John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men discusses many different themes throughout the book such as dreams, friendship, innocence, violence, and the hopefully ensuing justice. Throughout the 1930’s, Steinbeck worked as a manual laborer before achieving success as a writer. He understood the hardships faced in the Great Depression and how desperate times can impel people to do unthinkable things. Of Mice and Men revolves around the lives of George Milton and Lennie Small as they struggle to make a living during the difficult depression.
George, is in comparison, a parent to Lennie, whose towering stature is accompanied by a mind as honest and pure as a young child. The unseemly pair are migrant workers who are walking to a nearby ranch near Soledad, California. They have just returned from a farm where Lennie 's unintentional mishap cost the both of them their jobs. On their way to the farm, George scolds Lennie for playing with a dead mouse and warns him not to speak
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Seeing how Lennie was treated throughout the book, the unfortunate circumstances both men are thrust into, and the incredibly morose ending left me feeling utterly stunned and hopeless. The beginning of the book introduced us to the two main characters, George and Lennie, and I immediately took a fondness towards Lennie due to his sweet and childlike disposition. George, on the other hand, was the more cynical of the two and did not appeal to me as much as Lennie did. The middle of the book was eventful and the plot was well developed and structured throughout the book. However, the ending made me question the difference between right and wrong and ponder what tough love really is. The book does discuss some controversial themes which is most likely the reason for the book being banned as often as it is in schools. The book should be read by readers of an appropriate mindset and maturity