Picturing the History Behind Of Mice and Men

For a moment the place was lifeless, and then two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool.
     They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.
     The first man stopped short in the clearing, and the follower nearly ran over him. He took off his hat and wiped the sweat-band with his forefinger and snapped the moisture off. His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself. (1.2-4)

Sound familiar? Kind of like the pictures, right? In writing, compare and contrast this opening section from Of Mice and Men to the pictures you analyzed in class. What does the text and the photographs show us about the 1930s?  Be specific!

Cowboy and Grandma Picture 1
Bag Man on Road Picture 2
Pea Picker Family Picture 3
Highway 84 Picture 4

 The very first sentence reminds me of the second picture we viewed in class. The second picture showed a lonely man walking down a long road with bag of belongings. The man is also wearing hat in the picture. These descriptions match how Steinbeck describes the boys: "Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders." Unlike the lonley man in the picture, though, these men have each other as company for the trip and unlike the picture, Steinbeck describes the faces of the two men. On of the men is small with skinny arms and strong hands while the other man is a larger with doleful eyes and clumsy feet. It reminds me a little bit of Pinky and the Brain.

I think Steinbeck and the pictures are trying to show us that the 1930s was a time of loneliness and sadness. People didn't have jobs and most farmers in the Midwest were trying to find farms to work on, but this was difficult because of the long drought and poor economic situation.

I found this webpage that has a few more pictures as well as a graph charting the poverty rates during the Great Depression. Check it out here!!