Itinerant ranch workers lives in The Thirties on the ranches they worked on were very lonely and harsh. The ranch workers worked long hours and got paid very little due to the demand of jobs. Workers could be easily replaced and maybe get paid for even less. Working and living conditions on the ranches were very poor. Money was not spent for doing up their sleeping quarters. As walls were brushed with “white washed” paint, floor unpainted, very little space for personal possessions and their furniture was formed by boxes, such as their chair and tables. The ranch workers belongings were their family as they took their prised objects with them. It had to be very limited and easy to carry so the ranch workers could pick up and go. Ranch workers conversation mainly consisted of things happening on the ranch, as they didn’t trust each other enough to talk about themselves. Ranch workers not giving “a damn about nobody”. Which shows they only looked out for themselves. There was ranking in the bunkhouse as there is a lack of respect for some characters in the book. Yet some characters which everyone does respect and looks up to like Slim. Racism was a fact in society at that time. The so called “nigger’s” were separated from the rest of the men. Crook’s a “coloured man” is mistreated by some of the other ranch workers due to his ethnic background and disabilities. Society could easily crush Crook’s. In order for black men to survive at that time, they had to do what they were told and not annoy anyone. Such as when Curley’s wife threatens him with a false accusation of molestation. Crooks leaves it at that, and is quite again. People like Crook’s were looked down upon even if they were better workers and more skilled that the other men on the ranch. One thing all the ranch workers in Steinbeck’s book share together is the “American dream”. Which was to have their own piece of land and be independent.
When the men get their leisure time at the end of the day the men play a game of horse-shoe and plays cards in order to socialise which each other at the bunkhouse during the night. Part of some of the ranch workers possessions are their “western magazines” that they like to read in their private time. Reading these magazines the men are lead to believe in their fantasies, but won’t ever come true. Most of the ranch workers dreamed of being cowboys, reading these magazines made them believe they could achieve their dream life.Due to the great loneliness ranch workers suffered they went into town on a Saturday night to “Susy’s Place”. Which was a brothel, yet for the men it was the closest thing that they had to home. It’s a place where the men were able to relax without anyone hassling them, a place which they see as “nice”. As the place itself is fully furnished, with “nice chairs” it’s like a home for them. Even though the men go there to meet their sexual desire’s, they don’t feel cheap for being there. As Susy is like a maternal figure head to them all.
In the book most of the ranch men were very alone “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world”. Many of the itinerant ranch workers travelled alone and it was very unusual for men to travel together. George and Lennie and are different though to the other ranch men, as they travel together. Since it was very unusual for men to travel together which Steinbeck suggests it make them very suspicious to the other men working on the ranch. Men on ranches were unable to settle down in one place, to build a strong foundation on for a family due to always being on the move. Steinbeck gives the reader the impression that many ranch men didn’t have many friends. Ranch workers weren’t able to have stable friends, as they couldn’t keep in contact with each other due to being in different locations. Most of the men then didn’t trust each other in the bunkhouse “ Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other” due to competition for jobs. Ranch men were scared of “getting the sack” so they didn’t seem to give a “damn about nobody”.
The lives of the older generation working on the ranches in the Thirties gives the reader the impression that it was a very lonely and miserable period of their lives. On the ranch in Steinbeck’s book the character Candy and his “ancient” dog symbolise the old. Candy is physically disabled “…stick-like wrist but no hand” due to this factor and old age is unable to work as hard as the other men on the ranch. Candy feels very isolated from the other men working on the ranch and feels like an outsider, as the men working on the ranch never include him into their leisure time. When the ranch men do go Susy’s place or play games, Candy wants to be invited even if he doesn’t do what the other men are doing. In The Thirties on ranches it was survival of the fittest “ I drowned four of ‘em…I kept the biggest”. The “shooting” of Candy’s dog represents society view of old age and the cripple as Candy’s dog wasn’t any “good to himself”. Steinbeck suggests to the reader that society will crush the old and cripple. Candy in the book would get the sack sooner or later when he wouldn’t be able to work anymore and be any use, like his dog.
From the book “Of Mice and Men” Steinbeck gives the reader the impression that during The Thirties society was racist to ethnic backgrounds. On the ranch in Steinbeck’s book Crooks was treated differently by the ranch men because of him being a “nigger”. Crooks is very isolated from the other men. Crooks has a room to himself due to him being “black” and he doesn’t communicate with the men outside of work. The ranch men only invite Crooks into their room when they want to use him as a form of their own entertainment. Even though Crooks is very skilled, he isn’t credited as much for what he does due to his background. If Crooks steps out of line he will be easily crushed by society and “lyniched” without a question.
