A Comparison of Migrant Workers in The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men

“Lennie begged, "Le's do it now. Le's get that place now." "Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta." And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie's head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again. Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering.” (Steinbeck ___). At this moment in the book is where George and Lennie’s dream ultimately becomes impossible. Therefore, With Lennie’s death George is now unable to fulfill his dream as Lennie now can never be a part of it.

John Steinbeck was born and raised in Salinas, California, a town well known for farming and being poor. Its thought that his many conversations with the migrant workers of the area inspired a lot of his work, such as “Of Mice and Men”, a

George is the logical one, always figuring out some way to keep Lennie going. Such as the beginning of the tale when he states the dream to motivate Lennie to talk about something happy. “‘O.K. Someday we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and.’ ‘Live off the fatta the land’ Lennie shouted!”(Page 14) Talking about the dream gives Lennie some “reset” button, which sets his mood back to his cheerful self. Following the short journey of George and Lennie often involves talk about the American Dream, which ends with George losing his temper. Lennie has talked about leaving, but George wants him to stay. The relationship with Lennie is a vital factor for the dream. The significance of this is that Lennie is constantly a burden to the dream and has no way contributed to it. George needed Lennie in the idea but stated that he could make it without Lennie. Nevertheless, everything George does for Lennie is for the sake of this illusion to become a reality, even if George gets no reward. Also, George has shown that trouble follows this idea and can cause an additional problem. Candy is one of the people who has joined George. “They fell silent. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they never really believed in was coming true.” (Page 60). No longer a hallucination, George has inspired Lennie and Candy to the point where they will follow him to the end of the world.

John Steinbeck usually uses California and the Salinas valley as his setting and is usually placed in the 30s when the great depression occurred. The Grapes of Wrath is about a family living in Oklahoma and they are farmers during the period called the dustbowl in which culture was rough because there were droughts and conditions were not suitable for farming. This family, because they are not doing too well, decide to move to California to find jobs and dignity. The author writes about the struggle of a family during and Great Depression and also the struggle of each individual as their lives are being torn apart. He not only shows how they go through these hardships, but also how they will overcome them. In John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, he argues that all who follow the ways of the Bible will become renewed at the end. He uses religion and parallelism in order to bring to light, the chance of hope that is evident within dire circumstances, and project changes within people during turmoil.

For instance, George told Lennie if anything ever happens to meet him at the brush by the river. This shows George’s nurturing instincts toward Lennie. Although the act alone was tough, when someone loves someone so much they often do things to protect them even though it hurts. Critics say that if George loves Lennie as much as he said, he could have avoided killing him. His love for Lennie is evident after he witnesses Candy’s reaction to his dog’s death and Candy’s words “I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog”(Steinbeck 61). George takes it upon himself to make sure Lennie dies with happy thoughts. He makes sure Lennie leaves the earth with happy thoughts by telling him about their dream house with animals and farmland. “An we’ll have maybe a pig an’ chickens… an’ down the flat we’ll have a … little piece alfalfa” (Steinbeck 105). People think that George and Lennie could have escaped from the men on the ranch but, even if they did, deep down George knows the American of which they had dreamt would never come true. George knows in his heart he could not let the men on the ranch kill Lennie. He knows this based on Candy’s experience with his dog. George wants to make sure Lennie does not die alone and in

He gets his freedom, and he gets to ruin himself, and own a few acers. Lastly, to Candy, the dream is for him to be able to work the garden, and to live in a relaxed environment because he thinks that soon, the boss will let him go. A quote from the story to show how much Lenny likes hearing their American Dream is , and to show how important the American Dream means to him is “’Tell me like you done before.’ ‘Tell you what?’ ‘About the Rabbits’ George snapped ‘You ain’t gonna put nothing over me.’ Lennie pleaded ‘Come on George. Tell me. Please George. Like you done before’” (pg 13). This quote from the story shows how much Lennie believed in the dream. His mental disability made him act a lot younger than his actual age, he dreams a lot and can easily be tricked by what people say. He is very fragile and short tempered, like a young child can be. But also like a child, he believes in dreams, he still has the innocence and pureness, which causes him to have faith, and trust in the dream. A quote that shows that George is believes in the American Dream is “Maybe you’re gettin’ better. When we get a coupla acres I

In Steinbeck’s Of Mice of Men, George is confronted with the troubling conflict of ending his best and only friend’s life. In the depression stricken 1930’s, George Milton and Lennie Smalls are saving money until they can buy their dream homestead. This dream comes to a screeching halt when Lennie kills the boss’s son’s wife. George decides to end Lennie’s life while describing their dream homestead one last time . George should have killed Lennie because Curley would have tortured him, lennie was his responsibility, and he would have continued to do bad things.

California has a rich and vibrant history concerning a variety of people from around the world. While not all of California’s history is negative, many of California’s historical events had tragic implications for many impacted communities. This was the case during the Dust Bowl Migration, during which thousands of displaced midwestern Americans fled to California in search of a better life. However, California was not the paradise portrayed by handbills received by migrants who needed work. Hopeful farmers and their families arriving in California were met with public distaste by all of society. John Steinbeck’s The Harvest Gypsies, a collection of articles that played a large role in publicizing the brutal conditions that migrants faced, as well as the film The Grapes of Wrath, delved into why migrants left for California, the social conditions of the squatters’ camps, and how they were treated by society.

