Mice and Men Much Like

¶ … Mice and Men

Much like the poem from which of Mice and Men takes its name from, characters in the novella are confronted with the harsh reality of not being able to fulfill their dreams. Published in 1937, John Steinbeck's of Mice and Men tells the story of two migrant workers and the challenges they encounter as they try and to achieve their dream of owning a rabbit farm.

The most poignant and meaningful stanza in Robert Burns' "To a Mouse," from which of Mice and Men derives its title, helps to set the tone for the novella. In "To a Mouse," Burns apologizes to a mouse for destroying its home and everything it has worked so hard for. Though the mouse has prepared for the winter, and "saw the fields laid bare and wasted/and weary winter coming fast/and cozy here, beneath the blast/Sought to dwell/Til crash! The cruel plough past/Out through your cell" (Burns). In an attempt to comfort the mouse for all that it has lost, the speaker reassures it that it is not alone and that many have shared his fate. The speaker tells the mouse, "mouse, you are not alone,/in proving foresight may be vain:/the best laid schemes of mice and men/Go often askew,/and leaves us nothing but grief and pain,/for promised joy!" (Burns). This theme if further exemplified through George and Lennie, and to an extent, Curley's wife.

George and Lennie are, at the beginning of the novella, looking to work as hired hands. Because Lennie is a little dim-witted, George must take charge of Lennie and tries to make sure that he keeps out of trouble. At the beginning of the novella, the reader is first introduced to George and Lennie's dream of owning and tending to rabbits on a farm. Throughout the novella, all monies earned are intended to be put towards the purchase of their farm. At this point, we are also introduced to Lennie's penchant for petting soft things, which has caused trouble in the past, and will ultimately lead to his demise. Once hired to work on a farm, the reader is introduced to a cast of characters, each with their own dreams that they were unable to fulfill. Candy, a one-handed ranch hand, eventually learns of George and Lennie's plans and offers to invest in the farm; Crooks, the black stable hand, is also made aware of George and Lennie's plans and wishes to become part of the dream. While the men work the fields and contemplate their future, Curley's wife, interrupts their dream.

While the men recognize the danger that Curley's wife poses to the group, and especially Lennie, there is little that they can do to avoid her. She, too, has had to give up her dreams and must make do with the hand she was dealt. Curley's wife tempts fate as she tries to strike up a friendship with Lennie, and knowing that he likes to pet soft things, offers Lennie the opportunity to pet her soft hair. Her reaction to his expected behavior tragically leads to her death as Lennie does not comprehend her reaction and accidentally kills her. This incident throws George, Lennie, Candy, and Crooks' plan into disarray as Lennie's actions jeopardize the safety of the dream.