In the book “Of Mice And Men” in The Thirty’s, the ranch lives of men and women was very different. Men “belonged” on ranches but it wasn’t “no place for a woman”. In Steinbeck’s book that woman on the ranch, is portrayed by Curley’s wife. She doesn’t gain any respect from the men as she’s known as the “slut” and the men don’t call her by her name. She’s only important as she’s married to Curley. Curley himself sees his wife as another one of his possessions and to show her off to make the other men jealous. Saying that he’s been able to settle down, has a wife and is a happy man. The only reason Curley’s wife married Curley was for the money. Their relationship isn’t based on love. Curley’s wife doesn’t even want to be on the ranch, claiming she could have been a “star”. When Curley’s arm is busted by Lennie, she’s pleased he got hurt and got what was coming to him. When men do want to see woman they go to brothels, where they are able to met their sexual desires. Yet many are unable to have deep relationships due to their situation of always being on the move. Though the relation to Curley’s wife and ranch workers is very different at both ends. Curley’s wife craves attention, that she doesn’t get from Curley. So she flirts with the other men on the ranch. Yet the men know she’s dangerous as she’s Curley’s wife, so they try to avoid her as much as possible. The men know the consequence’s if Curley finds out, they’ve been flirting with his wife. So if the ranch workers do flirt with her, it would always be in private. As the ranch workers didn’t trust each other and weren’t friends. If they were to flirt with Curley’s wife they might be in danger of losing their jobs.
The American dream proves futile for the characters in Steinbeck’s book as so did for many Americans in The Thirty’s. For characters George, Lennie, Candy and Crooks their dream was about to turn into reality, until some tragic turn of events which change their fate. The dream for Lennie is just like a bedtime story for him, but doesn’t mean anything. When George must then kill Lennie the dream shatters apart for him and Candy. George doesn’t want the dream anymore once Lennie’s gone. Candy’s dream then dies along as well, as he has no chance of full filling his dream without George. Earlier on in the book Crook was in the deal with the rest of the men, until Curley’s wife threatens him with the charge of rape. At that point Crook’s once again remembers the racism in society and forgets about it, rather than to be lynched out. Steinbeck mentions in the book about thousands of men with the little land in their head yet their dream never come true. The American dream drived many ranch workers to carry on with life, to find their own piece of land.
George and Lennie like many of the other itinerant ranch workers in the Thirty’s century share the American dream. The American dream was to believe that anyone could work hard and make a success of themselves to achieve their personal goals. That everyone is born equal and no one has more of an advantage. George and Lennie dream of having their own land, where they are able to be independent. They believe that they will have a chance and are “special” out of the thousands of ranch workers with the same dream and people will give a “damn about them”. The dream to Lennie is just like a bed time story but he doesn’t really believe in the dream and is just like a fairy tale story tale to him. His dream is to “tend the rabbits” and just to be with George forever. George wants to be independent and the only way he do so is by being his own boss and being in control of his life. Bringing their own crops in, living off from the sources that nature supplies as Lennie says “live on the fatta the lan”. Have a simple, carefree life having “a little house and a couple of acres an a cow and some pigs”.
The other characters in the book that share the same dream as Lennie and George are Candy, Crooks and also Curley’s wife. Candy is a old crippled man that is disabled physically. He doesn’t have any huge ambitions in life, until George and Lennie present him with a dream. Candy is a very lonely figure and he has no future without the dream due to being seen as “old” and useless. He wants to be able to settle down in a place where he is able to feel secure, safe and happy. The dream to have a little place to live with George and Lennie where he is able to do the odd jobs knowing he won’t be engulfed by society. Crooks is another lonely soul in the book. He is unable to escape the racism in society that surrounds him. Crooks being a “nigger” and isolated from the rest of the ranch workers. Crooks has protected himself from society crushing him by tring to avoid trouble at all costs. Even though Crooks is very skilled he suffer from the disadvantages of racism and being physically disabled with his “crooked back”. As for Curley’s wife she dreams of being a big star thinking she could be an actress. She craves fame as she thinks she’ll get the attention from everyone that she desires. Her personal goal is to be loved and adored and to actually feel wanted. As she gets “awful lonely” as she feels very isolated and cut of being on the ranch as the men don’t pay her the attention she would like “Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody?”. Curley’s wife says “I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet”, she thinks that by being a star she could build up a better life for herself.
The dream proves futile for the characters in the book due to tragic events in the book, that build up their odds against them for achieving their dream.
