The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a well-known classic, and it narrates the story of two migrant workers named George and Lennie. George and Lennie are best friends, and readers quickly realize that Lennie has a slight mental disability. Nevertheless, George and Lennie’s bond is one of the strongest of the literary world, and their story helps readers understand the lives of migrant workers during the Great Depression as well as the Dust Bowl.

Before reading this novel, I highly recommend doing some research on the Great Depression, for so many influential literary works have references or settings relating to the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, etcetera.

In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck cleverly implements many literary devices to convey the story of these two best friends into readers’ hearts. Some of the most prevalent themes in the book include friendship, loneliness, dreams, and more. This book also has a multitude of significant symbols, as well as meaningful characterizations, clever allusions, foreshadowing and quotes.

Personally, I think that the best part of reading this book was the remarkable theme of loneliness. Almost every single character in the story contributes to the development of this theme. 

As I mentioned before, this story takes place during the Great Depression and allows readers to visualize life for migrant workers. These workers mostly travelled alone from place to place (hence the “migrant”). Through the dialogue and actions of other characters, readers understand that George and Lennie’s bond is remarkable, but very unusual, and the theme of loneliness is further emphasized.

The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a phenomenal piece, and I would recommend this book to avid readers in high school and above.

-Ayati M.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded from Overdrive.