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Of Mice and Men

 
American Theater Guide: Of Mice and Men
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Of Mice and Men (1937), a play by John Steinbeck. [ Music Box Theatre, 207 perf.; NYDCC Award.] Farm laborer Lennie (Broderick Crawford) is a loving but infantile giant who has often killed pets accidentally with his crushing embrace. His buddy and fellow migrant worker, George (Wallace Ford), has warned him to be careful, since one day it might not be an animal that he kills. When their boss's sluttish daughter‐in‐law (Clare Luce) finds Lennie in a barn weeping over a dead puppy, she is sympathetic, so Lennie attempts to embrace her. But she screams and, in a panic, Lennie breaks her neck. George finds out where Lennie has run to hide and shoots him before the other men can get to him. Steinbeck based the play on his own novel, which appeared to have been written with a play in mind. The drama has seen many revivals, including a fine Broadway mounting in 1974 with Kevin Conway and James Earl Jones. The popular novelist John STEINBECK (1902–68) was born in Salinas, California, and educated at Stanford. Of Mice and Men was his first (and only) stage success, although he adapted some of his other stories for the stage, such as The Moon Is Down (1942) and Burning Bright (1950). Rodgers and Hammerstein's short‐lived musical Pipe Dream (1955) was based on Steinbeck's novella Sweet Thursday and his novel East of Eden served as the basis for the equally short‐lived musical Here's Where I Belong (1968).

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Notes on Novels: Of Mice and Men
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Contents:

Author Biography
Plot Summary
Characters
Themes
Style
Historical Context
Critical Overview
Criticism
Sources
For Further Study


Of Mice and Men is a novel set on a ranch in the Salinas Valley in California during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was the first work to bring John Steinbeck national recognition as a writer. The title suggests that the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry, a reference to Robert Burns's poem "To a Mouse." Of Mice and Men was selected for the Book of the Month Club before it was officially published, an honor that encouraged 117,000 copies of the novel to be sold before its official publication on February 25, 1937. Critical response to the novel was generally positive. There were, however, critics who were offended by the rough earthiness of the characters and their lives. By April 1937, the book was on best-seller lists across the country, and it continued to remain a top seller throughout that year. Steinbeck said that he was not expecting huge sales, and he was surprised by the substantial checks he received from his agents. In fact, Steinbeck became a celebrity with the publication of his novel, a status that he feared would negatively affect his work. Steinbeck conceived Of Mice and Men as a potential play. Each chapter is arranged as a scene, and each scene is confined to a single space: a secluded grove, a bunkhouse, and a barn.

With the success of the novel, Steinbeck worked on a stage version with playwright George Kaufman, who directed the play. Of Mice and Men opened on Broadway in New York City on November 23, 1937, with Wallace Ford as George and Broderick Crawford as Lennie. The reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and the play ran for 207 performances, winning the prestigious New York Drama Critics' Circle Award. The action of the novel occurs over the course of three days. Steinbeck created the novel's two main characters, George Milton and Lennie Small, to portray victims of forces beyond their control. George and Lennie are two migrant agricultural workers on a California ranch who share a dream of owning their own farm someday. They take jobs at a ranch where their hopes are at first raised but then destroyed by a tragic accident. Steinbeck depicts George and Lennie as two innocents whose dream conflicts with the realities of a world dominated by materialism and greed. Their extraordinary friendship distinguishes them from other hopeless and lonely migrant farm workers. The novel portrays a class of ranch workers in California whose plight had been previously ignored in the early decades of the twentieth century. In fact, George and Lennie are like mice in the maze of modern life. The great friendship they share does not prove sufficient to allow them to realize their dream. As a young man, Steinbeck learned about migrant laborers, usually un-married men recruited to work during harvest seasons, from his own experience as a worker on company-owned ranches. With Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck became a master craftsman, ready to write his masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath the following year.

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For other uses, see Of Mice and Men (disambiguation).
Of Mice and Men  
OfMiceAndMen.jpg
First edition cover
Author John Steinbeck
Cover artist Ross MacDonald
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Novella
Publisher Covici Friede
Publication date 1937
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 107
ISBN 978-0-14-017739-8
OCLC Number 29187600

Of Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California.

Based on Steinbeck's own experiences as a bindlestiff in the 1920s (before the arrival of the Okies he would vividly describe in The Grapes of Wrath), the title is taken from Robert Burns's poem, To a Mouse, which read: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley."

