Of Mice and Men: Themes

Of Mice and Men: Themes

Friendship

  • Friendship between George and Lennie is central to the novella’s narrative, it provides solace and companionship in an otherwise lonely world.
  • The contrast between their friendship and the prevalent solitude of the other characters underscores the harsh reality of life during the Great Depression.
  • The sacrifice George makes by killing Lennie to save him from a harsher death signifies the depth of their friendship.

Loneliness and Isolation

  • Most characters in “Of Mice and Men” are isolated due to circumstances beyond their control; consider Lennie’s cognitive disability, Candy’s aging, and Crooks’ racial discrimination.
  • Isolation led to despair, symbolised by the abandoned bunkhouse, an emblem of transient workers with no permanent home.
  • Steinbeck shows loneliness as a universal experience and the destructive effect it can have on people’s lives.

Dreams

  • The American Dream is a recurring theme, symbolised through George and Lennie’s aspirations to own a piece of land.
  • Most characters harbour some form of unfulfilled aspirations, which are revealed as they start getting drawn to George and Lennie’s dream.
  • However, the impossibility of these dreams is reflected in the tragic end, where the characters remain stuck in the harsh cycle of depression-era life.

Power and Oppression

  • Steinbeck explores various forms of oppression, be it economic (migrant workers), gender-based (Curley’s wife), or racial (Crooks).
  • The struggle for power is often violent and destructive, displayed through Curley’s aggressive behaviour and the lynching threat upon Lennie.
  • The innocent and vulnerable (like Lennie and Candy’s dog) are shown as helpless victims of such power dynamics.

The Natural World Vs The Social World

  • The contrast between the freedom and beauty of the natural world (symbolised by the Riverside) and the restrictive, ugly world of the ranch is another key theme.
  • The brutality of the social world often invades the peace of the natural world, seen when Lennie kills the puppy in the barn and when George kills Lennie by the Riverside.
  • In the end, survival in the social world requires compromise and cruelty, even at the cost of ideals and friendship.