Era of the 1930's
Of Mice & Men
The life of Steinbeck
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California. Most of his works of fiction was set in his native region of Monterey Bay. In 1923 at high school one of his main courses was a general Zoology course, but he always planed to be a writer. he started out writing poems and short stories which appeared in diverse magazines. In the early 1930s, Steinbeck met Edward Ricketts, a marine biologist. Ricketts helped collaborate with Steinbeck with many stories. In 1937, Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men, a story of shattered dreams. It became Steinbeck’s First big success, which was later adapted into a three-act-play.
(source: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/johnstei.htm)
Mercy Killings
Mercy killings in the 1930's was something they would do if people was dying. They would kill them before they got to live their full life. The purpose was to "take them out of misery." In 1937 mercy killing could be necessary with infants born permanently born deformed.
The Great Depression
The Great Depression took place during the late twenties and for the rest of the 1930s. It was the worst and the longest economic downturn in us history. Stemming for the stock market crash that took place in 1929's. Banks lost money and during the time there was no FDIC so you money was not protected. By the 1933 over 14 million american's became unemployed.
Mental Retardation
In the 1930s people didn't understand mental disabilities the way we do now. Back then people with mental disabilities were forced to live lonely, isolated lives. When people that were diagnosed with a mental disabilities weren't looked at like they are today. Today we know they can live normal ives to they just need a little extra help. However back then if someone was diagnosed with a mental handicap they were looked at like they were just stupid and were helpless so they were forced into asylums to live lonely lives.