Required reading in many high schools, Of Mice and Men has been a frequent target of censors for what some consider offensive and vulgar language; consequently, it appears on the American Library Association's list of the Most Challenged Books of 21st Century.

Contents

Plot summary

Two migrant field workers in California during the Great Depression—George Milton, an intelligent and cynical man, and Lennie Small, an ironically-named man of large stature and immense strength but limited mental abilities—come to a ranch near Soledad southeast of Salinas, California to "work up a stake." They hope to one day attain their shared dream of settling down on their own piece of land. Lennie's part of the dream, which he never tires of hearing George describe, is merely to tend to (and touch) soft rabbits on the farm. George protects Lennie at the beginning by telling him that if Lennie gets into trouble George won't let him "tend them rabbits." They are fleeing from their previous employment in Weed where they were run out of town after Lennie's love of stroking soft things resulted in an accusation of attempted rape when he touched a young woman's dress.

At the ranch, the dream appears to move closer to reality. Candy, the aged, one-handed ranch-hand, even offers to pitch in with Lennie and George so they can buy the farm by the end of the month. The dream crashes when Lennie accidentally kills the young and attractive wife of Curley, the ranch owner's son, while trying to stroke her hair. A lynch mob led by Curley gathers. George, realizing he is doomed to a life of loneliness and despair like the rest of the migrant workers and wanting to spare Lennie a painful death at the hands of the vengeful and violent Curley, shoots Lennie in the back of the head before the mob can find him after they had recited their dreams of owning their own land.

Characters

“ I was a bindlestiff myself for quite a spell. I worked in the same country that the story is laid in. The characters are composites to a certain extent. Lennie was a real person. He's in an insane asylum in California right now. I worked alongside him for many weeks. He didn't kill a girl. He killed a ranch foreman. Got sore because the boss had fired his pal and stuck a pitchfork right through his stomach. I hate to tell you how many times I saw him do it. We couldn't stop him until it was too late. ”

—John Steinbeck, interview by The New York Times, 1937[1][2]
  • George Milton: A quick-witted man who is friends with Lennie. He looks after Lennie and dreams of a better life.
  • Lennie Small: A mentally disabled, but strong man who travels with George.[2] He dreams of "living off the fatta' the lan'" and being able to tend to rabbits.
  • Candy: A ranch worker (described as a "swamper") who lost a hand in an accident and is near the end of his useful life on the ranch. He wishes to join Lennie and George in their "dream" of a homestead.
  • Candy's dog: is described as "old" and "crippled", and is killed by Carlson. The death of Candy's dog foreshadows Lennie's fate.
  • Curley: The boss' son, a young, pugnacious character, once a semi-professional boxer. He is described by others, with some irony, as "handy". He is very jealous and protective of his wife and immediately develops a dislike toward Lennie.
  • Curley's wife: A young, pretty woman, who is mistrusted by her husband, Curley. The other characters refer to her only as "Curley's wife," which makes her the only significant character in the novella without a name. This lack of personal definition underscores this character's purpose in the story: Steinbeck explained that she is "not a person, she's a symbol. She has no function, except to be a foil – and a danger to Lennie."[2]
  • Slim: A "jerkline skinner," the main driver of a mule team. Slim is greatly respected by many of the characters and is the only character that Curley treats with respect.
  • Crooks: The only black ranch-hand. Like Candy, he is crippled. His nickname refers to a crooked back resulting from being kicked by a horse. He sleeps segregated from the other workers and is embittered from discrimination. He is frequently seen rubbing liniment into his spine.
  • Carlson: A "thick bodied" ranch-hand, he kills Candy's dog with little sympathy.
  • Whit: A ranch-hand.
  • The Boss: Curley's father, the owner of the ranch.
  • Aunt Clara: Lennie's Aunt, only mentioned in references to the past.

Themes

In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other.

– John Steinbeck in his 1938 journal entry[3]

Steinbeck emphasizes dreams throughout the book. George aspires for independence, to be his own boss, to have a homestead, and most importantly to be "somebody". Lennie aspires to be with George on his independent homestead, and to quench his fixation on soft objects. Candy aspires to reassert his responsibility lost with the death of his dog, and for security for his old age — on George's homestead. Crooks aspires to a small homestead where he can express self-respect, acceptance, and security. Curley's wife dreams to be an actress, to satisfy her desire for fame lost when she married Curley.

