Comparison Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men is a novel written by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. Its setting takes place during the Great Depression, where the American Dream started to become popular. Yet, what is Of Mice and Men’s main theme? Is it freedom and confinement? Hopes and dreams? Out of all these alternatives, the most important theme in Of Mice and Men is the grim lesson about the nature of human existence. This lesson shines through the loneliness, isolation, and a false sense of reality perceived by the characters. To begin with, Of Mice and Men teaches the brutal reality of the nature of human existence through the loneliest of characters. Candy is seen only having one hand, and his only companion being a dog that rivals him in age. Both of these instances have left him feeling like an outcast amongst the other men at the ranch. For this reason, Candy tries to compensate his disabilities with an advantage that he did have over everybody else -- which was to gossip about what happens around the ranch. However, this tactic was proven to be in vain once he finds out how everybody truly viewed his only companion. John highlights, “Well look here, Slim. I been thinkin’. That dog of Candy’s is so God damn old he can’t hardly walk. Stinks like hell too… Got no teeth, damn near blind, can’t eat…”(36). The debate between taking out Candy’s only

Throughout the book, the pair talk about their dreams of having a farm and living a life full of security. Before George kills Lennie, Steinbeck writes: “‘Go on,’ said Lennie. ‘How’s it gonna be? We gonna get a little place.’ ‘We’ll have a cow,’ said George. ‘An’ we’ll have maybe a pig an’ chickens… an’ down the flat we’ll have a… little piece alfalfa--” (105). This illusion of living their perfect life follows these companions through one of their’s deathbed, and the others unbearable