Of mice and men
John Steinbeck Biography
Once upon a time, there was a schoolteacher and a county treasurer who decided to get married and start a family. Their third child was a boy, who they named John Steinbeck. They raised John in Salinas, California. At the time (around 1902), the area was a prosperous farming community. Later, this hometown would influence John’s writing. He would be remembered as one of the great American writers.
During John’s high school years, the father struggled to hold down a job. As a result there were some financial restraints. Nonetheless, John entertained himself by spending time with his pony, Jill, and reading Arthurian legends. In high school, John developed his interest in English. He began writing for the school newspaper. After college, he decided to pursue a degree in English to perfect his writing skills. He attended Stanford University in 1919 (around the time women won the right to vote). He hung out at college on and off for about five years before dropping out. He did not complete his college degree.
He became really interested in biology and marine biology. While studying this, he met his BFF, Ed Ricketts (another scientist). After doing the scientist gig for a while, he decided to try to be a writer in New York… it didn’t go well. So, he went back to California, worked at a fish hatchery, and met his first wife. Then, like a disease, the need to write returned. He became obsessed with writing. He called this phase of his life “monomania.” His big break as a writer occurred between 1935 and 1939. He wrote Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath.
During WWII, John remarried. Then, he became a reported for the New York Herald Tribune- reporting on the war in Europe. Around 1948, life took a negative turn. John’s closest friends began dying. Ricketts was hit by a train. In 1949, John remarried… again… third time’s a charm. In 1951, he wrote East of Eden for his sons. He become buddy-buddy with President LBJ and reported on the war in Vietnam. He even met up with his son who was serving on the battlefield. After an episode of mini-strokes, John died in New York City, in December of 1968. Though deceased, John Steinbeck’s works live on today as students read his books in classrooms across America.
During John’s high school years, the father struggled to hold down a job. As a result there were some financial restraints. Nonetheless, John entertained himself by spending time with his pony, Jill, and reading Arthurian legends. In high school, John developed his interest in English. He began writing for the school newspaper. After college, he decided to pursue a degree in English to perfect his writing skills. He attended Stanford University in 1919 (around the time women won the right to vote). He hung out at college on and off for about five years before dropping out. He did not complete his college degree.
He became really interested in biology and marine biology. While studying this, he met his BFF, Ed Ricketts (another scientist). After doing the scientist gig for a while, he decided to try to be a writer in New York… it didn’t go well. So, he went back to California, worked at a fish hatchery, and met his first wife. Then, like a disease, the need to write returned. He became obsessed with writing. He called this phase of his life “monomania.” His big break as a writer occurred between 1935 and 1939. He wrote Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath.
During WWII, John remarried. Then, he became a reported for the New York Herald Tribune- reporting on the war in Europe. Around 1948, life took a negative turn. John’s closest friends began dying. Ricketts was hit by a train. In 1949, John remarried… again… third time’s a charm. In 1951, he wrote East of Eden for his sons. He become buddy-buddy with President LBJ and reported on the war in Vietnam. He even met up with his son who was serving on the battlefield. After an episode of mini-strokes, John died in New York City, in December of 1968. Though deceased, John Steinbeck’s works live on today as students read his books in classrooms across America.
Of mice and men Inspiration
John Steinbeck’s title Of Mice and Men was inspired by a poem titled “To a Mouse” by the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. Read the poem. Then, answer the questions that follow. P.S. I included the Standard English translation, you will probably find this version easier to read.
judge a book by its cover
Outside of class assignments
Character List
As you read, be sure to keep up with the character list. This will help you understand the plot and the significance of each character. I will give you time in class to fill these out as we read. So, bring them to class each day for reference and in case of additions.
Chapter Study Guides
There is a study guide for each chapter in the text. You are responsible for completing the study guides each week. We will review the study guides in class. It will be in your best interest to work on these as we read. I will give reading quizzes to make sure that you are doing the reading assignments. Each study guide will be composed of short answer questions and one extended response question.
Discussion Questions
Discussion questions are due Friday of each week. You will be expected to answer a total of ten discussion questions out of the forty-one questions. This is designed to give you freedom in choosing which questions you would like to elaborate on and answer. These will be completed independently as we read Of Mice and Men.
American Metaphorm Project
As you are reading Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, begin to establish a presentation that represents your conceptualization of what the American Dream is to you personally or what you believe the American Dream is as an ideal or to a collective body of people. You have the ability to exercise freedom of expression in this project. However, you will need to submit a one-page reflection on the project, explaining what your metaphorm represents and how this compares to the American Dream(s) present among the characters in Of Mice and Men. You will be given some class time to work on this. However, out-of-class work will be expected as well.
