History Behind "Of Mice and Men"
By: Jenna Lund and Rachel Keyser
The American Dream
The American Dream is a national ethos for the United States. It symbolizes that everyone should get the opportunity to achieve all that they want by hard work and focus. The truth about the American Dream is that it has no true definition. The American Dream can be different for everyone and evolve overtime.
The American Dream theory was originated in the Declaration of Independence, where the phrase "all men are created equal" was written. This was for us to prosper to work towards a future where everyone can work to their full potential without any artificial barriers. Although the American Dream substance was created in 1776, the actual phrase itself was made famous in 1931 in the book Epic of America by James Truslow Adams.
Even before the Declaration of Independence, in 1774 the popular American Dream was the "frontier life". Many thought about life beyond the east coast and thought living over in the frontier would be a paradise. Or in 1849 during the The California Gold Rush. The American Dream then was all about instant wealth. This only supports that the American Dream evolves and can be different for everyone.
Nowadays what the American Dream means is for our children to receive a good education and to have successful careers. To grow up in a world that is good and giving for our future generations.
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was said to occur in October the year of 1929. This was not only an United States tragedy, but this depression was spreading around the world as well. For the United States, everything started to all fall apart when the stock market crashed in Wall Street. Money became a strenuous object and by 1933 was leaving 13 to 15 million people unemployed and many in poverty.
It wasn't just the stock market that caused America to enter the Great Depression. It was a build up of an overproduction of agriculture leaving farmers in debt and lending money to Germany during World War 1. Once all these things hit America at once customers stopped buying and ended up leaving industries to run dry and let their workers go. This chain reaction let alone was the sole reason why it took us so long to recover from this. Eventually when Franklin D. Roosevelt he helped the country out of the depression in 1939 just at the start of World War 2.
John Steinbeck; the author of Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck was born on February 27th, 1902. He was born in Salinas California with a mother named, Olive and a father named, John Ernest Steinbeck. John had three sisters named Elizabeth, Esther, and Mary. While growing up John had three spouses. His first wife was Carol Hemming(1930-1942). Then he married, Gwyndolyn Conger(1943-1948). His last wife which he was with until he died was, Elaine Anderson Scott, they got married in 1950. John is the author of 27 great books. With the themes of, nature of dreams, loneliness, fate, and struggles of common man.
The Greatest Accomplishments of John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck had 27 books, and many of his books went up for nominations. One of his most famous books is Tortilla Flat. Tortilla flat won his first Commonwealth medal for best novel in California. This book is about a group of laid back countrymen who are a small band in the days of after the end of The Great War. Another accomplishment of John Steinbeck is, Of Mice and Men. This book won the New York Drama Critics Award. This book tells a story about George Milton and Lennie Small. Who are both ranch workers who move place to place to try and find a job during The Great Depression. The Grapes of Wrath is another popular book by John Steinbeck. This book won the greatest critical book. This book is about a family that is forced out of their farm during The Great Depression and the Bust Bowl to search for a job, along with hundreds of other families. Another accomplishment for John Steinbeck is, Lifeboat. This book was up for Academy Award for best story. Although John does not win, he story is still very popular. This book is about several British and U.S. civilians who are stuck in a little boat in the North Atlantic after theirs ships sunk in combat. John Steinbeck also won the Nobel Prize for literature. John Steinbeck is also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The last book that John published before he died was, America and Americans. All of these books and awards have helped literature grow, even all the books that John Steinbeck has written that did not win an award.