Depression During the Depression

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is an enthralling novella which depicts the difficult and lonely lives many came face to face with during the Depression. Lack of work, money, and companionship are not only issues that appear in the Depression, but in the hard, problematic lives of Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Candy, all characters in this story. Crooks, an African American ranch hand, finds his life on the ranch to be an …

…as if they have not one friend to relate with, the characters in this story all share the same dream of a life different than their own. Whether they experience racial, social, or physical discrimination, all characters find themselves feeling desperate sometime during the story. By seeking out friendship in those around them, characters may not only cease the anguish which they experience but, in addition, find the happiness they spend their lives searching for.