During the early 1930s, after a series of unfortunate events that caused the Great Depression, the United States economy plummeted. This, in turn, caused difficulties from severe unemployment to widespread poverty in the US. Racial discrimination was not uncommon because tensions between opposing races skyrocketed after the abolishment of slavery. Prejudice because of gender was a usual everyday thing; women recently received the right to vote along with working paying jobs. However, women were still treated similar too property. John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men was set during the Great Depression, where it featured two protagonists through their journey to achieve their dreams. However, the minor supporting characters were the ones who suffered from social discrimination because of the historical, economic, and political forces during that period. …show more content…
To begin with, ageism is …show more content…
With the Great Depression happening during the time period, many jobs were unavailable along with the tension in the air between race and gender. Slavery was abolished and women had equal voting rights though this by no means did that meant they were equal to the white men. Women were still treated similar to property and not akin to actual human beings; meanwhile, segregation was blatantly obvious in most places in the United States. John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men was set during the Great Depression on a predominantly white male ranch. Steinbeck’s minor supporting characters face loneliness through a series of socially imposed problems such as ageism, racism, and sexism to doubt the morality of society and show the effects of long-term
John Steinbeck published Of Mice and Men in 1937, portraying two struggling migrant workers on their tiring journey; George and Lennie. This narrative hugely reflects the time period in which it was written, since it was the time of The Great Depression (in the 1920-30s) where the stock market crashed. Therefore little jobs were available to citizens and those that were most probably meant travelling rather long way. This ties into Of Mice and Men through the concept of George and Lennie doing to work on the ranch. Also within this historical period there was a lot of prejudice, inequality and discrimination, Steinbeck intentionally mirrors these themes effectively.
Ondine Griffiths-Green Of Mice and Men Practice Essay Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, captures the hardship of America during the great depression. Steinbeck suggests that in American Society in the 30’s, the majority of respect comes from the power a man holds. Of Mice and Men explores the different types of powers and how they affect all characters in the story, whether it leaves a positive or negative influence and how power is interwoven with The Dream. Curley’s power over the ranch negatively affect the other stockmen, his love of brute power and assumed authority is demonstrated when Curley first meets Lennie and George, “He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie.
This book presents an accurate portrayal of life during the Great Depression in which many topics are introduced such as mental and physical disabilities, the American Dream, and race. Learning about these topics through a narrative can give students an understanding of the social and economic implications during that time. As said by Allison L. Baer, an associate professor at the University of Findlay, "[b]y reading...trade books[books intended for general readership], students collaboratively gain understanding as they delve into issues and topics more broadly and deeply"(284). Reading a piece of literature that incorporates important parts of history can create more of an impact of the reader due to the storytelling nature; students may be more inclined to understand the historical context of the book when they are more connected to the characters. Although the main focus of Of Mice and Men is not on the Great Depression, the setting of the book is during that time period, so glimpses into the life of the characters, who represent men looking for work and striving for the American Dream, are shown.
Of mice and men is a novella written by John Steinbeck and published in 1937. It follows 2 migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small as they begin working as farm hands on a ranch close to a small town called Soledad durning the great depression. Of mice and men is a novella set almost 100 years ago, but some of the problems that are faced in the story are still an issue today. This essay will focus on the misogyny and victim blaming shown in Of mice and men and how it still relates to today. Misogyny is extremely prevalent in this book.
John Steinbeck’s novella "Of Mice and Men" explores various forms of discrimination during the Great Depression. The story follows two migrant workers, George and Lennie, as they search for work in California. Throughout the book, Steinbeck highlights the racial, gender, and disability discrimination that was common during that time. One of the most prominent examples of discrimination in the book is racial discrimination.
In this essay, I am going to look at what ways the Great Depression affected the American people with examples from John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men. Available jobs and high wages had been
The book Of Mice and Men takes place in salinas valley on a ranch during the great depression. The book mainly focuses on the life of Lennie and george. Lennie and george have known each other for a very long time and they are traveling companions. Lennie has some sort of mental disability and this hinders how him and george earn money and get work. Lennie’s mental disability creates problems for him along with his strength.
The novella Of Mice and Men is a book by John Steinbeck on the lives of migrant farm workers working during the Great Depression, Lennie, who is developmentally delayed and George. The two have a dream of, what every farm worker has a dream of, land. A clearing is one of the prevalent settings.
John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, takes place in California on a ranch in the Salinas Valley during the Great Depression. During this time, the United States of America was in a period of economic decline and people were living in poverty. From these hardships, weaknesses arise in different characters in the novel. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck utilizes the deaths of Candy’s dog, Curley’s wife, and Lennie to reveal that weaker people are eradicated because they cannot defend themselves against others.
Therese Pivarunas November 1, 2017 Literature 2 Honors Period 4 Banned Book Essay A deep friendship between two people has always been valued in society. The novella Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, should not be banned from libraries and schools, rather, it should be taught to students and remain accessible to the public. This book takes place in the middle of the Great Depression, and follows the journey of two workers looking for jobs in California. Lennie and George, the two workers, support each other through their companionship and hope to make enough money to start a new life. This story contains relatable characters who try to achieve their goals in life, a compelling story of hardship, and features a strong bond between two
The novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck is a gripping tale of two men and their lives during the Great Depression. George Milton and Lennie Small are two migrant workers who travel together finding work. They take on a new job “bucking barley” at a ranch in central California for the ranch owner and his son. While working at the ranch they encounter Curley the ranch owner’s son and his wife, a flirtatious woman. The story reaches a climax when Lennie unintentionally kills Curley’s wife and runs back to the Salinas River just as George instructed.
The book Of Mice and Men is full of puzzling examples of the human condition, from Lennie and his mental disability to Curley only caring about his social appearance. With characters like these two, the book exploits the human condition that concerns circumstances life has given you. John Steinbeck brings to life what being a laborer in the American depression meant to the men and one woman who had enough personality to stand out. Steinbeck shows the human condition of men while they survive in the American depression.
World of Sexism Due to the Great Depression, women’s rights took a back seat to employment and poverty. It was believed that women shouldn’t work but stay at home, clean, cook, and raise their children. The prejudice against women in the society was great back in the 1930s for they were degraded and underestimated. All the rights they had gained in the 1920s were neglected and the women were once again maltreated. In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the victim of sexism is Curley’s wife who is so insignifact that even a name was not provided for her.
In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the era of the Great Depression in the 1930’s is revealed through a simple story of ranch workers who hope to improve their lives. Migrant workers, George and Lennie, have a friendship that is based on trust and protection. The other workers lack the companionship and bond that these two men have. In the novel, the absence and presence of friendship is the motivation for the characters’ actions.
Despair Among People During the Great Depression People who face great odds will hang on to hope, however, many will lose it to the cruel reality they live in. This is the story told in the novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck. In this novel, Lennie and George are traveling bindle stiffs who experience the losses that come with the Great Depression, and the hope of others that is dashed by the death of one person. This theme of hope and loss is shown through Curley's wife, Candy, and George.