Of Mice and Men - Revision Booklet - Context, The Depression, Migrant Farmers, Ranch Hands, Chapter Summaries

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai

Revision booklet explaining the historical and personal context behind John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, linking the author’s interest in farm labourers to themes of poverty, dreams, and loneliness. Covers the Wall Street Crash and the Depression’s unemployment and housing collapse, then describes drought-driven failures and the migration of ranch workers to California. Summarizes the story’s structure and major character introductions, including key events across Chapter 1–3 and recurring motifs such as dreams and tension.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time49 min

AccessFree to download

Context

John Steinbeck

The Depression

Migrant farmers

Ranch hands

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

OF MICE AND MEN REVISION BOOKLET Context To understand the context of John Steinbeck's book, you need to know a bit about Steinbeck himself, and a little about economic conditions in 1930's America. John Steinbeck John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. Although his family was wealthy, he was interested in the lives of the farm labourers and spent time working with them. He used his experiences as material for his writing. He wrote a number of novels about poor people who worked on the land and dreamed of a better life, including The Grapes of Wrath, which is the heart-rending story of afamily's struggle to escape the dust bowl of the West to reach California. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, six years before his death in 1968. The Depression On October 29 1929, millions of dollars were wiped out in an event that became known as the Wall Street Crash. It led to the Depression in America which crippled the country from 1930 - 1936. People lost their life savings when firms and banks went bust, and 12 - 15 million men and women-one third of America's population-were unemployed. There was then no dole to fall back on, so food was short and the unemployed in cities couldn't pay their rent. Some ended up in settlements called 'Hoovervilles' (after the US president of the time, Herbert C Hoover), in shanties made from old packing cases and corrugated iron. A song about an unemployed man meeting an old friend he has fought alongside in the First World War and asking him for a dime (the price of a cup of coffee) summed up the national mood. Migrant farmers Added to the man-made financial problems were natural ones. A series of droughts in southern mid-western states like Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas led to failed harvests and dried-up land. Farmers were forced to move off their land: they couldn't repay the bank-loans which had helped buy the farms and had to sell what they owned to pay their debts. Many economic migrants headed west to 'Golden' California, thinking there would be land going spare, but the Californians turned many back, fearing they would be over-run. The refuges had nowhere to go back to, so they set up home in huge camps in the California valleys - living inshacks of cardboard and old metal-and sought work as casual farmhands. Ranch hands Against this background, ranch hands like George and Lennie were lucky to have work. Ranch hands were grateful for at least a bunk-house to live in and to have food provided, even thoughthe pay was low. Think about how the men agree to hush-up the fight between Curley and Lennie and claim that Curley got his hand caught in a machine: they know that Lennie and George would be fired if the boss came to hear of it, and then Lennie and George could be left with nothing. Chapter Summaries The story begins when George and Lennie prepare to arrive at a ranch to work-and ends in tragedy just four days later. The story is told in the third person, so we are provided with a clear, unbiased view of all the characters. Chapter 1 George and Lennie camp in the brush by a pool, the night before starting new jobs as ranch hands. George finds Lennie stroking a dead mouse in his pocket. He complains that caring for Lennie prevents him from living a freer life. We find out that Lennie's innocent petting of a girl's dress led to them losing their last jobs in Weed. However, when they talk about their dream of getting a piece of land together, we know they really depend on each other. • Soledad is a real place-means solitude in Spanish • Sets the scene and introduces two main characters • Like the opening of a film it starts with an establishing shot and then zooms in to more close up scenes • Description used at beginning but rarely after that – most of novel is based on dialogue and action • Section six is also set here – making the novel cyclical • The main themes of the novel are introduced in this

FAQs

What background about John Steinbeck does the revision booklet provide?

It explains that Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, became interested in farm labourers’ lives, and used those experiences in his writing. It also notes his Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

How does the revision booklet describe the Depression in 1930s America?

It links the Depression to the Wall Street Crash on October 29, 1929, describing widespread unemployment, lost savings, food shortages, and displacement into areas like Hoovervilles.

What key plot and theme elements are introduced in Chapter 1?

It covers George and Lennie arriving at a ranch job, Lennie stroking a dead mouse, their earlier job loss in Weed connected to Lennie’s innocence, and the dream of getting land together. It also highlights themes of loneliness and dreams and the section’s setting and cyclical structure.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai