Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Dear Parents:

Our next unit of study in eighth grade English will be the novel Of Mice and Men (1937) by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. According to the National Common Core Curriculum, which Arkansas has adopted and in which the Lake Hamilton School District participates, this novel is on the preferred reading list for eighth grade. 

Of Mice and Men is a classic that tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression. This novel is based on Steinbeck’s own experiences in California during the 1920s-30s.  While this novel is a required reading in many schools and has been studied in literature classes across the nation since its publication, Of Mice and Men has also been a frequent target of censorship for what some consider offensive language.  Our students will be sporadically exposed to some language and perspectives that we feel are inappropriate for today, but that accurately reflect the era of the 1930’s.

Although we do not condone the language and perspectives portrayed, the historical and literary value of this novel far outweigh any offensiveness that is depicted. Certainly our mission is to present the novel in the light of understanding our heritage and gaining respect for cultural and racial differences. The themes presented in this novel are many, including the following:  friendship, the American Dream, loneliness, companionship, tolerance, and fighting injustice.

If you have any questions, feel free to call Lake Hamilton Junior High to speak with any of us.

Sincerely,

Amanda Kincannon                         Jennifer McCullah                            Rachael Barnes

In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other.

— John Steinbeck in his 1938 journal entry