Of Mice and Men is set in California during the Great Depression. Life is miserable during this time. People are poor and desperate for work. Many people wander around looking for jobs and a place to live. Most people are afraid for their futures; this breeds a heavy feeling of suspicion. Where there is a mood of fear, suspicion, and anxiety, there is also tragedy, as there is in this novel by John Steinbeck. In Of Mice and Men nearly every scene serves as foreshadowing for the inevitable tragic ending.
The flashback scene of the trouble in Weed hints that Lennie may have another unfortunate interaction with a woman later in the novel. Lennie is enticed by a girl’s dress and wants to touch it because it is soft. When the girl tries to get away, Lennie grabs on and does not let go. Consequently, the girl claims she has been raped, and a lynch mob chases Lennie and George out of Weed. This event foreshadows that Lennie may have another unfortunate interaction with a woman. This woman is Curley’s wife. Lennie’s interest in her hair causes him to grab it. This time, when Curley’s wife tries to get away, Lennie breaks her neck and kills her, resulting in him running away from the ranch. Similarly to
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The night before they get to the ranch George explains to Lennie that he does not want him to speak. He also makes sure that Lennie clearly understands to come back to the spot they are at and hide in the brush if trouble arises. On the last day of the novel Lennie finally gets into trouble when he accidentally kills both his puppy and Curley’s wife. As a result, Lennie runs away to the spot where George instructed him to go, knowing he made a huge mistake. When Curley’s wife’s body is found, an immediate search party starts after Lennie. George knows exactly where Lennie is, assuring that he will find Lennie before the ranch