Options. Before you begin working on your metaphorm project, you may choose to create a metaphorm expressing: (1) your American Dream, (2) a character’s American Dream in (Of Mice and Men), or (3) a collective group’s idea of the American Dream. In your project, you can support the idea of an American Dream or contradict the idea of an American Dream. Therefore, parodies and satirical portrayals are acceptable.
Metaphorm. A metaphorm is a tangible representation of a particular concept that may not be tangible (for example, the American Dream). One man put it as, "A metaphorm is an object, image, concept, or process that we compare to something else. Metaphorms imply relationships between things that we cannot explicitly compare nor literally equate. Every object, image, concept or process is a metaphorm. It matters little whether a metaphorm is literally true or not. What is important is that it binds our lives to the vast inconsumable life of the universe” (Hanny Christian). Therefore, feel free to use abstract representations, images, or employ figurative language in your metaphorm.
Necessary Components. While you have creative space, you must include the following components in your metaphorm: (1) a visual collage, (2) another visual aid, (3) an auditory component (a song, poem, prose, or spoken writing), (4) a digital component (glogster, website landing page, Prezi, video, etc.), (5) a written reflection, and (6) a presentation of your metaphorm. You may alter or use in-class assignments where they fit in with your metaphorm. Of course, if you have any questions as to whether or not you can use it, ask me.
As you read, be sure to keep up with the character list. This will help you understand the plot and the significance of each character. I will give you time in class to fill these out as we read. So, bring them to class each day for reference and in case of additions.
Chapter Study Guides
There is a study guide for each chapter in the text. You are responsible for completing the study guides each week. We will review the study guides in class. It will be in your best interest to work on these as we read. I will give reading quizzes to make sure that you are doing the reading assignments. Each study guide will be composed of short answer questions and one extended response question.
Discussion Questions
Discussion questions are due Friday of each week. You will be expected to answer a total of ten discussion questions out of the forty-one questions. This is designed to give you freedom in choosing which questions you would like to elaborate on and answer. These will be completed independently as we read Of Mice and Men.
American Metaphorm Project
As you are reading Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, begin to establish a presentation that represents your conceptualization of what the American Dream is to you personally or what you believe the American Dream is as an ideal or to a collective body of people. You have the ability to exercise freedom of expression in this project. However, you will need to submit a one-page reflection on the project, explaining what your metaphorm represents and how this compares to the American Dream(s) present among the characters in Of Mice and Men. You will be given some class time to work on this. However, out-of-class work will be expected as well.
Options. Before you begin working on your metaphorm project, you may choose to create a metaphorm expressing: (1) your American Dream, (2) a character’s American Dream in (Of Mice and Men), or (3) a collective group’s idea of the American Dream. In your project, you can support the idea of an American Dream or contradict the idea of an American Dream. Therefore, parodies and satirical portrayals are acceptable.
Metaphorm. A metaphorm is a tangible representation of a particular concept that may not be tangible (for example, the American Dream). One man put it as, "A metaphorm is an object, image, concept, or process that we compare to something else. Metaphorms imply relationships between things that we cannot explicitly compare nor literally equate. Every object, image, concept or process is a metaphorm. It matters little whether a metaphorm is literally true or not. What is important is that it binds our lives to the vast inconsumable life of the universe” (Hanny Christian). Therefore, feel free to use abstract representations, images, or employ figurative language in your metaphorm.
Necessary Components. While you have creative space, you must include the following components in your metaphorm: (1) a visual collage, (2) another visual aid, (3) an auditory component (a song, poem, prose, or spoken writing), (4) a digital component (glogster, website landing page, Prezi, video, etc.), (5) a written reflection, and (6) a presentation of your metaphorm. You may alter or use in-class assignments where they fit in with your metaphorm. Of course, if you have any questions as to whether or not you can use it, ask me.
character Casting activity
OMM Photo Gallery
Character list
Chapter study guides
Discussion Questions
American Dream
Metaphorm Project
OMM VOCABULARY
Below you will find the PowerPoints we covered in class before each vocabulary assessment.
1. Bindle: a bundle, as of bedding, carried by a hobo
2. Jack: money
3. Juncture: a place where things join
4. Debris: scattered fragments of dirt or branches
5. Recumbent: lying back
6. Morosely: a gloomy state
7. Periscope: an apparatus consisting of a tube attached to a set of mirrors or prisms, by
which an observer (typically in a submerged submarine or behind a high obstacle) can see
things that are otherwise out of sight.
