October Book Report: Of Mice and Men

Summary:

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck tells the story of two ranch workers during the Great Depression, George Milton and Lennie Small. The two men travel together searching for work, holding onto their dream of owning a ranch of their own. George is Lennie’s sharp and protective counterpart, and while Lennie is mentally challenged, he makes up for it in physical strength. As the two find work on a new ranch after having a bad experience at past jobs, they meet others who live similar lives to them and share the dream of owning land. However, Lennie’s inability to control his strength and his questionable decision-making skills lead them to run into trouble. 

Important Characters:

George Milton: Sharp, quick-witted, and responsible. Tied to Lennie despite his dreams of a better life.

Lennie Small: Mentally limited, and emotionally gentle with enormous physical strength. He doesn’t realize his own power.

Candy: A rapidly aging ranch worker who befriends Lennie due to similar goals of owning land. He hopes to join George and Lennie when they go to start a new life.

Curley: The ranch boss’s aggressive son who’s always searching for conflict.

Curley’s wife: The only woman on the ranch—or mentioned in the book, for that matter. Lonely and desperate for attention.

Slim: A skilled and well-respected ranch worker who befriends George and Lennie.

Crooks: The Black stable hand, isolated by racism.

Review:

I read this book in one night! I really couldn’t stop turning the pages of this fast-paced, impactful story. The complex characters address real issues through a lens that is rarely explored–at least in the books that I’ve read–and evolve tremendously in the 107 pages we spend with them. 

One of my only critiques is the portrayal of women. There is only one woman directly interacting with the characters in this book, and she is only referred to as “Curley’s wife,” with no name of her own. Her prominent traits include her “wandering eye,” and her motivation mainly consists of marrying well, as she is unable to secure a job for herself, having failed at all previously attempted paths. Considering the time at which this book was written, it is understandable that such a portrayal is this way. However, I do think that it is worth noting, since the same stereotypes and portrayals are not acceptable in today’s society. 

There are few books that really evoke true feelings of conflict in me in the way this one did, and I can easily see why it is considered a classic. From the use of astonishing foreshadowing to the language and word choice itself, this story is clearly worth a read! 

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. It tells a beautiful story about complicated companionship and all of the struggles people face when they truly care for someone else.