers and their families moved to California

The dream of work and a better lifestyle was tempting.

However life was not much better.

Ranch bosses could hire and fire when they felt like it. Living conditions were not much better.

JOHN STEINBECK Title of story• The title is taken from Robert Burn’s

poem “To a mouse”• The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men

Gang aft agley, [often go awry]An' lea'e us nought [leave us nothing] but grief an' pain,For promised joy.

Steinbeck’s history• Born in Salinas California• Worked as a ranch hand with other

migrant workers.

RACISM IN THE 1930’S

• With little jobs racism was rife.

• Whites were considered as more desired employees.

• Black people where often hired as servants.

• They did not have rights, could not vote and had to sit in separate areas to white people.

• They even had to use separate toilets.

BEING A WOMAN IN THE 1930’S

• Woman could not own anything.

• They had to live off their husbands.

• Gender roles were heavily in place: a man works and a woman looks after the home and children.

• Single women struggled as there was hardly any work available for them.

• Women struggled to be treated like equal citizens.

THOUGHT SHOWER

Produce a thought shower on how it might have felt to be either:• A white unemployed man• A black man• A woman In the middle of the 1930’s depression.

Include:• Thoughts and feelings• How others treat you• Where you might live• What your lifestyle is like

Please include a section about one character in the story