1. Research migrant workers in America during the 1930s, today, or both. Give a presentation to the class detailing what you find. Note any similarities or differences between what you discovered in your research and Steinbeck’s portrayal in Of Mice and Men. 2. Interview three people who lived during the […]
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1. Steinbeck was going to name his story “Something That Happened.” Instead, he named if Of Mice and Men. Which title do you think is more appropriate to the novel as a whole? Explain your answer. 2. In tragedies, the central character comes to a realization about his life or […]
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aloof distant in sympathy, interest, etc.; reserved and cool. Auburn a city about 35 miles northeast of Sacramento, California. bemused plunged in thought; preoccupied. bindle [Slang] a bundle, as of bedding, carried by a hobo. booby hatch [Slang] an institution for the mentally ill. bucking grain bags throwing heavy burlap […]
Read more Study Help Full GlossaryCritical Essays Structure of the Novel
Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in a play format, using a circular pattern of locales, condensed narration, minimal action descriptions, dramatic lighting, and foreshadowing to connect his plot. Some readers feel that Of Mice and Men is so balanced and thoughtful in structure that the novel is a work […]
Read more Critical Essays Structure of the NovelCritical Essays Major Symbols
Introduction An allegory is a story that uses character types to represent specific ideas and create a universal message. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses his characters, locations, animal imagery, and a simple game of cards to demonstrate to his readers that most people dream about lives of great […]
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Introduction Much like Steinbeck’s short novel The Pearl, Of Mice and Men is a parable that tries to explain what it means to be human. His friend Ed Ricketts shaped Steinbeck’s thinking about man’s place in the universe. Essentially, man is a very small part of a very large universe; […]
Read more Critical Essays Major ThemesJohn Steinbeck Biography
Early Years John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr., was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California, to a father, John Ernst Steinbeck, who had settled in California shortly after the Civil War, and a mother, Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, who was a public schoolteacher. Steinbeck grew up in the beautiful, fertile Salinas […]
Read more John Steinbeck BiographyCharacter Analysis Crooks
Crooks is so named because of a crooked back caused by a kick from a horse. Crooks is the stable hand who takes care of the horses and lives by himself because he is the only black man on the ranch. Along with Candy, Crooks is a character used by […]
Read more Character Analysis CrooksCharacter Analysis Slim
Slim is described always in terms of dignity and majesty. When he first comes into the bunkhouse, he moves “with a majesty achieved only by royalty and master craftsmen. He was a jerk-line skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single […]
Read more Character Analysis SlimCharacter Analysis Curley’s Wife
Curley’s wife, like the other players in the drama, is simply a character type and the only woman in the plot. She is defined by her role: Curley’s wife or possession. George and Candy call her by other names such as “jailbait” or “tart.” She wears too much makeup and […]
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