John Steinbeck's Life

Steinbeck was an American author. He was not always a famous and successful author but would go on to become one of the most successful authors of the 20th century.

Early career

John Steinbeck was not initially successful as a writer. He had to face rejection several times.
Perhaps this idea of keeping faith in a distant dream shines through in the character of George, who holds onto his dream of one day having a better life.

Success after Of Mice and Men

Unlike George, Steinbeck’s dreams came true as he went on to be one of the most successful and critically acclaimed writers of the 20th Century.
Winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 was perhaps the pinnacle of his writing career.

Steinbeck's background

John Steinbeck was born in Salinas in 1902, which is the region of California where the novel is set. Many of his stories are set in this area and Steinbeck uses his knowledge of the region to create realistic images of the settings.

Steinbeck's passions

Steinbeck was known to have a love of nature and wildlife, and again, this can be seen in many of the descriptions in Of Mice and Men, particularly the description of the river bank where the story starts and finishes.
Steinbeck describes “sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs” (Section 1), “a stilted heron” (Section 1) and a “little water snake” which “swam up the pool, turning its periscope head from side to side.” (Section 6)

1Context & Overview

1.1Context & Overview

1.1.1The Great Depression

1.1.2Racism

1.1.3The American Dream

1.1.4Of Mice & Men

1.2John Steinbeck

1.2.1John Steinbeck's Life

1.2.2End of Topic Test - Context & Overview

2Plot

2.1Section 1 - Analysis

2.1.1Section 1 - Plot

2.1.2Section 1 - Overview

2.2Section 2 - Analysis

2.2.1Section 2 - Plot

2.2.2Section 2 - Overview

2.3Section 3 - Analysis

2.3.1Section 3 - Plot

2.3.2Section 3 - Overview

2.3.3End of Topic Test - Sections 1-3

2.4Section 4 - Analysis

2.4.1Section 4 - Plot

2.4.2Section 4 - Overview

2.5Section 5 - Analysis

2.5.1Section 5 - Plot

2.5.2Section 5 - Overview

2.6Section 6 - Analysis

2.6.1Section 6 - Plot

2.6.2Section 6 - Overview

2.6.3End of Topic Test - Sections 4-6

3Key Characters

3.1Main Characters

3.1.1George

3.1.2Lennie - Strength

3.1.3Lennie - Innocence & Dependence

3.1.4Slim

3.1.5Curley

3.1.6Curley's Wife - Flirtatious

3.1.7Curley's Wife - Lonely & Heartbroken

3.1.8Crooks

3.1.9Candy

3.1.10End of Topic Test - George & Lennie

3.1.11End of Topic Test - Slim, Curley & Curley's Wife

3.2Minor Characters

3.2.1Minor Characters

3.2.2End of Topic Test - Crooks, Candy & Others

4Themes

4.1Key Themes

4.1.1Hopes, Dreams & Reality

4.1.2Racial Prejudice

4.1.3Loneliness & Companionship

4.1.4The Weak & Strong

4.1.5Women

4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes

5Authorial Method

5.1Writing Techniques

5.1.1Dialogue

5.1.2Imagery

5.1.3Light

5.1.4Sound

5.1.5Symbolism

5.1.6Structure

5.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques

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