Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” Overview

How would you feel if you had to work the rest of your life in order to experience the better? Probably would not be so pleasant, right? John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is an intriguing story concerning the struggle of earning an improved lifestyle.

Before the plot begins, Lennie Small, a migrant worker, is accused of rape after touching a woman’s dress. He and his companion, George Milton, share a dream of farming their own land. They run out of a Californian town and camp by a river. Soon, the duo get hired on a ranch during the Great Depression and meet other workers. Along the way, Lennie makes mistakes that harm the people around him. For this reason, the others try to lynch him and so he flees back to the Salinas River. To save him the pain, George shoots Lennie himself and walks away.

In addition, the story would not have been the same without such intriguing characters. George is a small dark man with sharp features: strong hands, slender arms and a bony nose. Though he is not big, he is quick, witty and rude but caring. I think that though he is aggressive, he does what is best for Lennie. On the contrary, Lennie is huge and shapeless of face with pale eyes and wide sloping shoulders. Lennie is mentally disabled, making him naive and forgetful. He loves to pet soft things. In my opinion, Lennie did not deserve to die the way he did. All in all, the characters truly enriched the book.

Moreover, Of Mice and Men really touched me. I was reminded that money is earned and cannot buy happiness. People are different financially and it is hard to raise money. I can see this in my dad who works hard in order to take care of the family. Also, there are times when sacrifice is necessary. Like George sacrificed Lennie, sometimes I sacrifice my emotions for the rest of my family. I think if I were George, I would’ve killed Lennie. In addition, I understand that everyone can make mistakes like Lennie. Sometimes, I play around with people and they do not take it the same way I do. Also, the character Curley reminds me of a girl in elementary school who used to put people down. Moreover, I have read the book The Underground Railroad to Canada, which is connected to Of Mice and Men in the sense that they deal with working in order to achieve better. Therefore, Of Mice and Men really reached out to me.

In essence, Of Mice and Men was an interesting read. The plot and characters made me feel as though I was inside the book. Steinbeck left me curious about the futures of the remaining characters. Overall, Of Mice and Men is a fine read that will change your perspective and drop a tear from the eye.