Life of Americans in the 1930's in John Stienbeck's of Mice and Men/Original Writing What does John Stienbeck's Of Mice and Men tell us about life in America in the 1930s? John Steinbeck's novels can all be classified as social novels dealing with the economic problems of rural labour in America during the 1920s and 30s. Steinbeck uses setting, theme, characterisation, and a modernist simple style to portray a 1930s American society, which was isolating, alienating and prejudiced His frequent topics were the plight of the misfits, (the character of Lennie in the novel) the homeless and the migrant farm workers. The countryside described in the opening chapter of the novel and the ranch itself would have been familiar to John Stienkbeck. The imagery he uses gives us a sense of empty landscapes, long well trod roads. " beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway". Already Steinbeck is introducing us to the lonely and isolated life the workers encountered. They would often move from one farm to another looking for work. His use of "tramp" suggests that the farm workers were often alienated and looked upon with prejudice in a society that regarded social standing by wealth and possessions. Many farmers lost their farms due to the depression that hit America during this time. His descriptive style gives us an idea what conditions were like on the farms for the workers: very basic accommodation, three meals a day and a minimum wage. Steinbeck uses these images well to help us understand why they yearned for "The American Dream" where many aspired to obtaining a better life, buying their own land to work ... ... middle of paper ... ...nie cannot understand the concept of being alone he shows some understanding. The end of the only good friendship in the book compounds the tragedy of Lennie's death. In the closing chapter of the book Steinbeck uses his skill with imagery well. We are back to the same peaceful spot at the river the story began. We understand George has no other choice but to kill his friend. He would not want him to suffer at the hands of Curly and the farm hands, even though he knows with the death of Lennie their dream will die with him. Steinbeck makes it clear in his novel that the glittering, moneyed America of the 1920s, which for example the American modernist F.Scott. Fitzgerald portrayed in the novel "The Great Gatsby," has utterly vanished to be replaced with a society of depression, loneliness and alienation.
John Steinbeck, an American novelist, is well-known for his familiar themes of depression and loneliness. He uses these themes throughout a majority of his novels. These themes come from his childhood and growing up during the stock market crash. A reader can see his depiction of his childhood era. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows the prominent themes of loneliness, the need for relationships, and the loss of dreams in the 1930s through the novels’ character.
friends because he thinks his friends are loyal to him when really they are plotting against him.
anybody in his family. She always made sure that Louis was fed and that he was not alone.
A Comparison of John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men and the 1939 Film Version of the Novel
One of the factors that create an imbalance of power within a society is a person's socioeconomic status. Often people with low socioeconomic status are undervalued in society. This imbalance can cause issues with the feelings of security and confidence. Also opportunities and choices can be limited for some people, but expanded to others. People often identify with roles of different socioeconomic status groups, based on their own socioeconomic status, and this can limit creativity and the potential of groups or individuals. If the world believes that people can go from “rags to riches” in America, then there should be an opportunity for all socioeconomic groups.
The quote that inspired John Steinbeck was the best laid schemes often go off track can be seen in the novel of Mice and Men. When Curley's wife met a man in her childhood that offered her to be an actress but the chance went away and she later died. Then Curley wanted to be a professional boxer but the dream never happened and he became a farmer then got his hand broken for trying to be tough. George and Lennie were going to buy a farm to live off the fat of the land then Lennie had to get in trouble and George had to give up the dream and kill Lennie for what he had done.
himself, and, because of his insecurity, a need to compete with and "defeat" his friend at all costs.
Thomas Hobbes in his Leviathan states that, "in the state of nature mans life is nasty, brutish and short". In depression era America, no greater truth could be said. There were millions unemployed, largely unskilled and living on the margins of society. The lowest of the low were the migrant labourers travelling from place to place trying to scratch a living. They often had to travel illegally by freight car with all its consequent dangers. Their life expectancy was low, crime was rampant and despair was a fellow traveller. This is the setting of John Steinbeck's, 'Of Mice and Men'.
The story is set on a ranch, where the two men eventually find work at
quite a fruitful county and a lot of people will have gone to work on
Friend, but as irony would have it, he would turn out to be just the
her, she has his children, and he wishes her dead, so he could have custody.
not have the right to be in his room. Neither of the men want to be in any type of trouble with the boss or Curley, His
He wouldn’t consider it. He couldn’t possibly leave Daisy until he knew what she was going to do. (148)
with them. Their direct neighbors who have a son that is Travis's age no longer