Mice of Men

Author and Context

• 1902 - John Ernst Steinbeck was born 27th February in Salinas, California (setting for mice of men. The opening lines of, Of Mice and Men were a description of his childhood surroundings)
• 1917 - USA enters first world war
• 1925 - Steinbeck leaves university without a degree and goes to New York. He has many labor jobs in his time, including a job as a migrant worker. He uses his first hand experiences in his writing.
• 1929 - Wall street crash and the start of the great depression.  Steinbeck publishes first novel, The cup of gold. 
• 1930 - Steinbeck marries Carol Henning
• 1937 - Of Mice and Men is published 
• 1939-45 - Second world war
• 1940 - Steinbeck's first marriage breaks up; G****s of Wrath wins Pulitzer Prize
• 1962 - Steinbeck awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature 
• 1968 - Steinbeck dies of heart disease 

Plot and Action 

Section one

George and Lennie, having walked a long way, stop at a pool by the Salinas River. (Connects to Steinbeck and his childhood home etc)

They are off to take up work at a nearby ranch

They have had to leave their previous work due to something Lennie had done. Not explained until later (George confides in Slim)

It is clear Lennie is slow to understand. He has bee keeping a dead mouse to 'pet'. George makes him get rid of it

We learn they left Weed because Lennie has touched a girls dress and she shouted out (most likely ****) they had to hide in an irrigation ditch to escape angry townsfolk

George tells Lennie a story he had obviously told him before about getting a farm and living 'the dream'.

George makes Lennie promise to meet him at the pool if theres any trouble.

Section two

George and Lennie start work on the farm (when talking to the boss it is clear George is…