On The Major Themes In Of Mice And Men

John Steinbeck is regarded as the quintessential American realistic writer, and he has established reputation world-wide. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1940 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. Steinbeck was a uniquely authentic writer who, over nearly four decades, produced a lot of works, including novels, short stories, screenplays, journals, essays, and newspaper and magazine articles.Of Mice and Men, one of Steinbeck's most important books in the 1930s, is set in the ranches of California in the Great Depression era and mainly deals with George and Lennie's dream of obtaining a patch of land of their own, their loyal friendship, and the loneliness and the powerlessness they suffer on the ranch. Of Mice and Men reveals Steinbeck's understanding of basic human needs, his sympathy for the humble people and his compliment for human aspiration to rise above the naturalistic human nature.This thesis consists of five parts. Part one is a brief introduction to John Steinbeck and Of Mice and Men. The second part analyzes the American Dream of the people on the ranch in this novella. The third part contributes to the friendship between George and Lennie and the friendship between Candy and his dog. The fourth part probes into loneliness suffered by the people on the ranch. The fifth part is on powerlessness. The last part discusses the archetypal characters and the themes in some of Steinbeck's novels and his concerns in the work.