The Great Depression In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. was an American author wrote many novels including one of his most famous, Of Mice and Men. Of Mice and Men teaches many lessons about the nature of human existence. Each relationship grows throughout this short story and end with a dramatic experience. All of the characters, including Lennie, George, Crooks, and Curley’s wife, admit, at one time or another, to having a profound sense of isolation, seclusion and loneliness.

The people in the Great Depression were losing all of the money that they had

George and Lennie believe they can achieve their American dream because “‘I [George] got you [Lennie] to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.’” (Steinbeck 14). They feel like they can rely on each other and their friendship and loyalty prevent them from isolating themselves. Their presence on that ranch even changed the people around them because they were accepting of the outcasts. Crooks, Candy, and Curley’s wife all open up to them about the isolation and loneliness they feel. Candy asks George if he can join them on their dream of owning their own property. George says he will consider it but eventually denies the offer when the body of Curley's wife is found, because he realizes the dream of owning a farm with Lennie is dead. As Peter Lisca states in his article, “On Of Mice and Men” from The American Dream, “The dream of the farm originates with Lennie and it is only through Lennie, who also makes the dream impossible, that the dream has any meaning for George.” While it is clear that Lennie needs George, George needs Lennie too. Without Lennie, George loses his sense of purpose and is likely to isolate himself like all the other ranchers. The strong bond between the two of them serve to contrast the economic and social conditions at the

In the novella ‘Of Mice and Men’, Steinbeck presents the ranch in a ruthless and brutal way. He portrays a patriarchal society dominated only by white robust men. Steinbeck illustrates the different views and opinions of the social hierarchy in the ranch life. As well as Steinbeck displays the harsh and violent atmosphere where the newcomers are restricted and victimized by the other members of the ranch. Therefore Steinbeck creates a world in his perception where he characterizes the predicaments of women, black people, crippled people and those with mental disabilities revealing the mistreatment and agony they have to encounter. This denotes that Steinbeck portrays the ranch as harsh and violent abode.

In 1929 the effect of The Great Depression echoed throughout The United States. Forcing many farmers to sell their farms and give up on their pursuit of the widely sought after American Dream. Although in third person Steinbeck centers the novella around the two main characters George, and Lennie. Using strong rhetorical strategies such as diction, imagery, novel structure, and literary devices. Steinbeck crafts a story that expresses the hardships of achieving the American Dream.

In the novel Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck develops the theme power is derived from the exploitation of social standings through the characters Lennie, Crooks, the migrant workers, Curley’s wife, and Candy. The characters Lennie and Crooks show that mental illness and race exploitation. Lennie

Women during the Great Depression had a lack that seems different than in our present. The author gave the audience a view of women and representation during his novel Mice and Men. He represented a kind of woman which has a lack of having a relationship with. John Steinbeck offer the chance by allowing the women to give a voice about her unhappiness, loneliness life and her dream that she couldn’t achieve. The American dream was during the great depression. All Americans had a dream and the women was one of them. In that period of time, it seems that the women hadn’t rights to have a friendship with men or compassion from someone. Men kept thinking about her in the wrong way because of the gender, no one in the novel tried to understand

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.

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.

The Great Depression was a very negative event in human history. The economy dropped, lifestyles were being ruined, and on top of that, the Dust Bowl wiped out crops for farmers and dried up everything. Throughout the novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck emphasizes how the Great Depression impacted everyone’s lives through their imagining of the perfect lifestyle, the bringing together of companions, and the struggle for survival. Steinbeck uses the characters’ dreams of the perfect lifestyle as a way to show how the Great Depression impacted their lives. Most people, during the Great Depression, fantasized about the perfect lifestyle and how they would live their life with no trouble.

George and Lennie are not the usual migrant workers because they travel together, unlike many of the other migrant workers. Throughout the novella George and Lennie stick together, Lennie

Imagine living in an Era where people are being treated terrible at their jobs but you can't leave because there are a thousand people looking one to go and they will do anything to be hired.

"Ain't many guys travel around together, I don’t know why. Maybe ever ‘body in the whole damn world is scared of each other," Slim. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, features a story about two guys traveling together as they look for a job. They live in a time of a financial crisis and the dust bowl in the 1930’s. The novel features the prevalent theme of companionship and the American dream that can be connected historically to the economical struggles in the 1930s.

Lennie is a man of tremendous formed a family clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation. Lennie had the personality of a child. Because of the Great Depression, Lennie couldn’t get the help he needed and he had to go off of what his friend George told him.

John Steinbeck did see what was going on and he wanted to have the readers of his book see it, too. George and Lennie are put in this book to show that loneliness is also a factor. One good way that Steinbeck presents this is the explanation that George tells Lennie about the guys like them. “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on to some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to (Steinbeck 13).” Steinbeck is correct with his point that they are all alone.