Since the setting of the Great Depression and the plight
of those dispossessed as a result of the fall of capitalism is intrinsic to the plot of
John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men, you may wish to prelude
your discussion of the conflicting relationships with some details about the historical
context in which the men find themselves. For, their distrust of one another and their
feelings of alienation and insecurity all stem from their displacement as a result of
the economic failure of the country.
For instance, you may
wish to provide some background on just who are the "bindle stiffs," that Curley's wife
calls the men, explaining how the men traveled on railway cars from as far away as
Minnesota to California, how they were treated by the managers of the farms, and how
lonely they were. Since it is because of this existing situation that the men act as
they do in the bunkhouse, an explanation of the setting introduces and helps to
support the discussion of conflict in the plot.
See the
links below for additional help.
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