Of Mice and Men †Life in America in the 1930’s Essay

Of mice and manpower by John Steinbeck tells the story of aliveness in 1930s America during the great depression, about the ambitiousnesss, lifestyle, racism and sexism, which had be add up a way of life for the characters in Steinbecks book. I will be discussing these points to determine exactly what life in 1930s American was standardized.Life in 1930s America was really lonely, George tells us that guys like usare the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They assumet belong no govern. Many of the other bedcover pass on share the same feeling. This is in addition made apparent by the fact that just about pot hold up in mind that there has to be some issue wrong if two men travel to take awayher because nobody takes that much trouble of somebody else, Slims comment to this is I never seen one guy take so much trouble for a nonher guy George and Lennies new boss is also suspicious, he asks George, referring to Lennie, what empale you got in this guy? Geo rge feels he has to lie and tells the boss that Lennie is myCousin. The other feast hands bustt interact with each other this is shown when sweeten says to George a guy on the ranch dont never listen nor he dont ask no questions this quote emphasises how underground the menn keep their lives. Slim is an excommunication to this as he is always willing to talk if others wish to. provided many of the others, despite their urge to talk, see to be less inviting or trustworthy. George and Lennie depend to be an exception to this general life. They got somebody to talk to that gives a damn Slim describes what living on a ranch does to a man and really how lonely it is that they get mean they get so they dont want to talk to anybody. The average ranch hand gets fifty bucks they ..go in old susys place you can get a shot for two bits they describe this as jus the usual thing and George describes how most ranch hands are constantly moving from ranch to ranch they screw to a ranch a n work up a stake and then they go into town and blow their stake, and the first thing you k immediately theyre poundin their tail on some other ranch.The conditions in which the migrant workers lived were primitive. Bunkhouse walls were whitewashed, the push down unpainted. There were eight bunks in the bunkhouse, which showed that there was a lack of privacy for the men. Even their few individualized belongings were on public display over each bunk there was nailed an apple-box with the opening fore red so that it made two shelves. The only places for the men to sit were boxes. George saw that the conditions were also unsanitary when he found a can in his apple-box which said positively kills lice, roaches and other scourges. The life style in 1930s America was not one of luxury, it was full of hard sentences, low wages and little opportunity.Crooks the changeless buck dreams about going back to a world much like his childhood, without prejudice. Many of the men on the ranch are very racist, including the boss, even though the boss is described as a pretty nice guy he give the stable buck hell. An example of racial prejudice is when Carlson casually refers to the stable buck as a nigger. George does not react to this reference, which shows that it is a commonly used word. Also the prejudice against coloured people is again shown as the stable buck, who is a coloured man, is not permitted to sleep in the bunkhouse along with the other migrant workers.The stable buck is also not usually allowed to join in with any activities and we are shown this when Carlson explains how, at Christmas, they let the nigger come in that night. The conditions in Crooks board are just as bad as the lodge of the ranch, Crooks bed is a long box filled with straw, on which his blankets were flung. Even though Crooks has his own room his life is extremely lonely, being the only coloured man on the ranch the only pinch he has with others is when he is asked to do something.C rooks teases Lennie referring to George headspring, spose, just spose he dont come back. Whatl you do then? the point crooks was trying to trace by teasing Lennie was how its like on your own with no one, and that Lennie is very lucky to necessitate George because, Crooks has no one and isnt allowed in the bunk house.Again disrespect for the ranch workers is shown when Curleys Wife refers to them as a bunch of bindle stifts a nigger an a dum-dum and a lousy ol sheep the ranch workers world seems to contain quite an a lot of prejudice, both racial and sexual. Curleys Wife lashes out at Crooks when he tells her you got no rights comin in a coloured mans room Crooks is forced to draw into himself and add covers of cordial protection, because Curleys Wife shows how racism is very much a part of life in the 1930s, her next words to Crooks are some of the harshest well keep your place, then, nigger. I could get you string up on a tree so easy it aint even idiotic.The Sexual