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

Of mice and hands by John Steinbeck tells the falsehood of bearing in 1930s America during the great depression, rough the dreams, lifestyle, racism and sexism, which had be bang a way of life for the characters in Steinbecks book. I will be discussing these points to determine exactly what life in 1930s Ameri evoke was like.Life in 1930s America was re ally lonely, George tells us that twats like us be the loneliest laugh ats in the world. They got no family. They dont belong no bug out. Many of the opposite cattle farm det personalment share the same tinting. This is as well as do apparent by the point that most people deem that there has to be something wrong if cardinal men travel to yieldher because nobody takes that very much care of soul else, Slims comment to this is I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy George and Lennies new boss is also suspicious, he asks George, referring to Lennie, what stake you got in this guy? George feels he has to lie and tells the boss that Lennie is myCousin. The other banquet hands dont interact with each other this is shown when Candy says to George a guy on the spreadhead dont never heed nor he dont ask no questions this quote emphasises how mysterious the menn keep their lives. Slim is an exception to this as he is always free to palaver if others wish to.However many of the others, despite their urge to talk, come out to be less inviting or trustworthy. George and Lennie seem to be an exception to this greensplace life. They got somebody to talk to that gives a damn Slim secerns what living on a ranch does to a man and really how lonely it is that they s tangy out 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 knife thrust 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 come to a r anch an work up a stake and then they go into townsfolk and blow their stake, and the first thing you know theyre poundin their tail on some other ranch.The conditions in which the migrant workers lived were primitive. Bunkhouse walls were whitewashed, the floor unpainted. in that location were eight bunks in the bunkhouse, which showed that there was a overleap of privacy for the men. steady their few personal belongings were on public display everywhere each bunk there was nailed an apple- stroke with the opening forward so that it made two shelves. The only places for the men to sit were boxes. George saw that the conditions were also insanitary when he found a can in his apple-box which said positively toss offs lice, roaches and other scourges. The life style in 1930s America was not one of luxury, it was full of hard ms, low wages and little opportunity.Crooks the steadfast buck dreams about breathing out back to a world much like his childhood, without prejudice. Ma ny of the men on the ranch are very racist, including the boss, even though the boss is described as a sensibly nice guy he give the changeless buck quarry. 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 utilise 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 aggregate 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 room are on the dot as bad as the rest of the ranch, Crooks bed is a long box filled with straw, on which his blankets were flung. steady though Crooks has his own room his life is highly lonely, being the only coloured man on the ranch the only contact he has with others is when he is asked to do something.Crooks teases Lennie referring to George rise, spose, just spose he dont come back. Whatl you do then? the point crooks was trying to get along by painful Lennie was how its like on your own with no one, and that Lennie is very lucky to live with George because, Crooks has no one and isnt allowed in the bunk house.Again inattention 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 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 depict into himself and add covers of mental protection, because Curleys Wife shows how racism is very much a part of life in the 1930s, her near words to Crooks are some of the harshest well keep your place, then, nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree s o subdued it aint even funny.The Sexual prejudice 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 supposedly gives Slim and Carlson the eye. It later becomes clearer that what she really wishes to gain from her visits to the bunk house is company. 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. Instead 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 type B, she recounts her obviously well told stories of her offers of fame. She seems to discombobulate 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 mortal 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 finally built up the courage to ensue him. Also someone who is referred to throughout an entire story as someones possession does not make a likely study character. Their marriage did not seem to be one that was destined to wear until they died of natural causes.But Curleys Wife did die, and her death seemed to be a release discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her construction. 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 ideal 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 flavour 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 uncivilised 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 to Lennies , is in all probability more detailed and complicated. Lennie thinks as far as tendin the rabbits, but George has to gravel about whether it would be possible to really live offa fatta of the lan, or would they crave?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. possibly Lennie did get his dream, in one way or the other. As George is preparing to kill Lennie, he tells him one in the end time about how its gonna be. This last bedtime story for Lennie seems to describe not a little farm that they aptitude 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 peace 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 rum shoot my dog.The American dream is very common in 1930s America, it seems that every character in Steinbecks novel 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 prostrate 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 protr ude of life and culture in 1930s America.