Unveiling Multiple Themes and Concerns: A Reading of John Steinbeck’s of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck's novel of Mice and Men embodies multiple levels of themes in spite of its brevity. It presents many major issues of the then prevailing conditions of America during the Great Depression and contains several worthy themes related to social and political upheaval. It continues the recurring themes in Steinbeck's fiction written in the 1930s and 1940s like Tortilla Flat, the Pearl, Cannery Row and Grapes of Wrath. Like the other works were written during the Great Depression the novel touches on several themes: the American dream, the loneliness and isolation, the powerlessness and economic injustice, friendship and human nature. The novel gives voice to the working class of California during the 1930s.of Mice and Men is a story chronicling a few days in the lonely lives of two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, a story about their dreams and aspirations and the circumstances and forces that work against them. The relationship and the affectionate bond shared by George and Lennie open many types of interpretations for critics. It is a kind of protest against the life condition of migrant workers. The effective ending of the novel is particularly climactic and shocking however it additionally gives a lesson in comprehension of the awfulness and the tragedy of life. The present paper aims to highlight multiple themes and concerns represented by the Nobel Prizewinning author John Steinbeck in his little masterpiece, ‘Of Mice and Men'. “In every bit of honest writing in the world, there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you Understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly Always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, Writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to Understand each other”. John Steinbeck in his 1938 journal entry