Of Mice and Men

Title- Of Mice and Men

Author- John Steinbeck

ISBN -0140177396

Publication Information- Penguin, 1983 (my version)

 

Plot Summary- This is the classic story of George and Lennie. Lennie is mildly retarded and gets the pair in trouble in every place they stop to work in the Depression era California farms. He is particularly enamored of things that are soft to the touch, a dress, a puppy, a dead mouse; it does not matter, but once he is touching it, he does not want to let go. George is his cousin and caretaker. While life would be easier for him without Lennie, he secretly treasures having a real friend in a world where most people have no one. After fleeing their last job because of Lennie, the pair find themselves at a new farm. George makes new friends but keeps a watchful eye out for Lennie. Unfortunately Lennie and the farm owner's son Curly do not get along. Lennie ends up crushing Curly's hand and making a permanent enemy. Later Curly's wife finds Lennie petting yet another dead animal and ends up being killed by him accidently. Curly sets out on the hunt.

Critical Evaluation- This is one of my favorite Steinbeck novels (is there a bad one?). Students like this novel because of the overwhelming theme of friendship. Friends in this novel are treasured and cared for in good times and in bad. Furthermore, Steinbeck's ability to describe the Central Valley is so clear that many of my students have good ideas of where these scenes could take place. Students can usually identify with at least one of the characters in the novel; they even feel great sympathy for Lennie. The tragic death of Candy's dog foreshadowing the ending of the novel touches readers nearly all the time. The secondary concern of racism, which in this novel is still tied closely to friendship, is still a timely theme to discuss and students are often drawn to Crooks as a rejected person. All in all, this is a profound story that stays with readers for years to come.

 

Reader's Annotation- In the Great Depression the most important thing to have is a real friend- that and the ability to dream.

Author Information- John Steinbeck is one of the giants of American literature and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. He grew up in the Salinas area where this novel is set and knew the countryside and farming community intimately. He also worked frequently with non-fiction. He followed a family during the Great Depression across Route 66 and into California. This trip became the basis for Grapes of Wrath later. He wrote The Moon is Down during World War II, which helped to bolster the Norwegian resistance movement and worked as a news correspondent during both this war and the Vietnam War in which his two sons served. His books are amongst the most studied and banned by schools throughout the nation today.

Curricular Ties- English, Social Studies

Genre- Historical Fiction

Book talking ideas- Would you have taken the same actions as George at the end of the story? How does Steinbeck use animals to reflect the behavior of the characters?

Challenge issues- Racism and language

1. Re-read the text to familiarize myself with the story
   
2. Ask parents for their specific objections (they are required to file that with our school district)
   
3. Review approved books list from California Department of Education for similar materials
   
4. Review approaches from ALA
   

Interest Age- 15-18

Why I selected this piece-. I love this piece, and it is the most cited novel by our seniors in the books I enjoyed survey at the end of the year.