Jumpstart

1. Jumpstart • Why do you think it has taken three weeks for the government to intervene in this situation? • Do you think the rescue will be successful because of the delay? Why or why not?

2. Of Mice and Men By: John Steinbeck

3. Questions to consider: • Does the American Dream exist? • Would you spend your life taking care of someone who is developmentally challenged? • Should the strong help the weak or should only the strong survive?

4. John Steinbeck • Born in 1902 in Salinas, California • Grew up modestly and decided early to become a writer • Attended Stanford University but dropped out – poor attendance • Moved to NYC, worked in construction and journalism • Moved back to California after several years • Most successful novel = The Grapes of Wrath • During WWII, served as war correspondent for the New York Herald

5. Recognition • Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 for his works: Cannery Row, East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men • Recognized for “his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception”

7. Of Mice and Men • Written in 1937 • George and Lennie, migrant workers, during Great Depression • Title refers to “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns • Intended to be a play: lengthy dialogue, long scenes • Banned periodically: profanity, morality, depiction of mentally challenged

8. Setting • Salinas Valley, where Steinbeck was born • Ranch is near south of San Francisco • Based on Steinbeck’s own experiences

9. Migrant Work – “Bucking Barley” • Process of collecting clumps of barley, putting in large bags, and throwing onto backs of trucks • Lennie is a very strong barley bucker - $100 combined for work of Lennie and George

10. Bunkhouse

11. Historical Background of Migrant Workers • Humans made up work force – little technology • 1880s-1930s, thousands of men would travel the countryside searching for work – wheat harvesting • $2.50 or $3.00 a day, plus food and shelter • Unemployment high in 1930s and agencies were created to send farmworkers where they were needed • In the novel, George and Lennie (the two main characters), were given work cards from Murray and Ready’s, which was one of the farmwork agencies.

12. Assignment • Read “To A Mouse” by Robert Burns • Complete chart with a partner • Define: timorous, forlorn, rebuff, foresight, rend

13. The American Dream • From the 17th Century onwards, immigrants have dreamed of a better life in America. • Many people immigrated to America in search of a new life for themselves or their families. • Many others immigrated to escape persecution or poverty in their homeland.

14. The American Dream, Continued • Dreamed of making their fortunes in America. • For many this dream of riches became a nightmare. • There were horrors of slavery, the Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution • There was a growing number of slums that were just as bad as those in Europe. • There was also great corruption in the American political system which led to many shattered hopes.