Of Mice and Men: What It Means to Be Human

Much like Steinbeck\'s short novel The Pearl, Of Mice and Men is a parable that tries to explain what it means to be human. Steinbeck\'s thinking about man\'s place in the universe is essential; man is a tiny part of a vast world; in the greater scheme of things, individuals come and go and leave a small, lasting mark. Deep inside all people is a longing for a place in nature — the desire for the land, roots, and a place to call \"home.

\" The struggle for such a place is universal, and its success is uncertain. Of Mice and Men tells the life of two migrant workers in California on their journey during the Great Depression. George Milton, an intelligent yet uneducated man, and Lennie Small, a strong mentally disabled man trying to make their american dream reality. This book is a good book because it touches several themes: the nature of dreams, the nature of loneliness, man’s propensity for cruelty, powerlessness and economic injustices.

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Of Mice and Men is as much a story about the nature of human dreams and aspirations and the forces that work against them as it is the story of two men.

Humans give meaning to their lives — and their futures — by creating dreams. Without dreams and goals, life is an endless stream of days that have little connection or meaning. George and Lennie\'s dream to own a small farm of their own is so central to Of Mice and Men that it appears in some form in five of the six chapters.

The telling of the story, which George has done so often, becomes a ritual between the two men: George provides the narrative, and Lennie, who has difficulty remembering even simple instructions, picks up the refrain by finishing George\'s sentences. To George, this dream of having their place means independence, security, being their own boss, and, most importantly, being \"somebody.\" To Lennie, the dream is like the soft animals he pets: It means security, the responsibility of tending to the rabbits, and a sanctuary where he won\'t have to be afraid. To Candy, who sees the farm as a place where he can assert a responsibility he didn\'t take when he let Carlson kill his dog, it offers security for old age and a home where he will fit in. For Crooks, the little farm will be a place where he can have self-respect, acceptance, and security. For each man — George, Lennie, Candy, and Crooks — human dignity is an integral part of the dream.

Having and sharing the dream, however, are not enough to bring it to fruition. Each man must make a sacrifice or battle some other force that seeks, intentionally or not, to steal the dream away. Initially, the obstacles are challenging but not impossible: staying out of trouble, not spending money on liquor or in bordellos, and working at the ranch long enough to save the money for a down payment. But greater obstacles soon become apparent. Some of these obstacles are external (the threat from Curley\'s wife and Curley\'s violence, for example, as well as the societal prejudices that plague each man); others are internal (such as Lennie\'s strength and his need to touch soft things). For George, the greatest threat to the dream is Lennie himself; ironically, it is Lennie who also makes the dream worthwhile.

In addition to dreams, humans crave contact with others to give life meaning. Loneliness is present throughout this novel. On the most obvious level, we see this isolation when the ranch hands go into town on Saturday night to ease their loneliness with alcohol and women. Similarly, Lennie goes into Crook\'s room to find someone with whom to talk, and later Curley\'s wife comes for the same reason. Crooks says, \"A guy goes nuts if he ain\'t got nobody. Don\'t make no difference who the guy is, long\'s he\'s with you.\" Even Slim mentions, \"I have seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That is not any good. The have no fun. After a long time, they get mean.\" George\'s taking care of Lennie and the dream of the farm attempts to break the pattern of loneliness that is part of the human condition. Similarly, Lennie\'s desire to pet soft things comes from his need to feel safe and secure, to touch something that gives him that feeling of not being alone in the world. For Lennie, the dream of the farm parallels that security. Steinbeck\'s characters are often the underdogs, and he shows compassion toward them throughout the body of his writings.

Powerlessness takes many forms — intellectual, economic, societal and Steinbeck touches on them all. The main two that he touches on are intellectual powerlessness and economic powerlessness. Although Lennie is physically strong and would, therefore, seem to represent someone of power, the only power Lennie possesses is physical. Because of his mental handicap and his child-like way of perceiving the world, he is powerless against his urges and the forces that abuse him. For example, he knows what it is to be good, and he doesn\'t want to be bad, but he lacks the mental acuity that would help him understand and, therefore, avoid the dangers that unfold before him. Therefore, he must rely on George to protect him. George, in this regard, is also powerless. Although he can instruct Lennie on what to do and not do, and although he perceives the danger posed by Curley\'s wife, he cannot be with Lennie every hour of every day and, therefore, cannot truly protect Lennie from himself. In the end, the only thing that George can do is protect Lennie from the others.

Another type of powerlessness is economic. Because the migrant workers are victims of a society where they cannot get ahead economically, they must struggle again and again. George and Lennie face overwhelming odds in trying to get together a minimum of $600 to buy their own land. But they are not the only ones who have shared the dream of owning land, nor the only ones who have difficulty securing the mean by which to do it. As Crooks explains, \"I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land, but ever\' time a whorehouse or a blackjack game took what it takes.\" In other words, it is part of the human condition to always want instant gratification rather than save for tomorrow. As long as the men spend their money on the weekends, they will continue to be powerless. On the other hand, living lives of loneliness and harshness makes companionship, even for a weekend alluring enough to overshadow a dream. Furthermore, the men are paid so little that it is difficult to save enough to make a dream come true.