Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is a story about humanity and its imperfections. The book focuses on George and Lennie, who are the protagonists and have a special friendship: virtually every other character remarks that they have never witnessed such a tight connection between two migrant laborers before. The book’s main focus is on the two main characters as they struggle to escape from their repressive, destitute conditions and build up enough of a financial cushion to jointly own land (Heavilin 3). The strength of John Steinbeck’s vision lies in the fact that we, the readers, are brought into this world and taken into the journey of these two men, Lennie and George, and experience their aspirations, hopes, and courage. Of Mice and Men is a text that teaches us the value of friendship and companionship while preaching about the perils of believing in dreams, the challenges that stand in the way of ambition, and the importance of the nature of dreams, dignity, loneliness, and sacrifice.
Of Mice and Men presents the predatory nature of human existence. The story of Of Mice and Men has a somber message about human existence. Almost everyone in the show, from George and Lennie to Candy and Crooks to Curley’s wife, admits to feeling lonely and alone at some point. Curley’s wife says: “…Well, I wasn’t gonna stay no place where I couldn’t get nowhere or make something of myself… so I married Curley” (Steinbeck 88). They would both prefer the company of a friend but would take a stranger’s ear if they had to choose. This comes up during a conversation with Candy, Crooks, and Lennie, Curley’s wife reveals that she is unhappy in her marriage. Also, George and Lennie describe the loneliness that they experience while working on the ranch. He says, “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” (Steinbeck 103). Loneliness is the antithesis of George and Lennie’s friendship. Isolation has rendered the characters helpless. George and Lennie’s friendship continues to flourish despite the skepticism of others. In fact, Candy joins them in hoping to purchase the small property, and Crooks later expresses interest in joining the growing fellowship. At this point in history, it appears more possible than ever before that alienation and loneliness can be eradicated from the modern world. This finding adds to the mounting evidence that loneliness is fundamental to the human experience.
The novel also symbolizes class conflict. George and Lennie have a goal in mind, but they lack the resources to make it a reality. Their social status places additional constraints on them beyond those they impose on themselves. The cold, pragmatic realities of today’s world inevitably crush their ideals. American capitalism and the resulting class structure are the root cause of the conflicts between the characters. The ranch owner’s son, Curley, has a haughty demeanor and is always looking to pick a fight. This goes beyond simple character flaws. His social standing has emboldened him to act this way, and his true power is not in his combat prowess but in his capacity to dismiss any employee he chooses. Carlson, the ranch’s only skilled worker, shares these traits with his peers, and they can be seen when he orders a dog to be shot. He says,” That dog of Candy’s is so God damn old he can’t hardly walk…Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up?” (Steinbeck 37). Carlson knows he is indispensable in the technician role and treats his coworkers cruelly due to his superiority complex. Lennie’s disability is a metaphor for the powerlessness of the average person in today’s consumerist, consumer-driven, competitive economy. Steinbeck uses this to portray the anguish and despair of the Great Depression. The 1930s saw a dramatic surge of interest among American authors in the plight of the impoverished (Heavilin 5). Steinbeck’s novel was a sympathetic representation of the life of the poorest class of working people, revealing society’s inequities and economic inequalities in the hopes of changing their condition when previously American fiction had been preoccupied with the issues of middle-class people.
The topic of racism is also represented in the novel by Crook. Crook says, “Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me” (Steinbeck 69). This is during a conversation with Lennie when Crook explains why he is not wanted in the Bunkhouse. Racism, which also causes personal isolation, touches on some aspects of the issue of loneliness. The ranch’s only black guy, Crooks, is shunned by his white neighbors and forced to spend his days alone. However, prejudice towards black people is temporarily overcome for a short time when Crooks agrees to help with the farm purchase. The bitter dignity and honesty on display in Crooks is a reflection of Steinbeck’s own judgment of the inadequacies of American society during the Great Depression to provide for everyone equitably regardless of race (Heavilin 5).
