The tremendous amount of work John Steinbeck put into writing the mood of this story is crazy, which is widely noticeable throughout the entire book. At the beginning of the book, everything seemed so innocent and happy with the setting described with “sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool,” (Steinbeck, 1). As we reach the end of the book, the mood changes to death and horror-filled situations. The song “Hurt” by Johnny Cash shows the mood change at the end of the book using lyrics such as, “What have I become, my sweetest friend?” (Reznor). This lyric shows how George reacted when he shot Lennie; “The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger” (Steinbeck,