8. Brusque: abrupt or offhand in speech or manner
9. Elaborate: to develop further
10. Pantomime: to express or represent (something) by extravagant and exaggerated mime
11. Drone: a continuous humming sound
12. Contemplate: to think about
13. Deject: to depress or dispirit
14. Imperious: assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering
15. Swamper: handyman; someone who performs odd jobs
16. Tick: mattress covering
17. Stable Buck: a derogatory term for a black man working in a stable where horses are kept
18. Skinner: a mule driver
19. Derogatory: belittling; a lessening statement or behavior
20. Skeptic: inclined to question or doubt
21. Cesspool: a pit or hole for drainage from sinks, toilets, etc.
22. Mollify: made less angry; softened; less intense; less severe
23. Pugnacious: to be inclined to fight
24. Ominous: foreshadowed by an omen or by presentment or evil threatening
25. Solitaire: set alone
26. Plaintively: pleadingly; sorrowfully
27. Contort: to twist or bend out of the normal shape
28. Precede: to come before
29. Protagonist: main character in a story
30. Imply: to hint at without explicitly stating it
31. Exposition: an explanation of an idea
32. Setting: time and place a story takes place
33. Point-of-View: perspective from which a story is told
34. Dialect: a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group
35. Novella: a small version of a novel
36. Irony: a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects
and is often amusing as a result.
37. Verbal Irony: where a speaker intends to communicate the opposite of what they mean
38. Direct Characterization: is how an author tells his or her reader about a character. Direct
characterization occurs when the author specifically reveals traits about the character in a
direct, straightforward manner.
39. Indirect Characterization: shows things that reveal the personality of a character through
the character’s speech, relation with other characters, thoughts, actions, and appearance.
40. Symbolism: use of symbols to represent a thing in existence or an idea
41. Personification: giving an inanimate object human characteristics
42. Indignation: anger provoked by what is thought to be unfair treatment
43. Belligerent: hostile and aggressive
44. Aloof: out-of-it; uninvolved
45. Fawning: to produce young offspring
46. Apprehension: feeling of worriment
47. Crestfallen: sad and disappointed
48. Hegemony: leadership or dominance of one social group over another
49. Synopsis: a summary or overview
50. Postulate: to gather a guess based on prior knowledge
51. Ideology: a system of ideas or ideals that constitute one’s outlook and mindset
52. Pragmatic: sensible, realistic, and practical
53. Vernacular: everyday language
54. Capital: wealth in the form of assets, knowledge, experience, or money
55. Woe: great sorrow or distress
56. Writhed: wrinkled; shriveled up
57. Monotone: consistent and prolonged voice
58. Allusion: reference to a well-known saying, place, situation, event, or figure
59. Binary Opposition: a pair of related terms/concepts that are opposite in meaning
60. Metaphor: a figurative representation
61. Simile: a comparison using “like” or “as”
62. Vanity: excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements
2. Jack: money
3. Juncture: a place where things join
4. Debris: scattered fragments of dirt or branches
5. Recumbent: lying back
6. Morosely: a gloomy state
7. Periscope: an apparatus consisting of a tube attached to a set of mirrors or prisms, by
which an observer (typically in a submerged submarine or behind a high obstacle) can see
things that are otherwise out of sight.
8. Brusque: abrupt or offhand in speech or manner
9. Elaborate: to develop further
10. Pantomime: to express or represent (something) by extravagant and exaggerated mime
11. Drone: a continuous humming sound
12. Contemplate: to think about
13. Deject: to depress or dispirit
14. Imperious: assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering
15. Swamper: handyman; someone who performs odd jobs
16. Tick: mattress covering
17. Stable Buck: a derogatory term for a black man working in a stable where horses are kept
18. Skinner: a mule driver
19. Derogatory: belittling; a lessening statement or behavior
20. Skeptic: inclined to question or doubt
21. Cesspool: a pit or hole for drainage from sinks, toilets, etc.
22. Mollify: made less angry; softened; less intense; less severe
23. Pugnacious: to be inclined to fight
24. Ominous: foreshadowed by an omen or by presentment or evil threatening
25. Solitaire: set alone
26. Plaintively: pleadingly; sorrowfully
27. Contort: to twist or bend out of the normal shape
28. Precede: to come before
29. Protagonist: main character in a story
30. Imply: to hint at without explicitly stating it
31. Exposition: an explanation of an idea
32. Setting: time and place a story takes place
33. Point-of-View: perspective from which a story is told
34. Dialect: a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group
35. Novella: a small version of a novel
36. Irony: a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects
and is often amusing as a result.
