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Foreshadowing
Part 4
Explanation and Analysis:
In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck combines aspects of the genres of tragedy and social realism. Despite their best hopes for a better future, George and Lennie are drawn towards a tragic conclusion that feels inevitable. Though they both sense that they should leave Salinas as soon as they arrive, they are tempted by the possibility of getting closer to their goal of financial independence, and ultimately, Lennie’s characteristic combination of gentleness and strength seals his tragic fate.
In addition, Steinbeck employs many of the conventions of social realism, an artistic movement that foregrounded a realistic depiction of social and economic conditions in order to critique social inequalities. In this novella, Steinbeck presents an unflinchingly pessimistic view of working class life during the Great Depression. When Lennie tells Crooks about his dreams of raising rabbits on a farm with George, for example, Crooks’s response highlights the deeply entrenched social issues of the era:
Crooks was scornful. “I seen hunderds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads. Hunderds of them. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one of ’em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ’em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head."
Inspired by the “American Dream,” many of these migrant workers hope to someday settle down and own their own land. However, Crooks casts a skeptical eye upon these dreams, noting that he has seen “hunderds” of men come through Salinas with similar ambitions. Crooks argues that, ultimately, these dreams are out of reach for men of their socioeconomic class.
Related Themes:
