The Theme Of Hope In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Despair Among People During the Great Depression

People who face great odds will hang on to hope, however, many will lose it to the cruel reality they live in. This is the story told in the novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck. In this novel, Lennie and George are traveling bindle stiffs who experience the losses that come with the Great Depression, and the hope of others that is dashed by the death of one person. This theme of hope and loss is shown through Curley's wife, Candy, and George.

Curley’s wife is a good example of hope and loss during this time period. When Curley's wife was out in the barn, with Lennie, telling her life story, we hear how her hopes and dreams never amounted to anything. ”an’ I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show….If I’d went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet”(pg88). This scene shows that Curley’s wife never wanted to be on the farm, she wanted to go be a star and get out of her small town. This dream ended when she married Curley, who moved her to an even smaller town. In addition, during this time period it was practically impossible for women to divorce their husbands. This meant she couldn’t leave Curley, even in the name of the law.

The theme of the novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is hope and loss. This is shown through the perspectives of Curley's wife, Candy, and George. In this story they all have a period where they hope for something more, but later on lose it. Although it is hard to remain hopeful in horrible situations, it is best not to lose hope and give into the situation you find yourself in. While loss is inevitable, it's better to hold onto hope, to approach life with an attitude that will allow you to succeed. Whether you leave that small town and become a star, retire peacefully surrounded by your friends, or get the land you’ve always