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In America in the 1930’s the Great Depression caused by the Wall Street Crash meant that work was hard to come by and, even if there were jobs, pay was minimal and accommodation was basic. Caught up in this turmoil are two men, Lennie and George. They are unemployed and are struggling  to make ends meet. They are moving from place to place and are looking for work on a ranch where there might be jobs available. Despite the fact that Lennie is retarded, people are afraid to seek help if they are old or impaired, as there is very little help provided by the state other than  institutional care. Lennie, like many others in his situation, has been looked after by friends and family, first his Aunt Clara until her death, then by George, his companion and carer.

These two characters and their experiences form the basis of Steinbeck’s novel.  As the story begins, they are walking to a ranch but decide to settle down for the night in the open countryside and continue with their journey the following day. This is the last time until the end of the novel that they will be alone together and it represents a brief moment of happiness and camaraderie as the bond between the two is clearly established. Lennie sums this up when he describes their relationship as one of mutual dependence:

“...because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you.”

Despite Lennie’s petulant childishness over  the dead mouse and the  lack of any ketchup, and George’s understandable irritation, everything is resolved when George soothes Lennie to sleep with a frequently recited story of the ranch they will own themselves one day. This dream both inspires and intrigues Lennie who, with childlike naivety, believes every word, whilst for George it is just a fantasy that keeps Lennie happy. This idyllic world, where they will be self-sufficient and only do the minimum of work as they will be living “off the fatta the lan’”, epitomises in a

Small way the “American Dream” which suggested that success and independence was within everyone’s grasp if only they worked hard and were determined to succeed. Its echoes resonate throughout the novel and it has its roots in America ’s pioneer past when anything seemed possible.

Once George and Lennie arrive at the ranch, they realise that they are late and the Boss is not very happy. They soon discover, though, that it is not the Boss, nor his son, Curley, whom people respect. Rather it is Slim, a dignified and charismatic figure, who exerts natural authority and to whom others turn in times of crisis. Steinbeck heightens this sense of Slim’s moral superiority by his use of language; the words “majesty”, royalty” and prince” are all applied to him and he possesses considerable skill as a “jerk-line skinner”. Even though he doesn’t own the ranch, he is responsible for the day-to –day running of it. He is also the only character who accepts his lot in life and strives to do it well, ignoring the illusory promise of dreams which are unlikely ever to come true.

Life on the ranch is tough and the wages are poor Only the hope that perhaps their dream might come true offers some comfort, and Lennie increasingly seeks the reassurance of George’s account of how life will be on their ranch, just as a small child might wish to hear a favourite fairy story over and over again.

As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Steinbeck’s purpose is to show that the “American Dream” is simply that, a dream, not a reality. It is an illusion, designed to encourage the poor to work ever harder in the hope of a life-style they have little, if any, chance of ever achieving.

In reality, the “Lennies” of this world will never have the opportunity to be independent and even the “Curleys”, with much greater social advantages, are unlikely ever to fulfil their dreams, in his case that of becoming a prize-fighter. In America , it is said, there is no such thing as social class  but, as Steinbeck points out, there is. Curley may not be able to achieve his ambitions, but his social status gives him the power and authority to take his revenge on others like Lennie and to exert authority over his wife. The ranch thus becomes a microcosm of American society and operates a hierarchical system based on money which is no less iniquitous than one based on heredity or birth. Despite the fact that America is a powerful nation that prides itself on its democratic values, characters like Crooks still suffer from racial discrimination while Curley’s wife is treated as a possession by her husband and with a certain contempt by the ranch-hands, with, of course , the exception of Slim.  The Capitalist philosophy on which America is based may preach equality of opportunity for all but the idea that success is possible for everyone and that individuality and initiative will always flourish is clearly not true. As a result, most characters resort to a “dream” whereby luck will bring fame and fortune, not hard work. Curley’s wife believes she will be a film-star and Lennie wants to tend the rabbits. Moreover, despite disappointments, these characters cling to their hopes and dreams with all the tenacity and compulsion of an addict. Only Slim sees the pointlessness of such day-dreaming and accepts the fact that he will never have more than he has at present. Thus he avoids much of the frustration and bitterness that characters like Curley and his wife experience, or the disappointment of characters like Candy and Crooks who, being either old or black, are treated with scant respect or consideration. Lennie, with his child-like mentality, also escapes since he does not see his dream for the illusion it is, but ironically this marks him out as a victim. To Curley, Lennie is a threat. Physically stronger, he challenges Curley’s authority simply by being what he is, and his naivety gives him an innocence and susceptiblity which irks the Boss’ son who, for all his authority, is heartily disliked and even mocked behind his back by the other ranch-hands.

The novel thus attempts to represent American society as a culture where power is unequally distributed and injustice persists on the back of prejudice and greed. It is, moreover, a society that is self-deluding.

Racial intolerance and sexism do exist and all too often there is a lack of compassion, tolerance and fairness. There may be wide open spaces and the romantic myth of the cowboy, but in reality there is a lack of social cohesion. Capitalism, far from bringing in a golden age of wealth and prosperity for all, has divided society so that it is every man for himself.

Sadly Steinbeck’s novel exposes this hard and uncomfortable truth, namely that men are not equal, nor are their chances of success. With Lennie’s tragic death, the dream dies and we are left with a depressing picture in which both the characters and their dreams are doomed to failure in a world where all too often the search for individual success ignores the very real plight of those less fortunate than ourselves.

(c) Maggie Venturi