JOHN STEINBECK

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JOHN STEINBECK

• OF MICE AND MEN BACKGROUND

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STEINBECKHIS LIFE AND WORKS

• A. BORN IN SALINAS, CALIFORNIA (1902)
• B. FIRST THREE BOOKS WERE FINANCIAL FAILURES
• C. FIRST SUCCESSFUL BOOK TORTILLA FLAT
  (1935)

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STEINBECKS LIFE CONTINUED

• D. MASTERPIECE THE GRAPES OF WRATH ABOUT A
  FAMILY DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION WON A PULITZER
  PRIZE IN 1940.
• E. HE BEGAN WRITING BECAUSE HIS MOM, A TEACHER,
  READ CLASSICAL LITERATURE TO HIM.
• F. ATTENDED STANFORD UNIVERSITY LEFT WITHOUT A
  DEGREE.

HENRY FONDA IN THE GRAPES OF WRATH
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
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STEINBECKS LIFE CONTINUED

• G. LIVED IN MIGRANT CAMPS TO WORK AND ASSOCIATE
  WITH THE PEOPLE ABOUT WHOM HE WROTE.
• H. PERSONALITYSHY,
• SHUNNED PUBLIC
• ATTENTION.

MIGRANT CAMP IN CALIFORNIA IN 1930s
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STEINBECKS WRITING

• A. HIS STORIES ARE BASED ON FACT.
• B. OFTEN SET IN CA AND FOCUS ON NATURE WITH
  DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS.
• C. HE HUMANIZED THE WORKING CLASS OUTCAST OR
  LOSER.

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STEINBECKS WRITING CONT.

• D. ALLEGORICAL WRITING (USES OF SYMBOLS AND
  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE).
• E. HE WAS INTERESTED IN RAISING THE AWARENESS
  OF ALL ABOUT ALL IN SOCIETY.

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THE NOVELOF MICE AND MEN

• A. PLACE SETTING A SMALL RANCH NEAR THE SALINAS
  RIVER IN CALIFORNIA

MIGRANT WORKERS DURING THE DEPRESSION
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TIME SETTINGTHE GREAT DEPRESSION (1930s)

• 1. TIME OF GREAT DESPAIRPEOPLE LOST THEIR
  JOBS, HOMES, SECURITY, AND THEIR HOPE.

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SHACK HOUSE IN CALIFORNIA DURING THE 30S
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

• (a.) The Dust Bowl
• dust storms in
• the Great
• Plains caused
• many to move
• from their
• homes to
• California.
• (b.) Vast droughts
• and flooding.

CAR ESCAPING STORM
DUST STORM IN S. DAKOTA
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EFFECTS OF A DUST STORM
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MORE PROBLEMS

• 3. ROOTLESSNESS AND POVERTY WERE WAYS OF LIFE.
• 4. FDRTHE NEW DEAL (INTRODUCED MINIMUM WAGE,
  WELFARE, SOCIAL SECURITY, WORK CARDS, AND JOB
  CREATION).

PRESIDENT FDR AT HIS DESK
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THE NOVELS STYLE OR GENRE

• 1. GENREPLAY-NOVELLETE (CHARACTERS ARE
  DEVELOPED THROUGH SPEECH AND ACTION RATHER THAN
  THE AUTHOR TELLING YOU THEIR THOUGHTS.)
• 2. WRITING STYLECONCISE, REALISTIC LANGUAGE

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THEMES

• A. FRIENDSHIP
• B. LONELINESS
• C. THE WORTH OF AN INDIVIDUALS LIFEDOES HUMAN
  LIFE HAVE A PURPOSE?
• D. DISILLUSIONMENT WITH THE AMERICAN DREAM

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CHARACTERS

• GEORGE
• PHYSICALLY SMALL
• SMART
• LENNIES CARETAKER

• LENNIE
• PHYSICALLY BIG
• MENTALLY CHALLENGED
• DEPENDENT ON GEORGE

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SOURCES

• library.thinkquest.org/ TQ0312210/Dustbowl.html
• www.yankton.net/images/ 091499/DustBowl.jpg
• www.usatoday.com/weather/ resources/climate/20...
• www.perfecteconomy.com/ principal---federal-re...
• http//memory.loc.gov/ammem/afctshtml/tsme.html