Of Mice and Men Unit Folder

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Of Mice and Men - unit 10/25/2012

Of Mice and Men – Setting

The Great Depression

“The Great Depression was a worldwide business slump of the

1!0s" #t ran$ed as the worst and lar%est period of hi%h unemplo&mentand low business acti'it& in modern times" The Great Depression be%an inOctober 12( when stoc$ 'alues in the )nited *tates dropped rapidl&"Thousands of the stoc$holders lost lar%e sums of mone&" Man& of thosestoc$holders were e'en wiped out" +an$s( factories( and stores closed andleft millions of ,mericans obless and penniless" Man& people had todepend on the %o'ernment or charit& to pro'ide them with food". World Book Encyclopaedia

Causes

The Great Depression started with the all *treet rash of 12"+etween 125 and 12 stoc$ priced doubled( which led to speculationwhen people bu& ris$& stoc$s in the hope that the& will impro'e in thefuture" There was a feelin% of confidence and arro%ance" On October 2312 +lac$ Thursda& stoc$ prices dropped rapidl&( and the followin%Monda& the& dropped a%ain" This led to widespread panic and o'er 14million shares were sold( seriousl& dama%in% the econom&" +an$s thatheld stoc$s had to close( resultin% in lost sa'in%s"

,s the Depression continued and mone& was scarce( people be%an

drawin% on their sa'in%s at the ban$s that were still open" The demand onthe ban$s to suddenl& pa& out so much mone& meant that man& ban$scouldnt afford to and failed" Millions of people lost their sa'in%s( ma$in%it almost impossible to sur'i'e( and further depressin% the econom&"

Results

The Depression resulted in widespread unemplo&ment as so man&

businesses closed down" #n 125 unemplo&ment was !6( b& 1!0 it hadrisen to 6 and b& 1!! it was 256" ith so little mone& a'ailable man&thousands of homeowners couldnt afford to pa& their mort%a%es( so the&

lost their homes and became hobos( wanderin% all o'er the countr&sidesee$in% food( clothin%( shelter and a ob"

Migrant orkers

Terrible dust storms and a drop in farm prices made a lot of farmers

lose their farms" The& had to mi%rate( addin% to the number of hobos"These mi%rant wor$ers were $nown as bindle stiffs" These former farmowners mo'ed in their thousands to the fertile alifornian 'alle& to findwor$( but ended up wor$in% as temporar& fruit and 'e%etable pic$ers one7tremel& low wa%es" Their lac$ of education made it 'er& difficult for

them to e'er find an& other $inds of wor$"



Conclusion

The Great Depression finall& ended than$s to orld ar ##" ,s

nations increased their production of war materials man& more obs werecreated and a lot more mone& was in circulation" This stabilised theeconom& and lifted the Depression"

Conte!t"

http8//www"bbc"co"u$/schools/%csebitesi9e/en%lish:literature/prose

micemen/0prose:mice:men:contre'1"shtml

Su##ary of setting"

, small wor$in% ranch in the *alinas ;alle& of northern alifornia(

sometime durin% the 1!0s"

The action occurs o'er a period of three da&s and in four specific

locations8 a wooded area ne7t to the *alinas <i'er( a bun$house on theranch( the stable hands room on the ranch( and the main barn on theranch" The ti%ht structure of settin%( re'ol'in% around sin%le locations andcontinuous timin%( ma$e the no'ella seem almost as if it were set as apla&"On a broader scale( its important that the action ta$es place durin%the Great Depression" ,ccordin%l&( the people that populate this no'ellaare mostl& all poor and desperate for wor$" +ecause of the po'ert& and

%eneral tou%h times caused b& the Depression( the characters ha'e %oodreason to be suspicious and distrustin% of each other( feelin% that thereisnt enou%h food( mone&( and wor$ to %o around"#f &ou wanted to thin$creati'el&( this air of distrust and isolation is central to the ,mericanDepression and seems to be a set piece in this wor$" The friendshipbetween =ennie and Geor%e seems all the more remar$able set a%ainstthis bac$drop( and the end of the friendship means that distrust andisolation will be certain to crush whate'er happiness either of them mi%htha'e had"

$nother link to help"

https8//amsu-en%lish"wi$ispaces"com/Of>Mice>and>Men

Setting hen was the no'el set?

hat were si%nificant e'ents of this era?

here was the no'el set?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/prosemicemen/0prose_mice_men_contrev1.shtml


http://www.shmoop.com/intro/history/us/the-great-depression.html



https://amsu-english.wikispaces.com/Of+Mice+and+Men




https://amsu-english.wikispaces.com/Of+Mice+and+Men





Does the settin% ha'e an influence on e'ents in the no'el? h&?

