Life for a laborer in 1937 was a time of progressing personal hardship for many. Workers faced many oppressions while in the workforce. The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck shows the developing 1937 workforce, displaying how many people will face unemployment and competitivity, harsh working conditions, financial stress, and how the future America will establish its workforce. In the early 1930’s, the workforce was remarkably competitive. With the lack of demand for labor due to a population spike on account of immigration and America’s economic collapse into a depression, laborers often found strife in finding and holding a job long enough to provide necessities. Because of immigration heavily populating …show more content…
Unfortunately, without labor laws, harsh working conditions were the most common type of work with exhausting farming being one of the few jobs that could be obtained. Long and demanding hours fatigued workers, especially for farmers and ranchers. Along with harsh conditions, low payment, and long hours, workers endured malfunctions in machinery. Of Mice and Men portrays how often machinery can kill and injure in a section where ranchers blame a fight-related injury on an equipment mishap. During a quarrel, fellow ranchers Lennie and Curly were becoming physical. Curly, a small man and the ranch owner’s son, was taunting and threatening Lennie, a large and strong man with a mental disability. Curly attempts to punch Lennie, but Lennie catches Curley's fist in his hand and crushes it. This concerned Curly’s wife. When she questioned the ranchers, they responded with a farming accident. Another situation of dangerous equipment is about a rancher who had lost his hand in a machine long before George and Lennie arrived at the ranch. These situations of work portrayed by the book show how dangerous, vulgar, and strenuous jobs were in the …show more content…
Unemployment is significantly better due to technological advances requiring jobs and gaining a stable economy. During the 1930’s, employers didn’t concern much of when a laborer was injured or killed. Now, there are many regulations on requiring certain equipment, clothing, and laws that workers must follow. A law called The Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in 1970 to minimize and prevent the amount of work related accidents. Finances have also improved significantly due to minimum wage. In the 1930’s, minimum wage didn’t exist. Now, employers are required to pay you a minimum amount of money depending on which state you live in. Steinbeck shows his readers what reality was like, but these realities are still relevant