Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

George and Lennie are examples of 'migrant' or 'itinerant' farm

workers who fuelled and made possible the intensive farming economy.

These men would travel great distances, however they could, often by

foot, or by the empty boxcars that were later used to carry the grain

they helped to farm. They would receive $2.50 - $3.00 a day, plus

board, which meant food and a room. The food would be very basic, the

room sometimes not more than a small tent shared with many other

workers. Conditions did improve for migrant farm workers at the start

of the First World War, because of the industrial action in the USA at

that time forced an increase in wages and therefore an increase in the

price of grain. But at the time John Steinbeck wrote 'Of Mice and

Men', advances in technology were rendering many of the farm workers

obsolete, because of the improvements in industry and machinery.

Before machinery came onto the farm, the mule driver was at the top of

the social tree on the ranch, because of his high skills. Slim was

this figure in 'Of Mice and Men', and he probably commanded a high

wage compared to the other ranch workers.

The key dream throughout 'Of Mice and Men' is the dream that George

and Lennie gradually show us. This was the dream of most workers in

all of the USA, and George, Lennie, Candy, and all the other workers

on the farm all have the same dream, to own a smallholding or a small

farm. Such an acquisition would mean that they would be their own

boss, and make a basic but good living from their own work, instead of

having nothing to show for a lifetime of hard work. America was first

populated by people who came from nearly every country of the world,

believing that they could escape and find their dreams in the new

country where they believed there was no persecution or hatred. Others

saw it as an escape from hard poverty or starvation.