Of Mice And Men Research Paper

John Steinbeck expressed his life through his novels, novellas and poems. For instance, many of Steinbeck’s literary works take place in an area similar to his own home, Salinas Valley, California, an area full of farms, ranches, and orchards (Bloom). Also, California was an area known for attracting farm hands and migrant workers during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl eras because the soil was more nutrient-rich due to its short history of farming (Bloom). This setting transferred over to several of Steinbeck’s works including Of Mice and Men (1937), which is actually set in Salinas Valley. Another example of Steinbeck writing his life into his works is that, as a writer, Steinbeck often struggled financially and was forced to work outside …show more content…
Every single character experiences times when no one is around, when he or she is all alone, and when the character must find companionship or suffer from isolation. Of Mice and Men is a great illustration of how fervently a person will fight for camaraderie. For instance, the protagonists, George and Lennie, are a team. They travel across the California countryside searching for work in the hopes of raising enough money to make their dream come true (Hickey). Unfortunately, Lennie continues to put the duo into ill-fated situations; thus, they are forced to wander the hills and valleys of America’s new frontier in hopes of finding work. One question that could be asked at this point is why George stayed with Lennie even though he continued to ruin every good situation that they are faced with. The answer is simple, George needs to have someone with him, he needs a friend. But, as the story continues on, it becomes clear that with Lennie at his side, George will never reach his goals. Further, the novella begins to reveal that Lennie is not truly capable of surviving in their world and, much like Candy’s dog who is euthanized when it becomes clear that he will not live happily in the world around him, Lennie is put down after accidentally killing Curley’s wife (Hickey). Even though Lennie’s death thwarts any …show more content…
This group of misfits most notably includes Lennie the mentally inept giant, Crooks the crippled negro, and Candy the handicapped old man in addition to Curley’s wife. Each member of this group is isolated from almost everyone else on the farm. Even Lennie, who has a companion, is alone most of the time when he is not with George. As for Crooks, he is treated like an abomination because not only is he African American, but he is also a man who is named after his crooked back, which is probably all that most the other laborers know about him. In fact, Candy admits in chapter four that “This is the first time I ever been in his room” (75). This statement illustrates how isolated Crooks is because not only does he live in a small room in the stable, but no one ever visits him and he is not allowed in the main barracks. In other words, he is the epitome of loneliness. Further, Crooks is the only member of the group with no one at all because Lennie has George, Curley’s wife has Curley, and even Candy has a dog for part of the