There have been two theatrical film versions of Of Mice and Men. The first was made in 1939 and stars Burgess Meredith as George as Lon Chaney, Jr. as Lennie. The second was released in 1992 and stars Gary Sinese as George and John Malkovich as Lennie. Compare them and then compare each to Steinbeck’s novel. Show how both film versions depart from the novel and try to determine why. The why is very important here.
2. Discuss Steinbeck’s development as a writer during the early 1930’s with a particular focus on The Pastures of Heaven and Of Mice and Men. In particular, show how he matures in terms of the manner in which the two books are written. You may also want to read and reflect on Tortilla Flat since it was written and published almost midway between the other two books.
3. Do some digging and identify the three people who you believe had the greatest effect on Steinbeck’s development as a novelist. Note that your three must exclude Ed Ricketts since we all know how important he was. Once you identify your three selections, discuss the impact of each on Steinbeck and his writing.
It’s a English Literature class, talk about the book written by