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John Steinbeck, who wrote Of Mice and Men, wants you to know something. Steinbeck wants you to know that the American Dream, the dream of opportunity and prosperity, doesn’t apply to most people. Because most people are like George and Lennie—the main characters in this book. Of Mice and Men presents George and Lennie as pawns in a power game beyond their comprehension. In Steinbeck’s America, Big Money rules, and folks like George and Lennie are doomed from the start.

Video Transcription:

A basic fact about John Steinbeck’s writing: His novels are deeply rooted in the American experience.

OK, so, what the heck does that mean? Stay with me.

Here’s what the American experience has to do with Of Mice and Men. This book is all about the failure of The American Dream. So, knowing something about The American Dream will help you understand this book.

Refresher: The American Dream is the idea that America is a land where anyone can make it. If you work hard enough, you can create a good life for yourself and find prosperity. You know, all that Declaration of Independence stuff about “certain inalienable rights” and all men—and women!—being created equal.

Unfortunately, if you want to believe that American Dream business, you probably shouldn’t read this book. Because in Of Mice and Men, everyone’s dreams are dashed.

It’s a cruel, unforgiving, lonely world you’re going to find in this story, where dreams are for the weak and dreamers meet with tragedy.

I know it sounds a little over-the-top, but trust me. In John Steinbeck’s hands, the failure of the American Dream isn’t melodrama; it’s a meditation on real life.