prejudi ce in 1930s America is very obvious, the men at the ranch make this point clear because, they assume that Curleys Wife is a tart because she comes into the bunk house and purportedly gives Slim and Carlson the eye. It later becomes clearer that what she actually wishes to gain from her visits to the bunk house is accompany. This shows that the ranch is a very lonely place for her too. Curleys Wife has a dream, although her dream is different from the men on the ranch. kinda of something to call her own, she wants fame. She is unhappy with her husband , and his constant stories of who is going to beat up next sure I gotta husban. You allseen him. Swell guy, aint he?.When she is talking to Lennie, alone in the barn, she recounts her obviously well told stories of her mangleers of fame. She seems to have a deep regret that she didnt take up either men on their offers if Id went, I wouldnt be livin like this, you bet.The scene in Crooks room revealed that Curleys Wife isnt really a tart, she is just extremely lonely, and all she really wants is company and someone to talk to. I think the reason she lashes out at Crooks is because she has just had enough of people not wanting to talk to her, or asking her to go away Crooks tells Curleys Wife now you jus get out, an get out quick. If you dont, Im gonna ast the boss not to let you come in the barn no more.Tragically Lennie and Curleys Wife die, I feel very sorry for the both of them, Curleys Wife, because she always wished for fame and a comfortable life. Curleys Wife did not seem likely to achieve her dreams. Even if she wasnt murdered, she was stuck in a rut with Curley, a rut that she would have gone round and round in until he left her for a new woman, or she eventually built up the courage to leave him. Also someone who is referred to throughout an entire story as someones possession does not make a likely major character. Their marriage did not seem to be one that was destined to last until they died of na tural causes.But Curleys Wife did die, and her conclusion seemed to be a release discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. I also feel very sorry for Lennie, he was also described in the story as some kind of possession, he was Georges companion. Lennies child-like-mind and behaviour dont make the sublime major character, I think all Lennie really thought about during the whole story was Livin off the fatta the lan and tending the rabbits. I think Lennie knew what the dream was but for him it was tending rabbits.George and Lennies dream is a simple one they want land to call their own. Candy sums the feeling up well Every body wants a bit of land, not much. Jus somthin that was his. Crooks has also seen it all before I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land, but ever time a whorehouse or a blackjack game took what it takes. This shows that the dream of owning land is very common among all ranch workers.Georges dream, although extremely similar t o Lennies , is probably more detailed and complicated. Lennie thinks as far as tendin the rabbits, but George has to amaze about whether it would be possible to really live offa fatta of the lan, or would they starve?I think Candy grasped so readily on George and Lennies dream because, Candy knew that Jus as soon as I cant swamp out no bunk-houses theyll put me on the county, I think he also knows that if he doesnt get a place soon he is just going to die on the ranch, sad and alone because the men on the ranch wont care.Maybe Lennie did get his dream, in one way or the other. As George is preparing to kill Lennie, he tells him one last time about how its gonna be. This last bedtime story for Lennie seems to describe not a little farm that they big businessman buy, but the heaven someone might go to in their afterlife. As Lennie begs George Les do it now. Les go to that place now, and George replies Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta, and then pulls the trigger, the pair seem at p eace with themselves, and each other. George knows what he is doing is right, and he knows that Lennie would agree if he had the time to explain his reasoning to him. If Lennie could comprehend the reasoning behind Georges actions, he would realise that George was taking Candys unknowingly offered advice I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldnt ought to have let no stranger necessitate my dog.The American dream is very common in 1930s America, it seems that every character in Steinbecks legend has a dream which all of them are unlikely to achieve. The world of the migrant workers in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, was unglamorous and lonely. Generally speaking there was a lack of realistic ambition for the workers. The conditions in which they lived were cramped and unhygienic and encouraged prejudice and a lack of respect towards everyone. I think that Steinbecks novel paints an accurate picture of life and culture in 1930s America.