Up until now, 2015, the years of 1930 to 1940 has been the worst years in American history for people all around the country. The struggles that some already faced from day to day, went from manageable to unbearable. The difficulties that everyone faced, from a day to day basis. The effects that the Great Depression had on everything and everyone. And everyone’s broken plans. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. My primary sources that were used in this paper is, The article that Kathy Mapes wrote on Migrant workers, West Great depression in the American by William H. Mullins, Migrant Labor by Encyclopedia, Riding the rails 1929-1940 by Historic Events for Students and lastly, Farm labor in the 1930’s - Rural Migration news by Farm Labor in 1930s. George and Lennie in Of Mice and Men, resemble the millions of people who migrated all throughout the United States for work during the Great Depression (“Migrant Labor” International Encyclopaedia of the social science). John Steinbeck portrays how lonely people were at that time and how their plans had to change; building a life, a home, and everything in between made it extremely hard to accomplish the American Dream.
The Great Depression started because the stock market had crashed, but that was not the only reason. The second factor was the Dust Bowl that greatly impacted America in a negative way. Because of these two occurrences, it caused peoples hard times to be even greater. From the years of 1929-1939 the midwest suffered 9 years of severe drought, creating what we know today as the Dust Bowl or also the “Dirty Thirties”. The Dust Bowl was a set of storms that swept through some parts of the country that damaged the ecology and agriculture during the 1930s (West, Great Depression in the American). It caused more than half a million people to go homeless; “The drought dried up the soil, so it turned to dust and whenever massive winds came, it got picked up and moved in giant dust clouds” (“Migrant Labor” International Encyclopaedia of the social science). ““The black clouds engulfed the landscape[…]” “There was little or no visibility”” (“Dust Bowl” International Encyclopaedia of the social science). This proves that people who lived in the areas affected by the Dust Storms, could not live there anymore because it was nearly impossible to see or even breath with all the dirt that had filled the air. When the winds had picked up to a high speed, so did the dried up soil from the drought years. The dried up soil had become dust, making it easier for the dust to get picked up into the clouds that swept through the cities making it extremely difficult to see anything for days. The winds were so strong and so destructive that hundreds of thousands of people had lost their homes and had to leave to find shelter and work elsewhere. With the dust clouds destroying homes, it also destroyed land. Farmers could no longer have any use out of their land, leaving them no choice but to evacuate. George and Lennie are best friends. They migrate for work together and they left the jobs together. Since the Great Depression hit, many people went unemployed because there was no money to pay them with. Having a job is a necessity to life because you have to provide for yourself in some manner. So, the alternative was to pick up whatever they had or whatever they could, go out and find a job so that they can live. “In 1937 200,000-350,000 migrant workers traveled yearly throughout the U.S in search for jobs. They only made 35 cents per hour” (“Migrant …show more content…
“We gonna have a little place-an’ rabbits,” (Steinbeck 88). Lennie talks about how in the future when they reach their dream and get enough money him and George will buy some land and build a home and have some rabbits. Their dream is never reached or completed because Lennie was petting Curley’s wife’s hair and accidentally broke her neck because Lennie has never known the strength that he