Loneliness is a significant factor in several characters' lives. Candy is lonely after his dog is gone. Curley's wife is lonely because her husband is not the friend she hoped for —- she deals with her loneliness by flirting with the men on the ranch, which causes Curley to increase his abusiveness and jealousy. The companionship of George and Lennie is the result of loneliness. Crooks states the theme candidly as "A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you."[4] The author further reinforces this theme through subtle methods by situating the story near the town of Soledad, which means "solitude" in Spanish.[5]

Despite the need for companionship, Steinbeck emphasizes how the nature of loneliness is sustained though the barriers established from acting inhuman to one another. The loneliness of Curley's wife is upheld by Curley's jealousy, which causes all the ranch hands to avoid her. Crooks's barrier results from being barred from the bunkhouse by restraining him to the stable; his bitterness is partially broken, however, through Lennie's ignorance.

Steinbeck's characters are often powerless, due to intellectual, economic, and social circumstances. Lennie possesses the greatest physical strength of any character, which should therefore establish a sense of respect as he is employed as a ranch hand. However, his intellectual handicap undercuts this and results in his powerlessness. Economic powerlessness is established as many of the ranch hands are victims of society during the Great Depression. As George, Lennie, Candy, and Crooks wish to purchase a homestead, but they are unable to generate enough money.

Fate is felt most heavily as the characters' aspirations are destroyed as George is unable to protect Lennie. Steinbeck presents this as "something that happened" or as his friend coined for him "non-teleological thinking" or "is thinking", which postulates a non-judgmental point of view.[3]

Development

Of Mice and Men was Steinbeck's first attempt at writing in the form of novel-play termed a "play-novelette" by one critic. Structured in three acts of two chapters each, it is intended to be both a novella and a script for a play. He wanted to write a novel that could be played from its lines, or a play that could be read like a novel.[6]

Steinbeck originally titled it Something That Happened, however, he changed the title after reading Robert Burns's poem, To a Mouse.[6] Burns's poem tells of the regret the narrator feels for having destroyed the home of a mouse while plowing his field; it suggests that no plan is fool-proof and no one can be completely prepared for the future.[citation needed]

Steinbeck wrote this book, along with The Grapes of Wrath, in what is now Monte Sereno, California. An early draft of the novel was eaten by Steinbeck's dog.[7]

Reception

Attaining the greatest positive response of any of his works up to that time, Steinbeck's novella was chosen as a Book of the Month Club selection before it was published. Praise for the work came from many notable critics, including Maxine Garrard (Enquirer-Sun)[8], Christopher Morley, and Harry Thornton Moore (New Republic).[9] New York Times critic Ralph Thompson described the novel as a "grand little book, for all its ultimate melodrama."[10][11]

The novella has been banned from various American public and school libraries or curricula for allegedly "promoting euthanasia", being "anti-business", containing profanity, racial slurs, and generally containing "vulgar" and "offensive language".[12] Many of the bans and restrictions have been lifted and it remains required reading in many other American, Australian, British, New Zealand and Canadian high schools. As a result of being a frequent target of censors, Of Mice and Men appears on the American Library Association's list of the Most Challenged Books of 21st Century (number 4).[13]

Adaptations

Main article: Of Mice and Men in popular culture

Cinema

Of Mice and Men was adapted to film several times, the first in 1939, only two years after the publication of the novel. This adaptation of Of Mice and Men stars Lon Chaney Jr. as Lennie, Burgess Meredith as George, and was directed by Lewis Milestone.[14] It was nominated for four Oscars.[14] In 1981 it was made into a TV movie. This version stars Randy Quaid as Lennie, Robert Blake as George, Ted Neeley as Curley, and was directed by Reza Badiyi.[15]

The most recent film version of Of Mice and Men (1992) was directed by Gary Sinise (who also played the part of George), who was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes.[16] The role of George's opposite, Lennie, was played by John Malkovich. For this adaptation, both men reprised their roles from a 1980 Steppenwolf Theatre Company production.[17]

Theater

Stage adaptations have also been produced. The first production was produced by Sam H. Harris and directed by George S. Kaufman and opened on November 23, 1937, in the Music Box Theatre on Broadway.[18] Running for 207 performances, it starred Wallace Ford as George and Broderick Crawford as Lennie.[18] The role of Crooks was performed by Leigh Whipper, the first African-American member of the Actors' Equity Association.[19] Whipper repeated his role in the 1939 film version.[14] It was chosen as Best Play in 1938 by the New York Drama Critics' Circle.[20] In 1939 the production was moved to Los Angeles, still with Wallace Ford in the role of George, but with Lon Chaney, Jr., taking on the role of Lennie. Chaney's performance in the role resulted in his casting in the movie.