=ist some of the specific settin%s in the no'el"

hich settin%s are si%nificant? h&?

hich settin%s are s&mbolic? h&?





The internet has #any resources for fa#ous no%els such as

&Of Mice and Men'( )ind an e!a#ple of a good resource and ane!a#ple of a *ad resource( Copy and paste *oth links and e!plainyour reasons for choosing each one(

Write your on +,, ord plot su##ary of the no%el(

-o. find a good plot su##ary online(

haracter summaries8


micemen/2prose:mice:men:charre'1"shtml

haracter 'ideo8


micemen/prosemicemencharact"shtml

@ou will di'ided into %roups of four or fi'e" Aach %roup will be %i'en a different character to focus on" @our tas$is to desi%n an e&e-catchin% poster for a &ear An%lish classroom"

- The poster should educate the 'iewer"- The poster should include a description of the charactersappearance"- The poster should include a description of the characterspersonalit&"

- The poster should e7plain wh& the character is important in theno'el"- The poster should e7plain how the character lin$s to one maortheme of the no'el"- The poster should include Buotes <A=,TAD to the character" @ou canuse the Buotes to support &our descriptions/e7planations"

Theme of Dreams, Hopes, and Plans

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/prosemicemen/2prose_mice_men_charrev1.shtml


http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/prosemicemen/prosemicemencharact.shtml








In Of Mice and Men, dreams, hopes, and plans are the very foundation of

what makes life worth living, but they are also double-edged. The closer one comesto fulfilling a dream, the closer one comes to potentially being disappointed. In thisnovella, dreams, hopes, and plans are not about realistic ambitions, but about findinga way to survive the Depression, even if it’s just filling your mind with visions that

may not come true. Dreams don’t escape the general unhappy futility that seems tocharacterie this era of !merican history.

Does the dream farm mean the same thing to "ennie as it does to #eorge$

%hat does it mean to each of them$

&nce 'andy announces he has the money for the ranch, the narrator

declares, (This thing they had never really believed in was coming true.( Is that a fair declaration$ Did the guys never really believe they’d get the ranch$

'an dreams become actual plans, or are they aspirations that should remain

untouched, so that there’s always something to reach for$

Theme of Friendship

In this novella, friendship isn’t discussed heavily. #eorge and "ennie don’t talk

about how they feel about each other or why they should stay loyal ) they just standby each other, and that’s that. It’s a very gruff, rough and tumble atmosphere, andthough feelings aren’t talked about, you get the sense that the men take nothingmore seriously than their friendship. *or #eorge and "ennie, as they make their waythrough the Depression, all they have is each other.

*riendship generally seems like a good thing, but the ranch life is naturally asolitary one. !re there some circumstances under which it’s simply better to bealone$ Does #eorge have to learn this lesson the hard way$

Is the friendship between #eorge and "ennie fully reciprocal$ Do both

members contribute and receive e+ually from each other$

!re there any other sets of friends in the book$ %hy is friendship so rare$

It seems like everyone, from 'rooks to lim, spends an awful lot of time

complaining to his friends about how he has no friends. !re these guys really thatlonely, or do they simply not recognie they’ve all got one other$ Do they all haveone other$

#eorge says +uite a bit about how much better his life would be if he didn’thave to take care of "ennie. If this is true, why does he stay with "ennie$

Theme of Isolation

Of Mice and Men thrives on the notion that everyone is isolated, and everyone

seems to get along +uite well together by talking about how isolated they are.Isolation in this novella is much more an abstract concept than a reality ) the menare constantly together and chatting. It’s the specter of having to move, to hit theopen road again, make new friends, new enemies, and keep finding yourself all overagain that seems to plague the men. These transitions and having to go at themalone, by nature of the transient migrant worker lifestyle are enough to make a guyfeel isolated, even when he’s surrounded by people.







%hy does everyone seem to feel so isolated all the time$ Is this a function of

the ranch, the era, the world, human nature, or something else$

'rooks’s isolation is also his protection, especially witnessed by that awful

scene where 'urley’s wife threatens him. Is isolation ever worth it$

%hy is it that those who are isolated (get mean,( as #eorge says, though they

are surrounded by people all the time$

!re #eorge or "ennie ever isolated$

Theme of Innocence

Innocence has many different functions in Of Mice and Men. %hen we first

realie "ennie has a mental disability, he can be described as having a childlikeinnocence. /is attitude towards the world and others is tempered with a simplistic, juvenile, and often warm view. Innocence also functions as the opposite of guilt."ennie, perhaps linked to the first notion of (childlike innocence,( is presented as asympathetic character in spite of his constant failings and murdering tendencies.Innocence is something of a godsend and an e0cuse for bad behavior. It seems to fitin with teinbeck’s insistence that characters be treated without judgment.

