The time of the 1930s in the United States of America was known as the Great Depression. During this time period, millions of Americans lost their jobs due to the American economy and stock market crashing. These Americans were truly struggling to find a job and survive. Many Americans were forced to migrate west, and to areas affected least by the economy crash, to find employment. Most people were put in a state where they had to abandon their peers, and had to worry solely about keeping themselves alive. The novella Of Mice and Men takes place during the Great Depression, as the reader follows two men, George and Lennie, as they try to keep a stable job and survive, even though they face adversities. They end up at a ranch, where the meet a kind man called Candy and a bellicose man named Curly. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck clearly …show more content…
George and Lennie traveling together during a time of depression and high unemployment gives them company, which gives them a true advantage over most migrant workers at the time. George and Lennie having a companion helps them avoid being lonely and having some hope. George and Lennie distinguish themselves from other migrant workers when George says, “‘Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place…With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us’”(Steinbeck 13-14). George saying this clearly illustrates how Steinbeck shows that having a companion is necessary, and that it can provide hope. In this case, having each other helps George and Lennie, because they know that they are not alone, and hey have each other, who they care about. George also displays how he understands that having Lennie as a partner
On page 14, George and Lennie are talking about how they are not lonely like other men because they have each other. Also, this is the event where Lennie and George just escaped from Weed because of the incident Lennie had with the lady in the red dress. ¨Lennie broke in, “But not us! An’ why? Because… because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.” (Steinbeck 14). This shows that Lennie and George are protecting each other from opposing forces. In brief, Steinbeck reveals that having a companion can overcome people’s
Of Mice and Men is the classic tale by John Steinbeck of two men trying to achieve the American Dream. But things are not going great for George and Lennie. They move from town to town trying to get a job to be able to afford to get their own property, which is made more difficult by the fact the novel takes place during the Great Depression. Besides the obvious effect of the poverty caused by the Great Depression on the characters that it is the reason George and Lennie are migrant workers, it also causes the characters, not just George and Lennie, to be more suspicious and distrustful of those around them. The setting in which this novel takes place, the Great Depression, causes most of the characters to isolate themselves, everyone except
A good friendship is needed to survive through tough times. Lennie respects George because George gives him comfort. George cares for Lennie so much that he considers him to be part of his family: “George said, he’s my cousin. I told his old lady id take care of him. He got kicked in the head by a horse when he was a kid” (Steinbeck 22). Aside from comfort and advice, Lennie also needs George because when he gets in trouble, George always manages to find a way to help him get out of it. When Lennie had got in trouble in Weed, George stays by his side and gives him advice that helps remain safe and calm. George has many opportunities to leave Lennie and change his lifestyle, but he needs Lennie just as much in order to help him through his own hardships. Lennie looks
A national disaster in American history, the Great Depression of the 1930s had an enormous effect on the entirety of the United States population, and was not specific to any race or gender. The Great Depression, as its title suggests, was a long period of economic struggle in America, lasting from 1929 to 1933, caused by numerous factors such as the crashing of the stock market and the end of technological
The 1930s for the United States was not one of the best times in history. October 29, 1929 was the start of the great depression. One of the hardest parts of history in the united states. The Great depression was when the stock market crashed and unemployment skyrocketed. Unemployment reached to nearly 13 to 15 million people, which is about 25 percent, up from 3.2 percent in 1929. Industrial production declined by 50 percent, international trade plunged 30 percent, and investment fell 98 percent, and almost half of the banks in the united states also have failed. People across the nation lost their farms and homes. Some traveled to other states in hopes of employment with no luck.
Explanation – George makes Lennie understand why the people that work on the ranches’ are so lonely, and don’t associate with others, which is because workers don’t have anyone there for them. Unlike other workers, George and Lennie have another way to keep their distance from the loneliness - because they have each
It is rare for two men to travel together. When Lennie's aunt died, she asked George to take care of him. Ever since then, they have been best buddies and been looking after each other. As, they were traveling they found a job that pays well. The job is in a city called Soledad.
George and Lennie's companionship gives them the ability and hope to strive for their goal. The main characteristic that sets them apart from the other lone ranch workers, is that they have a person who cares about them. George and Lennie even say it themselves when they are eating canned beans for dinner by the river:
The 1930’s was a difficult time period for Americans. The Great Depression was in full swing, and a fourth of Americans were out of work. The entire United States was in a huge economic depression, hence the name the Great Depression. In New York City Hoovervilles were all over the place. Kids were wearing chicken feed bags for clothes. Everybody was at their lowest.
Of Mice and Men is based in the time of the ‘Great Depression’ in America in the 1930’s. The two main characters are George and Lennie who are very close friends, roaming around America together looking for work. Their friendship is so unique and foreign to their surrounding people, and at that time having one true friend was very rare because men didn’t have time to worry about other people, they just did their work and got their money. Their friendship is what makes the story so special, Steinbeck shows George and Lennie’s similarities and differences to other characters in the book to boldly show how unique they are.
The Great Depression was a decline of the economy in the 1930’s. It ranked as the longest period of high unemployment and low business activity. Millions of people were left jobless and penniless. Many people had to depend on the governments charity to provide the food. There was no way to get food besides the charities and their farms. But with their farms being ruined by the dust bowl there was not very many ways of getting food. Many people would starve to
The great depression was a drastic decline in the world’s economy that resulted in mass unemployment and widespread poverty that lasted from 1929 – 1939. During the great depression, a lot of males were unemployed and females had to serve as breadwinners to their families with the little job they had, “in 1931 one in four wage-earners were
With the Great Depression in the 1930s, World War II in the 1940s, and suburbanization in the 1950s, America went through major fluctuations in its population within a few decades. Each decade brought its own ups and downs that led to the Great Migrations, the many camps all over the U.S. and trend of suburbanization throughout the country. During the 1930s, America was in a state of despair. The stock market had crashed, and the economy was in ruins.
Psychologically George and Lennie leaned on each other to cope with their loneliness. “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place... With us it ain't like that.
The Great Depression of October 1929 was triggered by the crash of the stock-market. This period of the 30s have been marked as one the worst economic crises in America. The lower working-class Americans were greatly affected for jobs was not easily found, and farming became harsh due to deflated crop prices, soil depletion, and farm mechanization. Seniors who were too elderly to work relied heavily on hard-pressed families and charity in order to survive. Education was at a stake during the time. Children were cut off from schools to help contributing to the families by working at any job they could manage. There are many cases of two or even more families living together under one roof. American were facing unemployment and loss of hope for