A lot of the people on the ranch very racist. At that time people were racist and thought nothing of it, they didn’t set out to be nasty however there is once scene with candy’s wife where she gets very nasty.
“Listen, Nigger” “you know what I can do to you if you open your trap” she is meaning that she will have him hung and tell the men that he tried it on.
Those are all bad points, all pessimistic points but there are also good points, optimistic points. Like the friendship between George and Lennie, Lennie is always getting into trouble and George keeps on bailing him out. George looks after Lennie and they have been friends for years. “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place, with us it ain’t like that. We got a future because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you.”
George and Lennie among others have the American dream. About the time of the depression every body had an idea of one-day owning a bit of land and having their own house. I suppose they did not want to think that they would spend their lives going from job to job and dyeing without a penny to their name. Even still this dream is on going. George and Lennie have this dream; it was just about to happen and the fatal blow of Lennie's death accrued. Even still I think this is optimistic because it represents hope.
In my opinion I think that “Of mice and men” is a pessimistic story. I think this because the novel finishes with a death of one of the main characters. It also leaves the other main characters very disturbed.
There are good arguments for both optimistic and pessimistic and as I have said I think that the novel is a pessimistic story however I believe that the novel is different for different people. I think that when you read it comes across in different ways and it different for everyone. In this I can only say my opinion and not a full conclusion.