Novel Project LRB #5

"Of Mice and Men"
John Steinbeck



Many books accurately express the traits of the time period in which they are based, but this one is a bit easier to analyze because all of the elements are so prominent. The setting of this book is based right near the beginning of the Great Depression, which started in 1929.The wandering around and looking for a job aspect of Lennie and George's life is based solely on their need to find a job, no matter how far they might have to go. The fact that Lennie stirred up trouble in another town and forced them to move can also be indicative of the heightened emotions due to the stress for money and the poor state of the economy. George and Lennie operate as just two of the men effected by this tragic downturn. The location, California, is important because it had a large amount of people expand its population due to the need for jobs, and most people thought that California was a good choice. Most of the migrants were displaced farmers hoping to find a job there.
The role of women is also expressed quite accurately for the time period in which this story is based, one of the most identifying things from this particular story is the fact that one of the only women mentioned in this book is not even given a name. This shows how insignificant women seemed in that time period, not even worthy to be mentioned by name. There is also the fact that this was a time period in which "cat houses" were often visited by the empty shells of men who are just trying to fill a void in their life that the depression has knocked in them. The women are much more of a victim because they are used as either a trophy or a way to help men "get everything out of their system at once." But in the end all people, both men and women, fall victim to the plague of loneliness that has swept through the nation due to the augmentation effects the depression brought along with it.