Essay On Great Depression In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, is taken place throughout the Great Depression. During the great depression people tried everything that they could to get good jobs and make money. In the beginning of the novel the main characters, George and Lennie are sitting on a hill by a pond discussing what their dreams are in life. George mentions how one day they will get a little shack on about ten acres and have cows and pigs. Before he can finish his sentence Lenny interrupts him saying, “An’ live off the fatta the lan’. An’ have rabbits.. In the the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove, and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut it” (Steinbeck 14). Lennie is very excited about their future plans because George promises him many times about how he can tend the rabbits. George also tells Lennie that if anything bad happens to either of them that they will meet up in the bushes by this pond. They are both tired of
George tells him they could probably buy this place for only six hundred dollars. Candy thinks about this place and decides that he would like to buy it with George and Lennie if they would let him. “I ain’t much good with on’y one hand. I lost my hand right here on this ranch. That’s why they give me a job swampin’. An’ they give me two hundred an’ fifty dollars ‘cause I los’ my hand. An’ I got fifty more saved up right in the bank, right now. Tha’s three hundred and I got fifty more comin’ the end of the month…S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred and fifty I’d put in. I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some” (Steinbeck 59). George thinks about it and tells him yes. Candy is an older guy and he can’t do much with his one hand so he just wants to be needed and useful, especially since he is so