Junior Paper
Shantelle Knight
Mr. Robbins
AP Language
January 9, 2013
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck relates the history of the 1900s to the book he writes called Of Mice and Men, which is written in the 1930’s. The issue of segregation is one way Steinbeck compares the two. Another relation to Steinbeck’s life in Of Mice and Men is his job as a “bindle stiff” which means farmhand. One of the major settings in Of Mice and Men is on the farm that is believed to be referred to Steinbeck’s job. Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California. This is also where this story takes place. As you can see Steinbeck uses a lot of his own personal experience to write his fictions. Steinbeck went to Stanford, but failed to graduate from that college. His working class experience helps develop the interesting personality of the main characters in his novels. There is a significance of “dream, friendship, and loneliness” in this story. Written around the time of the Great Depression, and other major important historical events, Steinbeck uses the events happening around this time to make this novel extraordinary.
One major thing is how he expresses the racial tension between the workers and farm owners. Change is one of the themes expressed in this story. Although the blacks worked on the farm and did the most of the work in the town, they were not appreciated at all. They were treated as if they were wild animals yet to be tamed. Crooks is an African American, self-educated man, who works on this farm, Crooks is the only colored in this story. He is treated differently compared to everyone else. Crooks has a “cynical intelligence and a contemptuous demeanor that he uses to prevent others from inevitably excluding him because of his race.” Crooks is always excluded from the activities of the other farm workers and treated very poorly. '"Why ain't you wanted?" Lennie asked. "'Cause I'm black they play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink.”(p.68).This quote
Mr. Robbins
AP Language
January 9, 2013
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck relates the history of the 1900s to the book he writes called Of Mice and Men, which is written in the 1930’s. The issue of segregation is one way Steinbeck compares the two. Another relation to Steinbeck’s life in Of Mice and Men is his job as a “bindle stiff” which means farmhand. One of the major settings in Of Mice and Men is on the farm that is believed to be referred to Steinbeck’s job. Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California. This is also where this story takes place. As you can see Steinbeck uses a lot of his own personal experience to write his fictions. Steinbeck went to Stanford, but failed to graduate from that college. His working class experience helps develop the interesting personality of the main characters in his novels. There is a significance of “dream, friendship, and loneliness” in this story. Written around the time of the Great Depression, and other major important historical events, Steinbeck uses the events happening around this time to make this novel extraordinary.
One major thing is how he expresses the racial tension between the workers and farm owners. Change is one of the themes expressed in this story. Although the blacks worked on the farm and did the most of the work in the town, they were not appreciated at all. They were treated as if they were wild animals yet to be tamed. Crooks is an African American, self-educated man, who works on this farm, Crooks is the only colored in this story. He is treated differently compared to everyone else. Crooks has a “cynical intelligence and a contemptuous demeanor that he uses to prevent others from inevitably excluding him because of his race.” Crooks is always excluded from the activities of the other farm workers and treated very poorly. '"Why ain't you wanted?" Lennie asked. "'Cause I'm black they play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink.”(p.68).This quote