Of Mice and Men

• Born in Salinas, California, on

February 27
• Parents encouraged his love of writing
• Learned about ranch life as a teen
during summers
• These experiences would help him
create rich characters and beautiful
descriptions of the land
• Graduated from Salinas High School
in 1919
• Attended Stanford University
• His attendance was poor, and he only
took classes that interested him (for
example, writing, literature, and
marine biology)
•Left Stanford in 1925
•Moved to New York City
•His first novel, Cup of Gold, was published
in 1929
•The
Pastures of Heaven and To a God
Unknown followed
•Married his first wife, Carol Henning, in
1930
•Lived in Pacific Grove (close to
Monterey).
•Tortilla
Flat (1935) received the California
Commonwealth Club's Gold Medal for
best novel by a California author.
• The Grapes of Wrath (1939) won the Pulitzer
Prize.
• War Correspondent during World War II
• Some of his war articles were published in Once
There Was a War.
• Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962
• A private person who did not seek publicity.
• Died December 20, 1968, in New York City
• Survived by his third wife, Elaine (Scott)
Steinbeck and one son, Thomas.
• His ashes were placed in the Garden of
Memories Cemetery in Salinas.
 
SETTING
 Of Mice and Men is set
on a Salinas Valley
ranch in California
during The Great
Depression of the
1930s.
 Many migrant workers from the
Midwest and South (notably, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas), migrated
to California in search of work.
Lennie - 
Large and childlike character
Intellectually challenged
Depends on his best friend, George
They share a dream of owning a ranch Nice and
loving
Does not know his own strength.
George - 
•Lennie’s traveling
companion
•Like a parent to Lennie
•Talks about how much
better his life would be
without needing to care for
Lennie
•Good hearted
•Easily frustrated by Lennie
Candy - 
•old handyman
(“swamper”)
•lost his hand in an
accident
•has an old dog that
is sick, who smells,
and is crippled
Candy’s dog
•Used to be a great worker.

Very valuable herding

dog.
•Old and not much use to

anyone anymore.
•Candy’s closest

companion
•Often looked at by the

others, as a burden.
Curley - 
•boss's son
•wears high-heeled boots
to set him apart
•former prizefighter
•Physically, he is a small
man
•Full of bravado and
implied threat
 
Curley's wife - 
•only female
character
•Steinbeck never
gave her a name
•recently married
to Curley
•flirtatious with
other men.
  

 Crooks - 
 The only African-
American on the
ranch
 Gets his name
from his crooked
back
 Lives in separate
quarters
Slim -  He is more than
competent at his job and
is well respected. The
other characters often
look to Slim for advice.
Everyone looks up to
Slim, and his word is
taken as the final stance.
 
 Carlson -  He is a
ranch-worker, and
he complains
constantly about
Candy's old, smelly
dog. He’s a minor
character, but is
significant in many
ways.
Themes to Consider as
we Read:
 Friendship
 Loneliness
 Intellectual disabilities
and the stereotypes
associated.
 Racism
 Strong vs. Weak
 Dreams vs. Reality