ofmiceandmencriticism

Steinbeck Bibliography
Of Mice and Men Criticism

Baines, Lawrence. “From Page to Screen: When a Novel is Interpreted for Film, What
          Gets Lost in the Translation?” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 39
          (1996): 612-22.
          Analyzes the aspects of language in the novels Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird,
          and Wuthering Heights and their film adaptations. Finds that the film versions use fewer
          polysyllabic words, less complex sentence structure, and less lexical diversity. Also discusses
          the loss of dialogue, plot, character, and theme development in the films. Does not comment
          on the 1939 version’s naming of Curley’s wife and the changes that it creates in the
          interpretation of her story.

Irr, Carren. “Queer Borders: Figures from the 1930s for U.S.-Canadian Relations.”
          American Quarterly 49 (1997): 504-530.
          Discusses the gendered metaphor commonly used to compare the United States (man) to
          Canada (woman) and suggests that the metaphor be shifted from a gendered one to a
          queer one. Compares Of Mice and Men to Canadian Irene Baird’s Waste Heritage (1939) to
          show how each text has become a representation and emblem of its cultures. Shows that
          each text features a male couple (suggests homosexual relationships), that each couple consists
          of men of disparate sizes, and each novel ends with a realization that neither partner controls
          the relationship. Attempts to link the relationship of the men in these novels to the
          U.S.-Canadian relationship.

Karson, Jill, ed. Readings on Of Mice and Men. Greenhaven Press Lit. Companion to
           Amer. Lit. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1998.
           Designed for young adults to provide an introduction to literary analysis and criticism.
           Features nineteen previously published essays divided into four chapters: “The Themes in
           Of Mice and Men,” “Symbols, Structure, and Fictional Method,” “A Critical Selection,”
           and “Of Mice and Men: The Play.” Each essay is chosen for easy accessibility and is
           edited for comprehension at a young adult level. Includes a short biography, a chronology,
            a list of major works by Steinbeck, and suggestions for further reading.

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