Of Mice and Men

1. Why did so many of the refugees pin their hopes for a better life on California? 

2. Explain what an “Okie” is and how this nickname came to be. 

3. Explain what the “Dust Bowl” is and how it was created. 

4. What recreational activities did the migrant workers engage in? 

5. What was the salary of the typical Migrant worker?  

6. Explain the type of “house” the workers rented and the cost. 

7. What was the “Roosevelt's Farm Security Administration” and explain what they did. 

8. Roosevelt addresses the nation in his second inaugural address, stating, "I see one-third of the nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished . . . the test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."

What happens after this? 

9. Farming in the Panhandle was difficult. Explain the steps the farmers took to try to over come this. 

11. What challenges did the workers face entering California?

12. What is the "American Dream"?

13. Discuss why Steinbeck entitled his book Of Mice and Men.