Of Mice and Men context

Question 1

Racism

Answer 1

Great Depression hit the US 1929-39, deep south and black agricultural workers affected. Racism was engrained in deep south culture such as the KKK and blacks unable to travel on same buses, same schools and live in same areas.
They were forced to take poorly paid jobs with the introduction of Jim Crow laws named after a song about a black African American separated them from the rest of society.

Question 2

American Dream

Answer 2

The opportunity and freedom that allowed all citizens to achieve their goals in life through hard work and determination. This reflected a migrant workers lifestyle and kept workers going, like George and Lennie to ‘tend the rabbits’ and ‘live off the fatta the lan’.
QUINTISSENTIAL
MERITOCRACY
INTANGIBLE

Question 3

Wall Street Crash 1929

Answer 3

Wall Street Crash led to closing down of factories, bankrupting thousands of businesses and leaving millions unemployed. Half a million as farm labourers to California travelling through the dust bowl; hot searing conditions.
Itinerant workers lonely and isolated

Question 4

John Steinbeck’s inspiration for Of Mice and Men

Answer 4

Philosophical elements from Robert Burns poem ‘To a Mouse’, demonstrating how quickly plans can change.

Question 5

Mental Illness

Answer 5

Misconceptions of non-neurotypical people during the early 20th century were common as there was minimal understanding of mental illnesses at the time and were normally sent to mental asylums.