March 2020 Classic of the Month: 'Of Mice and Men'

Why John Steinbeck's tale of two displaced migrant ranch workers in California during the Great Depression is one that guarantees to make you cry.

'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck, 107 pages - Instagram @c_reads_books

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The classic of the month for March 2020 is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. This is one of my favorite novels by Steinbeck, and one that I read for the first time in English class in ninth grade.

Lennie and George are an unlikely duo, with George feeling that he has to take care of his close friend, a promise he made to Lennie’s Aunt Clara before she passed away. Lennie has an intellectual disability and does not know the power of his own strength.

This pair continues on their journey to find work, despite all of the odds being stacked against them. When the men land on a ranch in Soledad, they meet people and endure events that will forever change their lives and relationship with each other.

Throughout the entire novel, Lennie constantly asks George to “tell [him] about the rabbits,” a symbol of the dream that Lennie and George hold onto while migrating through California. The rabbits symbolize a dream the men share to buy a farm, where they will live off of the land, not having to worry about money any more.

This dream is the hope that Lennie and George, as well as many other migrant workers, and people in general, held onto during the Great Depression. The Great Depression destroyed many people, financially and emotionally. Having a dream to hold onto gave people hope that the Great Depression, and the hardship that came with it, was temporary.

Even though we never get to see Lennie and George’s dream fulfilled, it is vital to the story. Lennie is particularly happy to be able to “tend the rabbits,” an animal that he enjoys petting, in his childlike way. On the other hand, George sees the dream realistically. He knows it can never be fulfilled, yet he continues to keep it alive, for Lennie’s sake.

The other characters we are introduced to at the Soledad ranch are equally important. Slim, Candy, Crooks, Carlson, Curley, and Curley’s wife all represent different societal issues and types of people in life. Slim is respected by all on the ranch for his compassion and insight, Candy is an old disabled handyman, who owns an old sheep dog whom he loves dearly, Crooks is an African American stable worker who is isolated from the other workers because of his skin color, Carlson is an insensitive ranch hand, Curley, as the son of the ranch owner, is a mean little man who fights with bigger men, and Curley's wife, as the only character in the novel who is given no name, is merely seen as Curley's possession.

All of these characters, and their interactions with each other, show a variety of different types of people. They represent ranges of beliefs, values, and morals, yet all of the characters, except Curley and his wife, are in similar financial situations.

The characters are all forced to wander about, looking for work, because of the Great Depression. These people are defined not only by their upbringings and morals, but also by their physical abilities.

The juxtaposition of the characters’ physical appearances further emphasizes their moral differences, as well as the various struggles they have faced.

The Great Depression changes each character in different ways, but always in ways that are irreversible. The choices the characters make, whether just or unjust, change their lives forever, leaving the readers with the most heartbreaking end to a story imaginable, but also one that is infinitely meaningful and impactful.