Is "ennie the only innocent character in the novella$ Is he the most innocent$

Does "ennie’s innocence protect him, or make him dangerous$

Though "ennie seems gently dumb, there are times he is full of anger, like

when he tries to break the future cats’ necks for hurting the future rabbits. Do we justfeel that "ennie is innocent because he’s mentally slow, when in actuality we’re

e0cusing a hardened killer$ Is 'urley’s wife malicious because she’s really an awful person, or is she

simply lonely and na1ve$

Theme of Freedom and Confinement

In Of Mice and Men, freedom isn’t so much a central point as it’s a constant

and silent contrast to confinement. 'onfinement, like isolation, seems to be a state of mind. Though the men on the ranch work outside, socialie with each other, and arefree to leave whenever they please, they still feel locked into their lives. There’s

something hanging over them that stops them from feeling free. In the case of"ennie and #eorge, they’re tied down by their need for money2 'urley’s wife islimited by being a woman2 and 'rooks by his race. 30cept when they’re caught up inthe intensity of the dream, most characters seem more focused on bemoaning theirconfinement than planning for or achieving their freedom

Do "ennie and #eorge see the life of traveling and working as freedom$

'rooks has his own room. Is this space representative of freedom, or of

confinement$

%hat does (freedom( mean to "ennie$ Is it related to the (fatta the lan($ Does

he find it in death$



Theme of Justice

4ustice in Of Mice and Men is a might be considered a (cowboy( concept. The

ranch has its own sense of justice, and the book is acutely tuned to the social moresof the ranch, not the larger world. There’s no higher order, and no sense of whether

justice is dictated by ethics, legal precedent, pity, or even common sense. lim, thelocal ranch man of wisdom, hands down decisions, and the people around himaccept his word as what’s best. 4ustice, in the traditional cowboy sense, is not easilyserved. ometimes it means you have to get beat up without recourse because youhad it comin’, and sometimes you have to kill your best friend whether he’s a man or a dog because it’s the only thing to do. 4ustice is not a pristine rule of law here, butmore a set of social intuitions that just are the way they are.

Is it true that the ranch has its own kind of justice$ %hat are the variables that

factor into that justice$ %hat’s most influential in deciding justice ) ethics, the law,

social status, intention, etc.$ Is "ennie justified in crushing 'urley’s hand$ Is lim justified in threatening

'urley about letting anyone know what really what went on$

Is it reasonable to let lim make the decisions about justice on the ranch$

Did 'urley’s wife get what she deserved$

Theme of Visions of America

Of Mice and Men captures the feel of rural !merica during the Depression.

Different outlooks are presented5 the never-will-be starlet trying to make it to

/ollywood, the isolated black man born and raised in 'alifornia, a ranch full of menthat like to go to whorehouses, play pool, and drink away their earnings, and menthat are constantly bouncing from job to job just shy of making ends meet. The !merica of Of Mice and Men is populated with dreamers and strugglers. !merica isboth a place of the outside, where the dreams of the characters could be fulfilled/ollywood, a +uiet ranch, pulp magaine pages and a confined space of the insidethe ranch, 'rooks’s little room, the barn where dreams often dissipate intoimpossibilities.

In this story, is !merica the land of futility or opportunity$

'ould this be a story about making it in a tough agricultural migrant town

anywhere$

Is struggle and overcoming obstacles part of the !merican story$

Is it possible to achieve the !merican Dream without struggling$

Theme of Violence





6iolence in Of Mice and Men is an everyday reality. !long with the

backbreaking work that comes from being a ranch-man, there’s a significant degreeof masculine bravado that allows for fights, threats, and general meanness. 6iolencein the novella is physical, psychological, and emotional. 'haracters are soaccustomed to suspicion and failure that they treat each other cruelly, willing to

abuse the dreams and the bodies of others as though it were more natural to destroythan to cultivate. In some ways, violence is a natural outlet for all of the despair andlimited possibilities that define the ranch.

