Of Mice and Men

Bibliography

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1993. Print.

Nilsen, Allen Pace, James Blasingame, Kenneth L. Donelson, and Don L. Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

Summary

Of Mice and Men details the unique friendship of two men working the ranches of California. Lennie is a developmentally disabled man who is very large and strong. His friend and caretaker George is small but smart. The two of them work together and face the tough life of field labor. They are trying to make a better life for themselves, but this is not always easy. 

Analysis

This is a beautifully written book. Steinbeck creates a vivid description of the Salinas Valley, both the physical setting and the societal underpinnings of life on a ranch. Another unique feature of this book is the interesting blend of describing the scene in detail interspersed with the dialogue of the characters. At times, Steinbeck uses this to promote tension. It gives the book a feel of being a play script more than a novelette.

He also captures the characters on the ranch, most of whom are lost souls with fading dreams. Each character has a multifaceted tough past leading to an overall feeling of irritation and rawness. The reader can experience the life of a ranch hand living hand-to-mouth. 

Of Mice and Men is missing the normal trends of a YA novel. It is not written in the first person told through the eyes of a young person, nor does it involve parents. These characters are all adults, but they do reflect on Lennie’s childhood. Also, these characters are not truly optimistic for the future or  accomplishing anything in the present; most are making the same mistakes keeping them in their current situation. Throughout most of the book the characters do not evolve. In fact, it is because of the repeating patterns in their lives that George makes his final decision.

Of Mice and Men would be a book to use with an older YA audience. This book contains strong language and racial slurs, but it is fitting for the time and setting. The colloquial writing is hard to read sometimes, for example “It ain’t so funny, him an’ me goin’ aroun’ together,” would be difficult for a student to understand. There are also many time-specific words that a modern audience may not be familiar with such as “bucker” and “skinner.” This book would not be a good candidate for a beginning English language learner. Also, there are some sexual undertones that a less mature audience may not immediately identify. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to a YA reader because of the signature eloquent writing of Steinbeck who captures the rough personalities and lifestyles of working in the American West. Also, this classic is a gateway into adult books with more adult themes.