By the spring of 1936, John Steinbeck’s life was on an upward trajectory. Fresh off the commercial success of his 1935 novel Tortilla Flat, Steinbeck and his wife, Carol, were building a new home in the wilderness outside Los Gatos, California. With newfound financial stability, the couple looked forward to a brighter future. Amid this optimism, Steinbeck embarked on a new writing project. Tentatively titled Something That Happened, it was intended as a children’s story but soon evolved into an experimental narrative, one that could be experienced on the page or performed on stage.
Then, an unexpected challenge struck. On May 27, 1936, Steinbeck wrote to his literary agent about an incident involving his young setter puppy, Toby. “My setter pup, left alone one night, made confetti of about half of my manuscript,” he lamented. “Two months’ work to do over again.” There was no backup draft. For many, such an event might have been a catastrophic setback. But Steinbeck’s reaction reveals much about his resilience and perspective.
“I was pretty mad,” Steinbeck admitted, but his anger quickly gave way to understanding. “The poor little fellow may have been acting critically,” he joked. Toby’s punishment was a mere swat with a flyswatter, underscoring Steinbeck’s unwillingness to let frustration override his affection for his dog. He even questioned the quality of his lost work, suggesting that Toby might have done him a favor.
This episode didn’t deter Steinbeck. Instead, it spurred him to rewrite the manuscript with renewed vigor. Inspired by the serene environment of his new home and a study tailored to his needs, Steinbeck reimagined the story of two codependent migrant workers, George and Lennie. By August 1936, he submitted the completed novella to his editors. Renamed Of Mice and Men, it was published in February 1937 to critical and commercial acclaim. The book’s success solidified Steinbeck’s status as a literary icon and provided the means for him, Carol, and Toby to enjoy the finer things in life.
For Activity Advisors, Steinbeck’s story is a reminder of the resilience required in leadership and creativity. When faced with unforeseen challenges—whether it’s a project setback, a canceled event, or an unexpected critique—how we choose to respond shapes our path forward. Steinbeck’s ability to turn a frustrating incident into a stepping stone toward greatness serves as an inspiring example of perseverance and perspective.
So, the next time you’re confronted with a figurative “Toby moment,” remember Steinbeck’s story. Sometimes, what seems like a setback may just be the nudge you need to create something extraordinary.
Lessons in Leadership: What Advisors and Students Can Learn from John Steinbeck and His Dog Toby
John Steinbeck’s story of how his dog Toby destroyed half of his manuscript for Of Mice and Men offers valuable insights into leadership, resilience, and the creative process. As educators and advisors, these lessons can inspire students to approach challenges with humor, perseverance, and adaptability. Here are three key takeaways to share with your students:
1. Embrace Setbacks as Opportunities to Grow
Steinbeck could have let the loss of his manuscript derail his progress, but instead, he reframed the setback as an opportunity to improve. He joked that Toby might have been a critic, suggesting the work needed revising anyway.
Lesson for Students: When things go wrong, take a moment to reflect and find the silver lining. Challenges and mistakes can lead to better outcomes if approached with the right mindset.
2. Perseverance Fuels Success
Rather than give up or dwell on his misfortune, Steinbeck started over, re-writing the manuscript with renewed determination. His persistence paid off, as Of Mice and Men became one of his most celebrated works.
Lesson for Students: Success often requires starting over and putting in extra effort after a failure. Perseverance is the key to achieving great things.
3. Maintain Perspective and Humor
Despite his initial frustration, Steinbeck’s letter to his agent was laced with humor and understanding toward Toby. This shows how important it is to maintain perspective in stressful situations.
Lesson for Students: Staying calm and keeping a sense of humor can help you navigate tough times. Remember, even when things seem overwhelming, there’s always a way forward.
How to Apply These Lessons in Leadership Activities
Reflection Journals: Ask students to write about a time when they faced a major setback and how they overcame it. Encourage them to find humor or positivity in the experience.
Resilience Scenarios: Create scenarios where students have to brainstorm ways to turn “disasters” into opportunities for growth.
