Cultures in ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck

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John Steinbeck (1902 – 1968) was born in Salinas, California, which was also were the book ‘Of Mice and Men’ was set. At the time John Steinbeck introduced the book ‘Of Mice and Men’, money was a really big issue. This time was known as the ‘Great Slump’, also known as, the Great Depression. John Steinbeck had experience of life, as a farm labourer and could be why he chooses to tell the story about George Milton and Lennie Smalls, two ranchmen in Americas South West

The story opens with Ranchmen George and Lennie fleeing their old workplace, with Lennie having been accused of rape. It soon’ becomes clear that Lennie has the mental age of a child, and that George is his guardian. However pretty soon Lennie finds himself accused of murder, and they are forced to run away again. George feels forced to kill Lennie, to prevent him hurting anyone else, to regain his own freedom and also to be the one to give him a Swith death ahead of the police or a lynch mob.

The Great Depression began in 1929, when the stock market in the United States dropped rapidly. Thousands of invests lost large stems of money and money were wiped out, lost everything. The ensuring period ranked as the longest and worst period of high unemployment and low business activity in modern times. Banks, Stores and factories were close and left millions of Americans unemployed, homeless and penniless. Most of the people went and complained to the government that they wanted food; Most of the people went to the charity for food. The result was drastically rising unemployed had risen to between 12 and 15 million workers, or 25-30 percent of work force. This was a major effect to people which made them homeless and made them lose their jobs.

The American Dream is an id...

... middle of paper ...

... given a name for one of the female characters because she referred as a “tart. By reading the book we are also alert about the ‘Great Depression’ which started in the 1930’s. By reading the book we are also filled in on the American dream, the American citizens mainly started at the same time as the Great Depression which was to own a land.

Most of the characters have their own dreams, Curleys Wife had a dream of her owns, her dream was that she can become and actress. Her dream got ruined because she chose to marry Curley but if she never married Curley then her hopes and dreams would have succeeded. George and Lennie had their own dream that they would own a land which chickens and rabbits, but then candy got dragged into their dream but George and Lennie only want him in their dream because Candy has the money, this dream is linked to the American Dream.

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