The play was revived in a 1974 Broadway production in the Brooks Atkinson Theatre starring Kevin Conway as George and James Earl Jones as Lennie.[21] Noted stage actress Pamela Blair played Curley's Wife in this production.

In 1970 Carlisle Floyd wrote an opera based on this novel. One departure between Steinbeck's book and Floyd's opera is that the opera features The Ballad Singer, a character not found in the book.[22]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Mice, Men, and Mr. Steinbeck, The New York Times, 1937-12-05, p. 7 
  2. ^ a b c Parini, Jay (1992-09-27), FILM; Of Bindlestiffs, Bad Times, Mice and Men, The New York Times, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE6DD1F3AF934A1575AC0A964958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all, retrieved 2008-06-17 
  3. ^ a b Tracy Barr, Greg Tubach,, ed (2001) [2001]. Cliff Notes: On Steinbeck's Of Mice and men. 909 Third Avenue, New York City, New York: Wiley Publishing. ISBN 0-7645-8676-9. 
  4. ^ Of Mice and Men, p. 71
  5. ^ Kirk, Susan Van (2001) [2001]. Tracy Barr, Greg Tubach,. ed. Cliff Notes: On Steinbeck's Of Mice and men. 909 Third Avenue, New York City, New York: Wiley Publishing. ISBN 0-7645-8676-9. 
  6. ^ a b Dr. Susan Shillinglaw (2004-01-18). "John Steinbeck, American Writer". The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies. http://www.steinbeck.sjsu.edu/biography/briefbiography.jsp. Retrieved 2006-12-28. 
  7. ^ Robert McCrum (2004-01-18). "First drafts". Guardian Unlimited. http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,1125534,00.html. Retrieved 2006-12-27. 
  8. ^ "John Steinbeck - The Contemporary Reviews"
  9. ^ "John Steinbeck and His Novels - an appreciation by Harry Thornton Moore"
  10. ^ McElrath, Joseph R.; Jesse S. Crisler, Susan Shillinglaw (1996). John Steinbeck: The Contemporary Reviews. Cambridge University Press. pp. 71–94. http://books.google.com/books?id=uFSfYMpUyokC&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=%22mice+and+men%22+%22christopher+morley%22&source=web&ots=BB4Zc4-J23&sig=BKm63HIQyb3DF9OTIXqET578ckw#PPA86,M1. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  11. ^ CliffNotes: Of Mice and Men : About the Author. Wiley Publishing, Inc.. 2000-2007. pp. 71–94. http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/Of-Mice-and-Men.id-101,pageNum-2.html. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  12. ^ "Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century". American Library Association. 2007. http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=bbwlinks&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=136590. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  13. ^ "American Library Association list of the Most Challenged Books of 21st Century". American Library Association. 2007. http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2006/september2006/harrypottermostchallenge.cfm. Retrieved 2009-08-25. 
  14. ^ a b c "Of Mice and Men (1939)". Internet Movie Database Inc.. 1990-2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031742/. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  15. ^ "Of Mice and Men (1981)". Internet Movie Database Inc.. 1990-2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082838/. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  16. ^ "Of Mice and Men (1992)". Internet Movie Database Inc.. 1990-2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105046/. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  17. ^ "Of Mice and Men (1992)". Rotten Tomatoes / IGN Entertainment, Inc.. 1998-2007. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1040322-of_mice_and_men/. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  18. ^ a b "Internet Broadway Database: Of Mice and Men". The League of American Theatres and Producers. 2001-2007. http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=12320. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  19. ^ "Internet Broadway Database: Leigh Whipper". 2001-2007. http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=7209. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  20. ^ "National Steinbeck Center: About John Steinbeck : Facts, Awards, & Honors". National Steinbeck Center. http://www.steinbeck.org/. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  21. ^ "Internet Broadway Database: Of Mice and Men (1974)". The League of American Theatres and Producers. 2001-2007. http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3709. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  22. ^ "NY Times Review of 1983 City Opera production". www.nytimes.com, October 14, 1983. http://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/14/arts/opera-mice-and-men.html?&pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2009-07-17. 

Bibliography

External links

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Works by John Steinbeck
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