Great Depression In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men is remembered as one of Steinbeck's most important and influential novels. Of Mice and Men shows the devastating impact that the Great Depression had on many American's ability to succeed financially. The characters in Of Mice and Men also show a difficult truth about loneliness and an unreachable dream (something that most people, no matter their nationality or social status can understand). What I found most of the book revolving around was this idea of the “American dream,” and how each character had their own view of it: "Someday--we're gonna get the jack together and we're gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an' a cow and some pigs...an' live off the fatta the lan'."

It might be said that the book Of Mice and Men is Chiefly about the American depression. But the problem with this reading, in my view, is that George has to deal with …show more content…
During this George tells Lennie again about that American dream of having a little place, no one being mean to Lennie, no trouble, and how everything’ll be perfect. Even at the very end, and everything that George and Lennie had gone through they were friends to the end. Friends through thick and thin. Friends who get up for each other in the middle of the darkest night and give whatever the other one needs. This was a two-way street of friendship as well. George needed Lennie to give direction to his life, to avoid descending into the abyss of isolation that he saw all around him. He could see the emptiness of the freedom he claimed to be losing by being with Lennie: "I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want. Why, I could stay in a cat house all night... Get a gallon of whiskey, or set in a pool room... Jus' foolin', Lennie. Cause I want you to stay with me." Directing and assisting Lennie gave some meaning to George's life, probably along with some sense of power or