Comparison Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

John Steinbeck, a world renowned novelist, was the author of twenty-seven books during his career. He composed a variety of novels, nonfiction books, and short stories. Among his greatest works are Of Mice and Men (1937), The Grapes of Wrath (1939), and East of Eden (1952). Steinbeck received many distinguished awards for his work such as the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1940 for The Grapes of Wrath and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. When he received his Nobel Prize he delivered his “Banquet Speech”. This speech still inspires writers today: during the speech Steinbeck instructs the listener/reader on the jobs and delegations of being a writer. Additionally, he refers to the horrendous events occurring at the time (Cuban Missile Crisis). …show more content…
This theme of responsibility can be related to Of Mice and Men, one of his first great novellas. The tale is about a pair of ranchers who are heading to a new ranch to earn some money. The story takes place during the Great Depression which was the worst and longest-lasting economic crash/failure in United States history. The two workers, George and Lennie, go from job to job doing their best to make money. Responsibility is a significant theme in the story, for George is always being tasked with the responsibility of taking care of both himself and his companion Lennie. Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, demonstrates the ideas Steinbeck states in his “Banquet Speech” through the themes of the perfectibility of man, faults and failures, and the burden of