His mental disability had caused the dream they had created to be ruined. Curley, the man on the ranch who picks on Lennie, currently has a wife that is very isolated and lonely and loves to talk to Lennie since he is a very warm and soft loving man until she had told Lennie to feel her hair. Lennie wouldn't let go and Curley's wife was struggling to get out of Lennie's grasp. "And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck" (Steinbeck 91). This quotation explains how Lennie had ruined the dream because he had killed a woman and would be expelled from working on the ranch, leading to not making any money towards their life dream. Since George knew the dream was over, and that it wouldn't happen, he had to find Lennie. Since Curley had picked on him and had made fun of him, Curley was already after Lennie to kill. George knew this was all happening and knew he had to find Lennie before them to tell him the dream one more time before he was going to die. George had found Lennie on the creek side in the forest and told him about their dream one more time. Then George had Lennie at gunpoint. "His hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger” (Steinbeck 106). This quote from Of Mice and Men explains to the reader that Lennie had ruined their dreams once and for all since he had done terrible things to halt the dream. George had to put Lennie out of his misery since he was already going to be killed. George wanted to share their dream together one more

In The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck, the author captures the life of migrants, particularly the Joads, who were banished by the landowners and forced to migrate to California under the illusion that California was prosperous. The book captured the innate greediness and selfishness of men, particularly the upper classes, who under complete self-interest drove thousands of poor farmers and their families out of their own land, the land with the people “being born on it, working it, dying on it.” (Steinbeck 45). The land meant a love one to the farmers, and snatching the land showed the cruelty of the business men and the agrarian system.

George and Lennie's dream of owning land is unattainable, due to Lennie's lack of understanding of his own strength. This is proven when George finds out that Lennie has killed Curley's wife by snapping her neck accidentally,"-I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we'd never do her. He us like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would" (107). This portrays George thinking and contemplating about his dream and making the conclusion that he will never own a piece of land. Lennie's careless actions causes george to shoot Lennie ultimately destroying their dream.Candy doesn't want to be lonely his whole life, so when he hears about the plan that George and Lennie are going to try to do he gets excited. But, the plans are ultimately destroyed by George shooting Lennie.. Candy believed that he was so close to getting the ‘American Dream’. However, all hope was lost after George killed Lennie. This is evident when candy asks George "Then-it's all off?" Candy asked sulkily. George didn't answer his ... question. George said, "I'll work my month an' I'll take my fifty bucks and' I'll stay all night in some lousy cat house. Or I'll

The 1930's were a decade of great change politically, economically, and socially. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl wore raw the nerves of the people, and our true strength was shown. From it arose John Steinbeck, a storyteller of the Okies and their hardships. His books, especially The Grapes of Wrath, are reflections of what really went on in the 1930's. John Steinbeck did not write about what he had previously read, he instead wrote what he experienced through his travels with the migrant workers. "His method was not to present himself notebook in hand and interview people. Instead he worked and traveled with the migrants as one of them, living as they did and arousing no suspicion from employers militantly alert against

During the Great Depression, many citizens faced an arduous lifestyle of unemployment. However, many people managed to entertain themselves by reading literature such as The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck witnessed an injustice towards farmers during the Great Depression, and this inspired Steinbeck to present his perspective of the maltreatment to the open through The Grapes of Wrath. The fictional novel describes how unfortunate conditions, during the Great Depression, force an Oklahoma farmer family to travel to California in search for an easy life, job opportunities, and a bright future. John Steinbeck represented and connected his tones through his trope, making it an excellent read. In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

The 1930’s were a decade of great change politically, economically, and socially. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl wore raw the nerves of the people, and our true strength was shown. From it arose John Steinbeck, a storyteller of the Okies and their hardships. His books, especially The Grapes of Wrath, are reflections of what really went on in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck did not write about what he had previously read, he instead wrote what he experienced through his travels with the migrant workers. “His method was not to present himself notebook in hand and interview people. Instead he worked and traveled with the migrants as one of them, living as they did and arousing no suspicion from employers militantly alert against

They dream of living on their own on a farm. Lennie says, “An' live off the fatta the lan', an' have rabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we're gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove, and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut it. Tell about that George” (Steinbeck, 1937, 14). Lennie’s dream is to tend the rabbits while George tends the rest of the farm, but they do not have the money yet to go buy a place to live. They need to go make some money first, so they find a job at a small farm. The ranch agrees to take the two in only because of Lennie’s huge build. George needs to keep Lennie in line though, so they can quickly earn the money they need, and then leave the ranch. George is afraid that Lennie will mess up their opportunity at the farm because Lennie cannot control his strength or actions. A few days later the dream ends, and George loses all hope. Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, and Curley wants revenge. George knows that there is no chance that Lennie will make it alive, and he knows his dream is over. George has to make a decision of either killing Lennie painlessly himself, or letting Curley do it however he wants. George makes a tough decision, and decides to kill Lennie himself. Steinbeck says, “And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought back the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head.