Of Mice and Men, Great Depression Context, Essay Writing, and Moral Philosophy

Flashcards covering John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men' (character analyses, themes of ableism and inequality, and vocabulary), historical context of the Great Depression and New Deal, essay writing structure, and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks's teachings on ethics in Judaism.

When was John Steinbeck's novella 'Of Mice and Men' written, and what is its setting?

It was written in $1937$ and is set in California in the aftermath of the Great Depression.

What are the birth and death years of John Steinbeck, and how many books did he write?

Steinbeck lived between $1902$ and $1968$. He wrote $27$ books, including $16$ novels.

Where do many of John Steinbeck's literary works take place?

Salinas Valley of California.

How does the text define 'ableism'?

The idea that somebody without typical traits accepted by society should be treated as inferior and in need of fixing, or treating someone differently based on ability.

What animalistic imagery does Steinbeck use to introduce Lennie in Chapter 1?

He is described as 'walking heavily, dragging his feet, the way the bear drags his paws' and 'snorting into the water like a horse.'

What are the full names of the two main migrant workers in 'Of Mice and Men'?

George Milton and Lennie Small.

What excuse does George give the ranch boss for looking after Lennie?

George tells the boss that Lennie is his cousin.

What physical detail does the swamper reveal about Curley's left hand?

He wears a glove filled with vaseline.

To which two animals is Curley figuratively compared in the text?

A fish and a frog.

What specific physical features and clothing describe Curley's wife when she is introduced in Chapter 2?

Full rouged lips, wide-spaced eyes heavily made up, red fingernails, hair in rolled clusters like sausages, a cotton house dress, and red mules with bouquets of red ostrich feathers.

What derogatory phrases does George use to refer to Curley's wife after first meeting her?

He calls her a 'tramp,' 'that bitch,' and 'jail bait.'

What was Curley's wife's personal dream that was denied to her?

Her dream of acting in films ('I coulda made somethin' of myself').

What is the thematic significance of Steinbeck never giving Curley's wife a proper name?

It denies her even the most basic form of identity and history, reducing her to a mere plot device and reflecting the patriarchal status of women in the $1930\text{s}$.

What is Slim's job, estimated age, and physical description on the ranch?

He is a jerkline skinner, estimated to be around $35$ years old, tall, with an angular face and 'calm,' 'Godlike,' 'level and unwinking' eyes.

What did Slim do to four of his dog's nine puppies, and why?

He drowned four of them immediately because the mother could not nurse all nine, allowing the others to survive.

What ambiguous or harsh statements by Slim complicate his role as the pure 'moral centre' of the novella?

His statement to Candy, 'I wish't somebody'd shoot me if I got old an' a cripple,' and Whit's observation that 'Nobody don't know what Slim can do.'

What is Candy's role on the ranch, and what is his physical impairment?

He is the 'swamper' (handyman who performs odd jobs like cleaning) and he is missing one hand.

Who is Crooks, and where does he live on the ranch?

Crooks is the ranch's black 'stable buck' who has a crooked back and is segregated to live alone in the harness room of the stable with the animals.

In the Chapter 2 vocabulary list, what is the definition of a 'tick'?

A mattress covering.

How does the study guide define 'pugnacious' and 'mollified'?

'Pugnacious' means aggressive or eager to fight, and 'mollified' means pacified, calmed, or having anxiety softened.

What is a 'cyclical structure' in literature?

A narrative structure in which a text begins and ends in the same place.

What does each letter stand for in the TEAL essay body paragraph structure?

T = Topic sentence; E = Explain; E = Evidence; A = Analysis; L = Link (to the wider world or human experience).

What benchmark dates in October 1929 marked the Wall Street Crash?

'Black Thursday' (October $24$, $1929$) and 'Black Tuesday' (October $29$, $1929$).

What was the nationwide unemployment rate in the United States during the Great Depression?

Average unemployment reached nearly $25\%$, leaving approximately $15\text{ million}$ people unemployed.

What was 'the dole' in the early 20th century, and how was it perceived?

Receiving government welfare, money, or food freely without working for it; it was considered taboo and devastating socially and psychologically.

What agency did President Herbert Hoover establish to provide loans to large corporations, banks, and railroads?

The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC).

Which economist advocated the strategy of massive federal cash injections adopted by Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal?

John Maynard Keynes.

What derisive nickname did wealthy conservatives use for President Franklin D. Roosevelt?

'That man' or 'that man in the White House.'

How were women and minorities treated unequally under New Deal programs?

Jobs were reserved primarily for men as family breadwinners, women were paid less than men, and non-white workers were marginalized and segregated.

When did the 'black blizzards' of the Dust Bowl begin, and how many refugees migrated to California during the 1930s?

They began in $1931$, and more than $300{,}000$ refugees migrated into California.

What agricultural development displaced hundreds of tenant families and farm laborers in the Great Plains?

Mechanization and tractors operated by large agribusinesses, where one tractor could do the work of several families.

What was the 1936 Salinas Lettuce Strike, and which union was involved?

A strike for wage increases initiated by the Filipino Labor Union (formed in $1933$), which was brutally suppressed by a vigilante force organized by the local sheriff.

Which two non-fiction and fiction works written by Steinbeck in 1936 preceded 'The Grapes of Wrath'?

The novel 'In Dubious Battle' ($1936$) and the San Francisco News article series 'The Harvest Gypsies' (October $1936$).

Why does the Torah's creation account repeatedly emphasize the word 'good'?

To establish that existence has an inherent moral dimension that is not invented by humans, contrasting with myth and natural sciences.

How does the flood narrative in the Torah differ fundamentally from the Akkadian 'Enuma Elish'?

In the Akkadian narrative, the gods send a flood simply because humans are noisy; in the Torah, the flood is a moral consequence of human violence and corruption.

On what moral grounds does Abraham challenge God regarding the fate of Sodom?

'Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice?'

According to the prophetic reading (haftarah) of Isaiah 58 on Yom Kippur, what constitutes a true fast?

To loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke, share food with the hungry, and provide shelter and clothing for the poor.

What modern incident in Israel did Rabbi Sacks cite to illustrate ritual stringency without compassion?

Religious men spitting at an eight-year-old girl on her way to school over modesty, despite being punctilious about covering the challah on Shabbat so as not to shame the bread.

How did Enlightenment philosophers Immanuel Kant, David Hume, Jeremy Bentham, and G. E. Moore each attempt to ground secular ethics?

Kant grounded ethics in reason; Hume in emotion and sympathy; Bentham in utilitarian calculation of consequences (greatest happiness for the greatest number); and G. E. Moore in intuition.

What did historian Will Durant state happens to societies when they lose religious faith?

Intellectual history becomes a conflict between science and religion, and institutions like law, education, and marriage escape ecclesiastical control and become shorn of consoling theology.