Of Mice and Men

I have forever heard reference to John Steinbeck’s 1937 novel “Of Mice and Men”.

I knew or thought it had something to do with the plans and dreams of mice and men of great things that never come true. 

I have never read the novel or seen any of the many movies and plays it created.

I just saw a movie clip of when George kills Lennie. It blew my mind on what was going on, as I saw it out of context with the whole story.

I was researching the origins of the cartoon of the abominable snowman hugging George.  (“hug him and squeeze him and call him George”) There was a comment that the cartoon was a reference back to the “Of Mice and Men” novel. The abominable snowman is Lennie.

So I found a synopsis or review of, “Of Mice and Men” on the web. 

John Steinbeck also wrote “The Grapes of Wrath” about the migrant farmers and workers leaving the “dust bowl” farms and traveling to California. 

“Of Mice and Men” was published earlier. It’s about migrant farm hands struggling with existence style living.

This story is very powerful and disturbing at the same time. It’s extreme in the worse way, but reflects on all our dreams of a perfect existence. Our dreams of our “own place” in this world compared to the struggles of reality and abilities. How two real friends support each other to carry the dream. 

Neither George or Lennie are “normal”. Lennie has “special” needs and is bullied by others but friended by George.  Fits with todays emphasis of Bully-ing. 

Read it or watch a movie. Be prepared. It will forever affect your thinking about how WE live today (Thank goodness!) But in reality, not much is different.

It made me tell you about it…

But I have also learned the inspiration for the name of the novel was from this 1785 poem “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns, A Scottish poet and reason for the Scottish slang. 

One phrase,

“The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men

          Gang aft agley,”