Of Mice and Men

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. 1965. 186p. ISBN 0-394-60472-5. Available at FIC STE

George and Lennie have been together through tough times, and they are both companions in a lost world, searching for work and for a piece of land they could call their own. Their shared dream is to own a small farm where they can raise crops and rabbits. Lennie is a simple giant who likes to stroke soft things, and George has to look out for him. They arrive in California’s Salinas Valley as hired hands to work on a new ranch after running away from Weeds due to an incident where Lennie grabbed a little girl to touch her dress. This action was misinterpreted and was perceived as an assault, so the two friends had to leave.

Now on the ranch, George keeps telling Lennie to behave and to not get in trouble. Unfortunately for the pair, the boss’ son, Curley, enjoys fighting men bigger than him. And Curley’s wife flirts shamelessly with all the men on the ranch. This is a recipe for disaster and when Lennie goes too far their relationship is irrevocably changed.

Despite its tragic ending, Of Mice and Men endures endures due to its universal themes of friendship and being the outsider. The reader will appreciate everything that George does to keep Lennie safe from himself in this tale born from the Great Depression.