Leadership Circle: Share Steinbeck’s story with your students and discuss how humor, perspective, and perseverance can apply to their roles as leaders.
Steinbeck’s tale reminds us that even the greatest achievements often emerge from moments of chaos and frustration. As advisors, let’s encourage our students to embrace these moments, learn from them, and move forward stronger than before.
Share the Story
Feel free to tell students about Steinbeck and Toby—it’s a fun, relatable example that shows how even literary giants face challenges. And who knows? It might inspire the next great leader or storyteller in your class!
10-Minute Lesson Plan: Unified Approach
“Resilience, Perspective, and Perseverance: Lessons from Steinbeck”
Objective:
Students will understand how setbacks can be reframed into opportunities, the value of perseverance, and the importance of maintaining humor and perspective in leadership and life.
Materials:
The story of John Steinbeck and Toby (printed or projected)
Reflection prompts (printed or displayed)
Whiteboard or chart paper
Lesson Steps:
Hook (2 minutes):
Share a quick summary of Steinbeck’s story, focusing on how Toby destroyed his manuscript and how Steinbeck responded. Highlight the humor in Steinbeck’s reaction and the success of Of Mice and Men. Ask students: “Have you ever faced a setback that made you want to give up? What did you do?”
Group Discussion (4 minutes):
Divide students into small groups. Assign each group one of the three lessons:
Embracing setbacks as opportunities to grow
Perseverance fueling success
Maintaining perspective and humor
Ask each group to discuss their lesson and come up with a real-life example (personal, historical, or fictional) that demonstrates it.
Sharing and Reflection (3 minutes):
Groups briefly share their examples. Then, as a class, discuss how these lessons can be applied to school, extracurricular activities, and leadership roles.
Closing Challenge (1 minute):
Ask students to write down one specific way they will apply these lessons in the next week (e.g., “I will handle setbacks on my project with humor” or “I will persist even when I feel like quitting the debate team”).
10-Minute Lesson Plan: Individual Lessons
Lesson 1: Embrace Setbacks as Opportunities to Grow
Objective:
Students will explore how to reframe setbacks as opportunities for growth and improvement.
Materials:
Example scenarios of setbacks (printed or displayed)
Lesson Steps:
Hook (2 minutes):
Share Steinbeck’s story. Ask students: “What would you do if something you worked on for months was destroyed?”
Scenario Exercise (5 minutes):
Present 2-3 short scenarios (e.g., “You lose the script for a school play two days before auditions.”). Have students brainstorm solutions and ways to reframe each setback as an opportunity.
Reflection (3 minutes):
Ask students to share their solutions and discuss how these strategies could apply to their real-life challenges.
Lesson 2: Perseverance Fuels Success
Objective:
Students will learn how persistence can lead to success even after failure.
Materials:
Quotes about perseverance (printed or displayed)
Lesson Steps:
Hook (2 minutes):
Share Steinbeck’s story, focusing on how he rewrote the manuscript. Ask: “Have you ever had to redo something you worked hard on? How did it feel?”
Quote Analysis (5 minutes):
Share quotes like, “Fall seven times, stand up eight” (Japanese proverb). Ask students to interpret the quotes and connect them to Steinbeck’s story or their own experiences.
Reflection (3 minutes):
Have students write about a time when perseverance paid off for them or someone they know.
Lesson 3: Maintain Perspective and Humor
Objective:
Students will learn how humor and perspective can help in overcoming challenges.
Materials:
Funny anecdotes or images about minor mishaps (printed or displayed)
Lesson Steps:
Hook (2 minutes):
Share Steinbeck’s reaction to Toby’s destruction. Ask: “Why do you think he chose to laugh about it instead of staying angry?”
Mishap Stories (5 minutes):
Share a funny anecdote or image of a mishap (e.g., “a spilled smoothie on homework”). Ask students to come up with humorous or positive takes on each situation.
Reflection (3 minutes):
Discuss how humor and perspective help reduce stress and lead to better problem-solving. Encourage students to identify one way they can bring humor into their challenges this week.