Literary Analysis: Of Mice and Men

The novella "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck follows the story of two migrant workers, George Milton and Lenny Small, who are searching for work opportunities in California during the Great Depression in the 1930s.
The story takes place over four days, starting on a Thursday evening and ending on a Sunday, as George and Lenny find work on a ranch in Soledad, California, which means "solitude" in Spanish.
George is a small, intelligent man who looks after Lenny, a physically strong man with a learning disability that becomes problematic due to his uncontrollable strength, leading to tragic events.
The ranch setting introduces various characters like Candy, Crooks, Slim, Curly, and Curly's wife, each highlighting the loneliness and hardships faced by migrant workers during that time.
George and Lenny's dream of owning their own ranch symbolizes the American Dream of independence and stability, but it is shattered by the harsh realities of the time, culminating in a tragic event that ends their aspirations.
The novella was completed in 1937 during the Great Depression, reflecting the social alienation and struggles of migrant workers like George and Lenny, who were striving for independence in a time of economic instability.
Steinbeck's own experiences working on ranches in the 1920s influenced the characters and themes in the novella, drawing from the harsh labor practices and civic instability he witnessed in California during that period.- The novella "Of Mice and Men" depicts a social climate of irregular work, low wages, squalid living conditions, and emotional deprivation for migrant workers on a ranch.
The story portrays the unhappy fraternity of various ranch workers, including burley bark buckers, buck house hands, mule skinners, seasonal drifters, and Curly's lonely wife, who all struggle against the ranch owner and the existing social structure.
Two types of struggles are witnessed in the story: a private local struggle of two drifters trying to escape depression by saving for a farm, and a tragic public struggle during the Great Depression where men strive to maintain their humanity.
Steinbeck was influenced by the Dust Bowl phenomenon in the 1930s, caused by severe drought and poor farming practices leading to massive dust storms that affected American and Canadian prairie lands.
The Dust Bowl forced hundreds of thousands of people, including families known as "Oakys," to leave their farms and migrate to places like California, worsening their economic conditions during the Great Depression.
Hollywood's influence on Steinbeck's characterization is seen through the portrayal of Curly's wife, reflecting the glamorous yet unattainable standards set by the film industry for women, as well as the archetype of the femme fatale.
The character Crooks in the novella represents the impact of Jim Crow laws in the 1930s, which enforced racial segregation through laws that led to economic, educational, and social disadvantages for African Americans until they were eventually overturned by civil rights legislation in the 1960s.- George is a major character in the story, associated with commitment, brotherly love, and self-sacrifice towards Lenny.
Lenny, based on a real person Steinbeck met, symbolizes humankind's animal nature, strength, vulnerability, victimhood, and inevitable doom.
Slim, a mule driver, embodies fairness, sound judgment, and dignified acceptance, serving as the conscience and voice of truth in the novel.
Curly, the boss's son, represents hypermasculinity, insecurity, and a lack of respect from others due to his position and actions.
Curly's wife, the only woman on the ranch, symbolizes isolation, unfulfilled dreams, overt sexuality, and her role as a temptress akin to Eve from the Genesis story.
Crooks, the only African-American man on the ranch, symbolizes prejudice, brokenness, resilience, and intellectual fortitude in a society that marginalizes him.
Candy, a disabled swamper, is a sympathetic figure used as a scapegoat and embodies the themes of helplessness, sacrifice, and the harsh reality of the American Dream.
Carlson represents the detached migrant worker, embodying unintentional cruelty and destruction, as seen through the killing of Candy's dog and lending George the pistol to kill Lenny.
The novella explores themes such as the American Dream, survival of the fittest, prejudice based on physical disability, gender, race, and class.
The American Dream is depicted as an unattainable fantasy through George, Lenny, and Candy's pursuit of owning a farm, symbolizing capitalism in its purest form.
Steinbeck uses animal imagery to show how without companionship, humans revert to primal instincts, criticizing a society that neglects its weakest members.