Of Mice and Men - George and Lennie

Steinbeck's novel 'Of Mice and Men' explores the everyday lives of migrant workers during the Great Depression. In this era, American men were forced to leave their families and become 'drifters'. These were people who didn't have a fixed job and continually moved from place to place.

Throughout time man has encountered many trials and tribulations. One of these unpredictable changes was the depression era in the Western region of America. From the beginning to the end of the novel, Of Mice & Men (1937), by John Steinbeck, life is portrayed as cruel and an insurmountable conquest. During the 1930's the worst economic collapse of the world occurred : the Depression. The setting throughout this novel sets the emotions high because of the hardships that were encountered by two men looking for work. These men were George Milton and Lennie Small. George was "small and quick and hard of the face, and had sharp strong features" (9). Lennie was the opposite a " huge

In the novella “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, there are two guys named George and Lennie. They were friends for a very long time and stood by each other. Some people may argue that George was a bad friend to Lennie but I believe that he was a good friend. Friends aren’t perfect, they will mess up. Just because George messed up and made questionable actions towards Lennie, that doesn’t make him a bad friend. You will not find a friend that has never done wrong by you.

In 1929, tears swept the nation and gloom bestowed itself upon a once happy place. The Great Depression had started. People lost everything ,so many became migrant workers. Of Mice and Men, a classic novel written by John Steinbeck, emphasizes many sad themes, but gives us a good insight on what life was like in the 1940’s for many people. Although there are other themes, rootlessness, loneliness, and poverty are extremely prominent throughout the novel in many characters.

In this novel, George and Lennie have the dream to purchase a small farm and farm the land themselves. In contrast to most dreams, their dream is very modest and achievable. Their dream is realistic because their friendship has been established through years of togetherness and the basic needs of both the characters (Scott, 1985, p. 39). George and Lennie are dependant on each other. Through Lennie, George can feel superior and justify his own failures. Through George, Lennie is provided with direction in life. Lennie is protected from himself by George. But, the most prominent reason their dream is realistic is that the farm is in actual existence and George has a vivid picture of it in his mind (Scott, 1985, p. 43). Sadly, regardless of the realism of their goal, inevitable destruction must occur. Although it is beyond his control, Lennie’s circumstances are what destroys the dream. Steinbeck creates Lennie to exist in a society where he is rejected because of his constant conflict with others. According to Brenda Foster Scott in John Steinbeck's Concept of the Individualistic Survival of the American Dream, “such characters are destined for failure not only because of a non-teleological view which pits them against a world which lies beyond any distinctions of that which is moral or immoral, but also against a society which cannot tolerate their inabilities to

Their dream also sets George apart from the others because it means he and Lennie have a future and something to anticipate. Unlike Lennie, George does not see their dream in terms of rabbits; instead, he sees it in a practical way. Their farm will be one where they can be independent and safe and where he will not have to worry about keeping track of Lennie 's mistakes. They can be secure and in charge of their own lives. However, Lennie is the one who adds the enthusiasm because George never really believed they could swing this farm of their own. He mostly uses the story to give Lennie something to believe in for their future. Only when Candy offers

Picture a world surrounded by prejudiced acts that are enforced and allowed. Presently, many types of prejudice still occur in the world in many countries, but “Of Mice and Men” was taken place in a time where prejudice was more of a lifestyle than an action. Steinbeck’s novella involves two men, named George and Lennie, who work as labourers on a ranch in Soledad, California. Lennie has mental disabilities, which promotes him to make mistakes and poor actions throughout “Of Mice and Men”. Due to the rising action and climax of Lennie’s events, George is forced to shoot him in the conclusion of the novella, enabling him to help achieve his American Dream. The novella was written in the 1930’s, where racial and gender inequality took over the

is in the air. Animals begin to scatter. Two men have arrived on the scene,

John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, takes place during the Great Depression in the 1930’s, in the Salinas Valley, California. It establishes the prospect of the American Dream, discrimination,loneliness, and disenfranchisement through its characters. George and Lennie provided the value of the American Dream, to which the leading female role, Curley’s wife, represents how women are exempt from the American Dream, and appeared as less than equal to men. She developed a form of loneliness throughout the course of the novel. The novella seeks to demonstrate the way of which life was like for the characters of all different statuses and backgrounds. Through Curley’s wife’s character, we are able to see how life was like for a women during

The author shows evidence of Lennie’s dream affecting George, by George bribing Lennie with their dream. George says in the text, “But you ain’t gonna get in no trouble, because if you do, I won’t let you tend the rabbits” (Steinbeck 16). This shows how with this dream of Lennie’s it will help out George in the long run. The dream will act as something that Lennie will follow, so he won’t get in trouble because he wants to tend the rabbits. The author also shows how Lennie’s dream keeps his friendship in tact.

John Steinbeck describes a world where the American Dream is easy to believe, but impossible to achieve. Steinbeck paints a powerful and intriguing portrait of America in the 1930s. He reveals the real hardships of life during the Great depression. In the book Of Mice and Men, two men of polar opposites go on a journey from the town of Weed to Soledad where a ranch provides work to survive. All the characters are different in some way but they share one thing,the desire for companionship.

George greatly enjoyed sharing his dream with Lennie, and Lennie greatly enjoyed being a part of it. George told Lennie about all he wanted in the farm, like, a vegetable patch, a rabbit hutch, and chickens. He also said that when it rains they will blow off the work and have a fire in the stove and listen to the rain hitting the roof. Even if Lennie did irritate George, George still needed him in order to survive in this

The View of American Society in the Depression Years in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men is an extraordinary novel with unique characteristics. The novel is about an uncommon friendship between two extremely different individuals who are living and working together. This story belong to the genres tragic realistic fiction, historical fiction and drama. The linking between the novel and The Great Depression emphasizes throughout the story, which makes the novel very realistic and down to earth. The author touches on several themes such as: the unreachable American dream, the economic injustices, loneliness, friendship and people’s propensity for cruelty. In this book review, we will get into a deeper understanding of what the actual story means.

John Steinbeck wrote ‘Of Mice and Men’ to show how hard life was for migrant ranch workers during the time of the Great Depression and how they were often exploited by their employers. In showing how George and Lennie’s dream of owning their own piece of land did not come true, Steinbeck explores a wider theme, criticising the idea of the American Dream. The American Dream tells people that there is ‘opportunity for each... regardless of the fortuitous circumstance of birth and position. Steinbeck criticises this as these ranch workers were given few opportunities. Settings play a very important part in the novel as they pinpoint clear times and places giving a sense of realism to the story, but they are also used to create atmosphere.