Mental disability is another societal ethical dilemma evident in Lennie’s character. It is evident when Crook teases Lennie that “S’pose George don’t come back no more. S’pose he took a powder and just ain’t coming back. What’ll you do then”( Steinbeck 72). Once Lennie’s temper flared, Crooks retreated out of fear for his safety. Lennie can cause harm, but Steinbeck shows that the evil, fear, and wrath of others drive him to behave violently. For instance, Crooks’ torment of Lennie stems from his own feelings of rejection on account of his race. Lennie’s mental handicaps show another method in which individuals set themselves apart from one another. Lennie is shunned by the ranch staff, with the exception of George, who finds his disability endearing. As the ranch employees see Lennie’s brute strength and his lack of self-control, they become suspicious and afraid of him. Because of this, Steinbeck’s depiction of Lennie’s disability is entirely sympathetic; the other characters have only themselves to blame for Lennie’s provocations because he is only a child living in a world of self-centered adults. The tragic necessity of Lennie’s demise as the story draws to a close is intended to convey the message that it is impossible for the innocent to thrive in today’s contemporary society.
There is the theme of shattered dreams in the novel. Every one of John Steinbeck’s characters has a dream of their own, but none of them ever get the chance to make those dreams come true. George and Lennie both want to be free farmers with their own plot of land. He is so committed to the plan that he has identified a plot of land he believes would be suitable for their needs. Lennie is most excited about caring for the fluffy rabbits they plan to keep. With the discovery of Curley’s wife’s body, George, Candy, and Lennie understand that their goal of fellowship on the farm is over, and their partnership crumbles. The reality is that the dream was doomed from the start because brotherly love cannot thrive in a society dominated by isolation, homelessness, and poverty. Curley’s wife also wanted to be a movie star “He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural. Soon’s he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it” (Steinbeck 88). Curley later died after a fight with Lennie without accomplishing her dreams. Crooks long for acceptance on par with legitimate members of society. The man is well-versed in the protections guaranteed by the Constitution. He has good memories of the white kids who used to visit his family’s chicken ranch when he was a kid, and he wishes he could have those same relationships again, which he never experienced. The companionship provides support for the dream, but the brutality of their lives eventually puts a stop to both. This shows how life in society can be when people have dreams they want to achieve, but there are disparities in each aspect that tend to hinder the success of these dreams.
Steinbeck reveals idealism and reality in the cases of George, Slim, and Crooks. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck depicts two average guys trying to get away from their unfortunate circumstances. George tells Slim, the mule driver, “I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain’t no good. They don’t have no fun. After a long time they get mean”(Steinbeck 41). Unfortunately for them, the human community cannot make it to their planet, and they have a skewed view of what a farm should be like. Even if they had been able to purchase the farm, they probably still wouldn’t have been able to live in the luxury they had hoped for or with the unity between themselves that is essential to their ideal. Their ideal of happiness in the present day is unrealistic and fails to take into account the complexity of the human experience. Crooks also says, “Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head. They’re all the time talkie’ about it, but it’s jus’ in
their head”( Steinbeck 75). When Crooks talks about ownership, he talks about material possessions and the ideal of happiness his friends fantasize about (Heavilin 8). This shows that in today’s world, society protects itself from a hostile environment by escaping into its dreams. Society is helpless in the face of forces beyond its control, and Steinbeck writes with genuine empathy for the people who are harmed by these forces.
Conclusion
In addition to its lessons on the necessity of friendship and companionship, Of Mice and Men also serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of idealistic thinking and the obstacles to success in the pursuit of one’s goals. Throughout the novel, several themes and characters represent the society ethical dilemmas that contemporary society experiences. Through the predatory nature of human existence, society depends on someone to survive. The class conflict uses the example of poor George and the rich ranch son Curley to show how life in society is different for each, depending on how much they have on their plate. Other themes include racism which discriminates people of color like Crooks from society, shattered dreams as a result of homelessness, isolation, and poverty, and reality vs. idealism in the dreams that George and Lennie wanted and how it was different from the life they were living. I believe that contemporary society needs to have realistic dreams that include ideal happiness and can accommodate the complexity of the human experience.
Works Cited
Heavilin, Barbara A. “the wall of background”: Cultural, Political, and Literary Contexts of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.” steinbeck review 15.1 (2018): 1-16.
Steinbeck, John. Of mice and men. Penguin, 1994. Of Mice and Men (alaqsa.edu.ps)
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