How Does of Mice and Men Present the Life of a Migrant Worker

John Steinbeck did represent the lives of migrant workers in his novel Of Mice and Men. The lives of migrant workers were hard, challenging and unrewarding. Migrant workers suffered from poverty because they were low-wage workers. They were forced to travel between American states in search of seasonal work . In the novel; John Steinbeck shows the harsh reality of their lives. During the Great Depression most men were forced to move around on their own to make money to send home to their families. Most felt isolated and found it hard to make friends as they moved around so much because of the nature of their work. Loneliness is a theme in this novel that is reflective of the time period in which the novel was written. Steinbeck shows the loneliness of the migrant ranch workers through Curley when one of the characters says â€Å"Curley ain’t giving no-one a chance,† this shows how reserved the workers become as a result of constantly being on their own and having no stable relationships. George and Lennie are different however, and do have someone they can talk to and throughout the novella most characters are suspicious of their close relationship. During the time when the book is set The American Dream was very much alive. During the time of The Great Depression many people packed up their families and headed for LA as that seemed to be the best place to go. Each individual had their own interpretation of their ideal situation for life. For many this would be fame or fortune but George and Lennie had their own idea. George and Lenny both shared â€Å"The American. Dream† of owning their own small farm house. This is what keeps both of the characters motivated throughout the novel. ‘Some day – we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and –‘, George and Lennie constantly repeat this phrase continuously throughout the novella. When George talks about the dream ranch Lennie gets really excited about it even though he has heard it a thousand times. Lennie finds that having the â€Å"dream ranch† repeated to him, soothes his mind and makes him feel happy. Also, it allows him to have something to look forward to. Many times during the book Lennie mentions taking care of rabbits. Lennie likes the fact that he will be able to have something to take care of and that they will be his own. Also, letting him know that he will tend the rabbits works as an incentive for him not to get in trouble, the quote â€Å"But you ain’t going to get in no trouble, because if you do, I won’t let you tend the rabbits† proves that Lennie will try to stay out of trouble as much as he can.