The Truths Exposed in Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck's timeless novel of Of Mice and Men is a somewhat controversial tale of life's hardships. To illustrate these difficulties, Steinbeck takes the reader back to a time of bankruptcy, migrant workers, and vagrants. Today, this time, the 1930s, is labeled as the Great Depression. The quest of George and Lennie, two migrant workers, is an example of the dilemma of thousands of homeless and unemployed people in America during the Great Depression era (Ito 39). The harsh circumstances presented by the Great Depression reveal a darker side of human nature. To survive, a man's priority had to be himself. Through his characters, Steinbeck exposes truths about people and life in general. Through the character of Curley, Steinbeck pokes fun at the insecurity that can develop in a person. This major flaw of Curley shows a fundamental flaw of humanity. Howard Levant reiterates this point by saying, “The central theme is stated and reaffirmed: the good life is impossible because humanity is imperfect” (Owens 146). Candy, an old swamp, tells George, "Curley is like a lot of little boys. He hates big boys. He's always picking scraps with big boys. Kind of like he's mad at them because he's not a big boy" (Steinbeck 26). This insecurity is articulated through Curley's dislike of men older than him, or often men in general. Curley also worries incessantly about his wife's activities, which once again highlights his apparent lack of self-confidence. He further demonstrates his distrust by often ganging up on Lennie. Curley shows this when he argues with Lennie. Curley asks, "What the hell are you laughing at?" (Steinbeck 62). Not only was Lennie an immense man, but his novel makes the characters act to a certain extent selfishly, seeking their own good. However, it would be wrong to blame them. In the Depression-era world Steinbeck recreated, this "live and let die" attitude was often the only way to endure. The point of the novel, however, is not who is right or who is wrong. The point is that, at the novel's conclusion, everyone loses. Although it is often easier to satisfy one's basic needs alone, in the long run interaction with others becomes an essential part of human nature. Works Cited Ito, Tom. The importance of John Steinbeck. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1994. Owens, Louis. “Of Mice and Men: The Dream of Commitment.” Modern critical opinions on John Steinbeck. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 145 - 149.Steinbeck, John. Of mice and men. New York: Penguin Group, 1993.