John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California. He struggled to get his writing published until his first novel Cup of Gold in 1929. Of Mice and Men tells the story of ranch workers with dreams of owning land who are ultimately victims of their circumstances. The book was banned for its use of racial language and portrayal of life at the time, though some argue banning prevents understanding of history.

1. Of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck

2. Biography of John Steinbeck ->John Ernst Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, on February 27, 1902 ->After graduating from Salinas High School in 1919, Steinbeck attended Stanford University, However, he was unsuccessful in getting any of his writing published and finally returned to California. ->His first novel, Cup of Gold was published in 1929, but attracted little attention ->Steinbeck passed away December 20, 1968, in New York City.

3. Plot of story The men on the ranch travel by themselves and have no real connections to each other. Curley's wife spends her days wandering about the ranch, searching for someone with whom she can share her dreams. Crooks is segregated from the others, as he is not allowed to live in the bunkhouse with the others because he is black. Candy and Crooks join George and Lennie in their quest for the American dream, when they try to become a part of the plan to buy a house on a small piece of land. They all seem to understand from the outset, though, that they will never realize this dream. Finally, every one of the major characters is a victim. The ranch hands are victims of the boss's instructions and wishes. Curley's wife is a victim of a patriarchal society. Crooks is a victim of racism.

4. Why is it a Banned book? It was banned because of its racial talk and language.

5. My Reaction?!?!? I don’t think that it should be a banned book because people need to know how life was back then. If you don’t want your child, or other people to read it, then don’t, it’s your choice.

6. Bibliography www.google.com www.sparknotes.com www.ask.com www.ala.com