Commentary Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is known as one of the author's most powerful novels. Even though the story is completely imaginary, the plot takes place in a very precise historical and geographical context: 1930s California. Moreover, one of the main themes of the novel is humanity and Steinbeck's words kindle the reader's sensibility by confronting him or her to his or her own conception of life and human relations. To what extent does John Steinbeck manage to describe a universal story taking place in a precise historical and geographical context through the journey of two drifters? To answer this question, it is first worth analyzing the universal themes of friendship, loneliness and the quest for achievement through the characters' personalities and destinies. Then, it will be shown that some of those universal themes were very particular to California at that time.

Extraits

[...] While reading Of Mice and Men, I felt disturbed. The characters living in the ranch in the Salinas Valley as well as George and Lennie gather some universal features which appeal to the human destiny such as altruism, loneliness and the never ending quest for success. Above all, Of Mice and Men is a story of friendship. As mentioned in the first chapter of the novel, George and Lennie are two characters very different from each other: Lennie's broad shoulders and tall size differs from George's small and defined body. [...]

[...] What is more, he wrote Of Mice and Men in 1937 during the economical depression. As a consequence of the Depression, hundreds of workers in California roamed the state to find jobs; additionally new migrant workers arrived at that time from the great plain states. They were forced to head to California because of soil erosion in the Mid-West. The concord between the time of the writing and the time of the plot reinforces the realism of George and Lennie's story. [...]

[...] The themes tackled in the novel are universal. Steinbeck's words reach the inner soul of the reader. Thanks to this novel, I had the opportunity to travel to California in the 1930s with some of the people who contributed to build the state for journeymen. This was a side of California I did not know and I now see California from a different perspective. [...]

[...] This hidden aspiration is illustrated by Candy and Crooks' will to join George and Lennie when they finally buy their farm. In the tough masculine environment of the ranch there is no room for humanity and if someone admits to dream of achievement this is perceived as a weakness. However, all the characters carry in their soul the deep will to achieve their dreams, just like every migrant worker in California of that time. The quest for achievement is a universal theme that touches the reader. [...]

[...] Through the theme of racism, Crooks embodies the difficulty of solitude and the human necessity to love and be loved. This theme is also present in the personality of Carlson's wife. Another universal theme tackled in the novel is the quest for achievement. This theme is redundant in both George and Lennie's speeches. Their cohesive dream to own a land is what makes them travel from ranch to ranch. Absolutely every action taken by Lennie is galvanized by his dream to own a ranch and animals. [...]