/ow do "ennie’s violent tendencies color our interpretation of his character$

Do we ever think of "ennie as violent$

Is violence an acceptable part of life on the ranch$

Does "ennie know his own strength, and just not think violence is that big a

deal$ /ow else can we e0plain him yelling at the puppy for (getting himself killed($

Is "ennie’s death ultimately a violent act or a loving act by #eorge$

Theme of Prejudice

Of Mice and Men deals with many of !merica’s age-old hot-button issues,

including but not limited to se0ism, racism, ageism, and discrimination against thosewith disabilities. 7ost importantly, this prejudice isn’t ever e0plicitly noted or foughtagainst ) those who are discriminated against accept the prejudice against them asa way of life. &f course there’s some grumbling about it, but there’s no sense that'urley’s wife, 'rooks, 'andy, or "ennie feel a grave and ine0cusable injustice isbeing perpetrated against them. It seems simply that their lot in life is to endureprejudice, and they operate with all the meanness if not the rebellion that such a lifenecessitates. till, the other men of the ranch still accept 'rooks, 'andy, and "enniefor their differences2 and 'urley’s wife, though she’s maligned, is never completelyignored. %hile prejudice is a force that defines some of the social interaction theranch, the need to escape isolation and the fact of close pro0imity means thecharacters all socialie with each other to some degree, in spite of the prejudicesthey undoubtedly hold.

/ow can prejudice be maintained in an isolated environment where people

interact so constantly$

/ow can we tell the line between being prejudiced and simply being

discerning$ If the boss had known what happened in %eed and refused to hire"ennie, would that have been discrimination, or sensible and life-saving$

Theme of ea!ness



%eakness in Of Mice and Men is as diverse as all the characters. "ennie is

mentally weak, #eorge can’t fight for his dream, and 'urley resents being a smallishman. %eakness is a reality for nearly everyone on the ranch, but rather than subduethe characters, it forces them to brush up against each other and accept the fightsoften inspired by their weakness as they come. This might be because of the

environment ) on a ranch full of strong men and male bravado, weakness whetherit’s present in everyone or not is frowned upon. 8ecause characters often know their weaknesses, they’re +uick to try to cover for them, which spells confrontation. It’s atypical bullying situation5 characters’ weaknesses make them insecure, so they fightand judge others to avoid having their flaws e0posed or e0ploited.

%hat are the various weaknesses of the novella’s different characters$

Does the interdependency of #eorge and "ennie’s relationship make either of

them weak$

Does "ennie think of himself as weak$ /ow do we interpret his mental

weakness relative to his physical strength$ %hich defines his character more$

Theme of omen and Femininit"

Of Mice and Men is set in a male environment where there are three types of

women5 the imagined nice girl for settling down, the prostitutes for a drink and a trick,and 'urley’s wife, who is their daily representation of what to e0pect from the otherse0. %omen are a kind of absent symbol, only there to highlight the men’s failings5the men of the ranch can’t settle down, so they go to whorehouses. !s the (girl ne0tdoor( type is only a fantasy, the men basically reduce the women around them to

se0. !s #eorge states, at least with prostitutes, (you pay for what you get.( %hile'urley’s wife is a se0ual object, she can’t actually provide any se0 because she’staken ) all she can really offer is trouble.

Is 'urley’s wife viewed as an aberration among women, or is she pretty

standard as far as the guys are concerned$

Do any of the characters have a positive attitude towards any woman in the

story$

%hat do we make of the fact that the only positive and alive female

character we really get word of is uy who runs the whorehouse$

Is there a place for women in ranch life$ Is ranch life supposed to be the

wildness before the stability that comes with settling down and (having a girl($

Theme of #an and the $atural orld



The natural world presented in Of Mice and Men mirrors the world of the

ranch. "ike the ranch, the natural world is a dog-eat-dog place, where animalinstincts and hunger trump any sense of justice or goodness. The grove is one of thebook’s few settings, and while it’s a beautiful refuge from the ranch, there are stillbirds eating snakes and the like. The natural world is also represented as part of the

duality of relationships5 "ennie loves animals, but kills them. 'andy loves his dog,but can’t stand up for it2 and even 'rooks tends to the horses that maimed him.%hile the natural world is romanticied, the relationship of characters to animals is areminder that love doesn’t mean safety, and cruelty isn’t limited to the world of theranch5 it’s a fact of life. The natural world is without rhyme or reason, and oftenagainst our hopes, things die, even if you love them, because nature is as cruel as itis beautiful.

%hy is "ennie constantly compared to an animal$ Is this a fair comparison$ Is

the author suggesting that not all humans are animals$

%hat separates the rule of civilied law from the rule of the natural world$Does teinbeck seem to suggest one is better than the other$

"ennie doesn’t seem too interested in death, though it’s a major hang up for

the (civilied( world. %ho’s right on this one$



http599www.imdb.com9title9tt:;:<:=>9

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http599rogerebert.suntimes.com9apps9pbcs.dll9article$

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Do you think the film was faithful to the novel$

%as the film good$

%as the film better than the novel$ %hy$

Did the film develop your understanding of the novel$ /ow$

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105046/

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19921002/REVIEWS/210020307/1023


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105046/



Documents

Of Mice and Men Unit Folder