Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Original ISBN 978-0-14-017739-8
Penguin, 1937
107 pages

Plot Summary: George Milton and Lennie Small are two migrant ranch workers in the 1930s who dream of one day owning their own their land. Lennie is big and strong, but mentally challenged. George, who acts as Lennie’s guardian and protector, often has to right whatever trouble Lennie gets into. George and Lennie land on a ranch outside of Salinas and, within a few days, have a plan to make their dream of owning their own place a reality. But the plan is short-lived when Lennie once again gets into trouble. George must now make a big decision.

Critical Evaluation: Many of Steinbeck’s books talk about the farms in the San Joaquin Valley of California and the people who tended them right after the Dust Bowl. He describes the land with stunning detail so that those who have never seen it can picture it in their minds. Steinbeck fully develops his characters – even those with seemingly minor parts. The characters’ language is indicative of their station in life.

The title of this novella is in reference to a line in the Robert Burns’ poem, “To a Mouse”: “The best laid schemes of mice and men / often go awry.” There are many plans in this story that go awry.

Reader’s Annotation: George is willing to do anything to save his friend Lennie. Anything.

Author Information: Steinbeck was born in 1902 and died in 1968.

He wrote 27 books – fiction and nonfiction.  He is probably best known for writing books that dealt with farming in the San Joaquin Valley of California during the Dust Bowl. In 1940 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his book The Grapes of Wrath, and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

Genre: Adult, literary fiction

Curriculum Ties: American History to illustrate Depression-era farmworkers; English Language Arts to illustrate theme.

Booktalking Ideas: How far would you go to help out a friend?

Reading Level / Interest Age: Adult crossover

Lexile: 630

Challenge Issues: Of Mice and Men is one of the most challenged of all books. Reasons for challenges are often for profanity, racial slurs, using the Lord’s name in vain, and derogatory remarks against women and the handicapped. The defense of any book begins with a sound collection development policy, being familiar with the text and finding positive professional reviews, noting any awards given to the book.

Reason for Item’s Inclusion: Living in the San Joaquin Valley of California (where many of Steinbeck’s novels are set), reading Steinbeck is a must. Students can relate to the surroundings, especially the agriculture. Due to its short length, students often don’t baulk at reading it.

References:

Banned and/or challenged books from the Radcliffe Publishing course top 100 novels of the 20^th Century. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/reasonsbanned