37. Verbal Irony: where a speaker intends to communicate the opposite of what they mean
38. Direct Characterization: is how an author tells his or her reader about a character. Direct
characterization occurs when the author specifically reveals traits about the character in a
direct, straightforward manner.
39. Indirect Characterization: shows things that reveal the personality of a character through
the character’s speech, relation with other characters, thoughts, actions, and appearance.
40. Symbolism: use of symbols to represent a thing in existence or an idea
41. Personification: giving an inanimate object human characteristics
42. Indignation: anger provoked by what is thought to be unfair treatment
43. Belligerent: hostile and aggressive
44. Aloof: out-of-it; uninvolved
45. Fawning: to produce young offspring
46. Apprehension: feeling of worriment
47. Crestfallen: sad and disappointed
48. Hegemony: leadership or dominance of one social group over another
49. Synopsis: a summary or overview
50. Postulate: to gather a guess based on prior knowledge
51. Ideology: a system of ideas or ideals that constitute one’s outlook and mindset
52. Pragmatic: sensible, realistic, and practical
53. Vernacular: everyday language
54. Capital: wealth in the form of assets, knowledge, experience, or money
55. Woe: great sorrow or distress
56. Writhed: wrinkled; shriveled up
57. Monotone: consistent and prolonged voice
58. Allusion: reference to a well-known saying, place, situation, event, or figure
59. Binary Opposition: a pair of related terms/concepts that are opposite in meaning
60. Metaphor: a figurative representation
61. Simile: a comparison using “like” or “as”
62. Vanity: excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements
Of Mice and Men allegory
Direct vs. Indirect Characterization
Direct Characterization: how an author tells his or her reader about a character. Direct characterization occurs when the author specifically reveals traits about the character in a direct, straightforward manner.
EXAMPLE: Lennie is a huge man with sloping shoulders. He drags his feet like a bear. He has a shapeless face. George is a short man, with sharp features. He is dark of face and has restless eyes. These are direct descriptions of the characters.
Indirect Characterization: shows things that reveal the personality of a character through the character’s speech, relation with other characters, thoughts, actions, and appearance.
EXAMPLE: We can conclude, based on Lennie's behavior and George's behavior toward Lennie, that Lennie has a short term memory. Even though it never directly comes out and tells us that Lennie is mentally impaired, we can make postulations.
CHOOSE A CHARACTER AND MAKE A T-CHART FOCUSING ON THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATIONS OF THE CHARACTER YOU SELECT.
EXAMPLE: Lennie is a huge man with sloping shoulders. He drags his feet like a bear. He has a shapeless face. George is a short man, with sharp features. He is dark of face and has restless eyes. These are direct descriptions of the characters.
Indirect Characterization: shows things that reveal the personality of a character through the character’s speech, relation with other characters, thoughts, actions, and appearance.
EXAMPLE: We can conclude, based on Lennie's behavior and George's behavior toward Lennie, that Lennie has a short term memory. Even though it never directly comes out and tells us that Lennie is mentally impaired, we can make postulations.
CHOOSE A CHARACTER AND MAKE A T-CHART FOCUSING ON THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATIONS OF THE CHARACTER YOU SELECT.
Persona poems
Now that you have completed a character analysis and identified the allegorical stance of the character you selected, you will be expected to write a modern interpretation (in the form of a poem) of this character and his or her position in society. When writing you should take on the persona of the character you select. Put yourself in his or her shoes and write the poem in first-person perspective. Explain a dream that they have.
Consider. What is your character’s American Dream? What are the limits or hold-ups on that dream? What problems would these characters would face in modern day society (or would they still face problems?) in the process towards attaining their American Dream?
Consider. What is your character’s American Dream? What are the limits or hold-ups on that dream? What problems would these characters would face in modern day society (or would they still face problems?) in the process towards attaining their American Dream?
Stereotypes in Society
Is there a difference between a character having an allegorical stance and having a stereotype? Are stereotypes limiting or helpful? Are they positive or negative? Did reading Of Mice and Men as an allegory help or hinder you understanding of the text? Why or why not?
MAKE A GRAPHIC ORGANIZER OF ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LABELS THAT EXIST IN SOCIETY.
READ THE ARTICLE. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (1) ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, WHAT IS A STEREOTYPE? (2) WHAT IS ONE WAY STEREOTYPES CAN BE BENEFICIAL ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE? (3) WHAT IS ONE WAY STEREOTYPES CAN BE NEGATIVE ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE? (4) WHAT PERPETUATES LABELS/STEREOTYPES IN SOCIETY?