Comparison Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men is a classic novel, written in the year 1937 by John Steinbeck that showcases the struggles of Americans in the time of the Great Depression. George and Lennie are the main characters of the novel, George is a small structured and quick witted man who travels with his best friend, Lennie. Although he doesn’t recognize his own strength and size, Lennie is a large man who just wants to be a gentle giant and pet soft animals, but since he doesn’t understand how strong he is he often kills them accidentally. Lennie and George share a dream to own a ranch and live off their own produce and for Lennie to tend the rabbits. This was their own version of the American dream, to achieve their idea of paradise through hard work and manual

In the novel, it shows how George takes care of Lennie because he has a mental disability. But George isn’t completely content with the life he currently leads. On page 11 George states, “If I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want.” In this quote he reveals that he secretly desires a life without Lennie, how much easier and laid back it would be if he didn’t have to look over Lennie as if he was a child. He could maintain a stable job, live lavishly with plenty of alcohol, various women, and eat any food he’d like. But instead has to watch over his comrade as he wanders through life having to be

This job was to bring the promise of a stable workplace, in order to restart their dream in a new environment. On page 11 George clearly indicates how they lost their last job. “Well, how the hell did she know you jus’ wanted to feel her dress? She jerks back and you hold on like it was a mouse. She yells and we got to hide in a irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin’ for us, and we got to sneak out in the dark and get outa the country. All the time somethin’ like that—all the time.” In which George denotes that he subconsciously blames Lennie. George advises Lennie not to speak when they arrive to the workplace in fear they’ll know of his mental retardation, and they are immediately greeted by an old ranch-hand named Candy. He lost his hand during his time of work, he fears for his future on the ranch, that his age is making him useless. Before long an adolescent man came into the bunkhouse, he is described as thin and young with a brown face, brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair, he’s named Curley. “His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious. Lennie squirmed under the look and shifted his feet nervously. Curley stepped gingerly close to him. “You the new guys the old man was waitin’ for?” “We just come in,” said George. “Let the big guy