In Of Mice and Men, the characters are used to demonstrate how society treats people. Steinbeck encapsulates the Great Depression and its effects on American Society, mirroring these realities in his novel to convey themes and messages to the reader. The views and expectations of society are revealed through the characters’ actions and dialogue, which reinforce Steinbeck’s themes that human existence is predatory, and dreams are for the weak. The relationship of George and Lennie is a thematic bond of brotherhood, for Steinbeck often explores independence and loneliness in society: “Guys like us that work on the ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place”. Thus, Steinbeck employs George and Lennie to demonstrate that, “Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’", most people dream of lives of significance, “but it’s jus’ in their head”: “With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us”. Steinbeck evolves George from idealist into realist to show that, “Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land”, because the limitations of society prevent these dreams from coming true. By the end of the novel, George and Lennie are left with no brotherhood, no dreams, and no future, which reinforces Steinbeck’s message to the reader: it is a cruel, unforgiving, lonely society where dreamers often meet with tragedy. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck portrays the era of the Great
The main conflict involved all characters that struggling for survival during the Great depression due to the insecurity of jobs, uncertainty about future and no enough money. One of the conflicts was man vs. society in the story. Crooks, who was a black man with crippled back, segregated from other farm workers. He did not allow sleeping in the bunkhouse with the rest of people. Crooks consistently discriminated and considered as a second class citizen which lived separately in the stable with horses. Furthermore, He had called names and abused by others. He had not even given respect to having name and society will stay the same which he could not attain American Dream.
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.
We live in a world of dreams and desire to achieve, but sometimes we end up without achieving them. Therefore, Steinbeck brought this clearly as we see Lennie died without actually achieving his dreams. Also friendship has been expressed as the main theme in the novel. Despite the difficult moments they went through, George and Lennie’s friendship is all against the challenges. The two shared well dreams and loved one another so much. This is a great virtue even in modern
John Steinbeck, an American novelist, is well-known for his familiar themes of depression and loneliness. He uses these themes throughout a majority of his novels. These themes come from his childhood and growing up during the stock market crash. A reader can see his depiction of his childhood era. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows the prominent themes of loneliness, the need for relationships, and the loss of dreams in the 1930s through the novels’ character.
Through Of Mice and Men, author John Steinbeck illustrates Disappointment and loneliness through characters. Of Mice and Men is set in the great depression where it was hard for every American. For example Curley’s wife, Crooks, and George all express their disappointment and struggles through the story. Between the three characters, Steinbeck presents the “American Dream” as something all the characters want but will never receive.
The Great Depression broke down security and belief in American society during the early 20th century and brought out hidden prejudices. The once optimistic mood during the Roaring 20’s turned to pain. The dire economic situation caused Americans to return to past social stigmas where certain groups of people were seen as inferior; as a result, the American Dream, where everyone could seek their ideal of success, was reduced to merely a dream. John Steinbeck observed these changes in social behavior and witnessed the plight of many Americans during the Great Depression. Like in his later work, The Grapes of Wrath, he was inspired by his environment to expose the lives of people during the Great Depression using Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck observed these changes in social behavior and witnessed the plight of many Americans during the Great Depression. Steinbeck demonstrates in Of Mice and Men through the characters that the American Dream was naturally discriminatory towards certain groups of people because of common perceptions held during that period.
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.
Traditionally, social hierarchies are how individuals are arranged based on how they act and look. These social hierarchies are found in many species, but are the most complex in humans. Social hierarchies are especially present in John Steinbeck’s book, Of Mice and Men, which is about two farmers trying to find work in the great depression. Throughout the book, Steinbeck challenges these traditional social hierarchies. While some people can be higher up in the social hierarchy because of how they were born, this does not mean that they are better people, and challenges conventional social hierarchies by showing that they can shift.
Of Mice and Men is an intriguing book that portrays the hardships and daily life of the working class during the Great Depression. The personalities of the characters and the setting both contribute to the book's overall moral and meaning. Symbols are utilized in this book to present a larger and deeper idea. Steinbeck uses symbols numerous times to represent the importance of companionship, or lack there of it, during hard times.
In of Mice and Men the characters in the play are interrelated to loneliness and violence through the foreshadowing of events and the segregation between contradicting minorities and the ‘God-like’, more respected characters; which links to events in the 1930s. Steinbeck portrays society as times of disseminated families and maladroitness in the economy. The Great Depression was when the American stock market crashed in 1929 which subsequently left thousands economically deprived and diminished thus leaving them situated in lands of squalor and poverty. As a result, millions of people were left unemployed and their quality of life severely dropped. Therefore, because unemployment rates rose communities were scattered as there were lots of
Of Mice and Men is a novella by John Steinbeck that takes place around the 1930s in Salinas, California, during the Great Depression. The theme that is one of the strongest is social injustice, and this applies to three of the main characters: Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s wife. Lennie’s mental illness, Crooks’ race, and Curley’s wife’s gender are all examples of discrimination in the novella. The theme of social injustice is used very strongly in the book, which is supported by the characters previously mentioned.
The social structure of the migrant farm consists of many different personalities. First, at the top of the structure is Curly, George, and Slim. These are the main characters and the ones that take control. George is in control of Lennie, as Lennie does everything George tells him to do. When Curly hits Lennie, George tells Lennie, ‘“I said get him”’ (Steinbeck 63). Lennie hits Curly back as he is instructed to do. Towards the middle and bottom of the social structure is Lennie, Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife. The social structure of the migrant farm exists because some of the characters are leaders, while the others are followers. Some characters also think that they are in control of others. With all of the different personalities being
Of Mice and Men portrays many groups of society throughout the story making you see how poorly the different groups were treated during that time. Many hardships and struggles were faced during the Great Depression Era. Each character represents a group among society. When reading the book you must pay attention and group them where you think they belong. You will be able to associate the characters with the groups and the hardships people faced during that time. Giving you a look into how life was during the Great Depression and how it was different for everyone throughout the period.
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.