Of Mice and Men

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Slide 1

Of Mice and Men

By John Steinbeck

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John Steinbeck One of The Great American Writers of the 20th Century

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A Look at the Author

Born February 27th in 1902 in Salinas, California,

John was the third of four children, and the only son.

During his childhood, Steinbeck

learned to appreciate his surroundings,

and loved the Salinas countryside and

the nearby Pacific Ocean; it would be

this appreciation that would later come

out in his writing.

Steinbeck worked during his summers as a hired

hand in nearby ranches.

Slide 4

The Fields of Salinas, California

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The Beauty of Salinas

Rich, fertile soil

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At the age of 14 he decided to be a writer

and spent a lot of time writing in his room.

In high school, Steinbeck did well in English

and edited the school yearbook.

From 1919-1925 Steinbeck attended Stanford

University to please his parents, but only chose

courses that interested him, classical and British

Literature, writing courses, and an odd science

course.

However, Steinbeck did not receive a degree because he would drop in and out of school, sometimes to work with migrant workers and bindlestiffs on California ranches.

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What’s a Bindlestiff?

A hobo, especially one who carries a bedroll.

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During the late 1920s and 1930s, he concentrated on writing and wrote several novels set in California.

Steinbeck gained

great success by

readers and critics.

Slide 9

In 1929, he published his first novel, Cup of Gold

In 1930, Steinbeck married Carol Henning, and they

moved into his family’s home. His father helped support

the struggling couple, but unfortunately, they divorced in

1942.

In 1935, he won his first literary prize,

Commonwealth Club of California

Gold Medal for Best Novel by a

Californian for his novel, Tortilla Flat.

In 1936, Of Mice and Men was published,

and was so widely accepted that Steinbeck

began a book tour that led him to Europe.

Slide 10