Comparing The Struggle In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1199 Words5 Pages
People in general faced many difficulties in life during the Great Depression, not just in the United States, but all over the world. The major problem at this time all over the world, especially The United States, was the economy. As soon as the Great Depression began in 1929, the economy plummeted, and job opportunities went with it. The economy was so bad, that wages were dropping, while prices for necessities did not change, resulting in being more difficult for people to provide for themselves and their families. In California, labor strikes were very prevalent, and because the economy was so tough, many people were looking for jobs, which made it tougher for people to find employment. “By 1936, the year Steinbeck was writing Of Mice and…show more content…
“Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny.” (Steinbeck 120). When Curley's wife comes into Crooks' stable, she reminds him of how his status is below hers, and makes him feel worthless. This shows how Crooks is always full of fear, and it portrays his seeking for freedom from it (Hadella 4). Crooks was a black man in the story, and at that time, people were racist to all colored people. He was trying to reach racial freedom, and he no longer wanted to be isolated. George and Lennie are seeking freedom as well. George kept assuring Lennie that they would eventually save up enough money to have their own farm to live off of. They were stuck under the rules of the farm they worked at, and wished to achieve freedom through their plan of buying their own farm without rules. George kept telling Lennie that laboring in the farms is only temporary until they had enough money for themselves to buy their own farm and fend for themselves. Even Crooks wants in on the plan, he as well wants to reach freedom (Zeitler 2). “Crooks and Candy, both of them older and partially disabled, know they can continue working only as long as they remain economically useful. Old Candy, relegated by age and infirmity to cleaning the bunk-house, can only await the day of his dismissal.” (Hadella 4). Candy and Crooks continue to work to reach financial freedom, even though their bodies may not allow them
Show More
Related

  • John Steinbeck's Believable Characters

    2759 Words  | 12 Pages

    ability to give them their separate names, identities, personalities and have them relate to other characters living with them.’ (Mel Brooks) How have Harper Lee and John Steinbeck created believable characters in the novels you have studied? Who made their novel more believable than other? Is it Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ or is it Steinbeck’s ‘Animal Farm’? To compare and contrast the two similar but very different novels in the introduction, firstly both novels share the same country background and

    Read More

More about Comparing The Struggle In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Open Document