Guide Note

John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is the story of two migrant ranch workers during The Great Depression, one of whom is mentally disabled.

Much like Steinbeck's follow-up novel, The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men explores the inhumanity of men in desperate times and the inability of the common man to achieve ideals.

Fast Facts

Author: John Steinbeck
Publication Date: 1937
Original title: Something That Happened
Steinbeck's dog ate an early draft of the novel
Inspired two feature films, one directed by Lewis Milestone, the other by Gary Sinise

Public Reception

Of Mice and Men received considerable accolades from critics, including The New York Times and The New Republic. At the time, it was Steinbeck's most praised work.

It was subsequently banned from many public schools and libraries for its profane language and supposed promotion of euthanasia.

Symbolism

There are several dogs in Of Mice and Men that represent the weakness of man and the inevitability of death. The plight of these puppies exemplifies the dominance of the strong and fortunate over the week and poor. Steinbeck reveals his pessimistic view of human nature during the Depression, as shown by Lennie's oblivious actions to his puppy.

Categories

Entertainment | English | Literature | Books | Fiction | Novels

View Note History

Of Mice and Men

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Of Mice and Men
SparkNotes: Of Mice and Men Study Guide
LAUSD: Of Mice and Men The Student Survival Guide
Western Washington University: Of Mice and Men Supplementary Material
Penguin Reading Guide: Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men and The Pearl Reading Guides
IMDb: Of Mice and Men (1992) Film
Amazon.com: Of Mice and Men Merchandise

Of Mice and Men' Study Guides and Literary Criticism

SparkNotes: Of Mice and Men Study Guide
CliffsNotes: Of Mice and Men Study Guide
Universalteacher.org.uk: Of Mice and Men Study Guide
eNotes: Of Mice and Men Summary and Essays
BBC Bitesize Literature: Of Mice and Men Study Aid
Masconomet Regional School District: Notes for Of Mice and Men
University of Michigan: Of Mice and Men Unit Plan

Of Mice and Men Quotations

NovelGuide: Of Mice and Men Top Ten Quotes
SparkNotes: Of Mice and Men Important Quotes Explained
Wikiquote: John Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Quotes
Literary-quotations.com: John Steinbeck Quotes - Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men Author Information

- Mahalo's Guide to John Steinbeck
Wikipedia: John Steinbeck
National John Steinbeck Center
Books and Writers: John Steinbeck Biography
Nobelprize.org: John Steinbeck Biography

Of Mice and Men Books and Merchandise

Amazon.com: Of Mice and Men Books and Merchandise
Powell's Books: Of Mice and Men Books
Barnes & Noble: Of Mice and Men Books
eBay: Of Mice and Men Books and DVDs

Of Mice and Men News and Articles

Google News: Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men
BroadwayWorld.com: "Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men Comes to Urban Stages" (2007)
Google Blog Search: Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men
Yahoo! News: Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men Adaptations

The majority of the following links are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.
1937: Of Mice and Men (Stage Production)
1939: Of Mice and Men
1968: Of Mice and Men
1974: Of Mice and Men (Broadway Production)
1981: Of Mice and Men
1992: Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men Culture and Humor

Mansion Books: Of Mice and Men Photos of the original first edition
Google Image Search: Of Mice and Men
Wikipedia: Of Mice and Men in Popular Culture
YouTube: Done a Bad Thing: Of Mice and Men Rap (Time: 04:42)
YouTube & Google Video: Of Mice and Men Search

Related Searches

John Steinbeck | The Grapes of Wrath | The Red Pony | East of Eden | The Pearl | The Great Depression | Robert Burns | Salinas Valley | Looney Tunes | Mystery Science Theater 3000 | Euthanasia

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