# Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/literary-masterpiece-digest-7025887/of-mice-and-men-john-steinbeck
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/literary-masterpiece-digest-7025887/of-mice-and-men-john-steinbeck.md
Podcast: [Literary Masterpiece Digest](https://stenobird.com/podcast/literary-masterpiece-digest-7025887)
Published: 2026-06-17T06:17:00+00:00
Episode link: https://3b63e276-eed0-4d81-8724-691284344dc0.libsyn.com/of-mice-and-men-john-steinbeck
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Duration seconds: 577

## Resource

Of Mice and Men follows George Milton and Lennie Small , two migrant workers traveling together through California during the Great Depression. George is intelligent and responsible, while Lennie is physically strong but has an intellectual disability. Despite their differences, they share a close friendship and a common dream: to one day own a small farm where they can live independently, with Lennie caring for rabbits. The two find work on a ranch where they meet several lonely and marginalized individuals, including Candy , an aging worker; Crooks , a Black stable hand isolated by racism; and Curley's wife , a young woman trapped in an unhappy marriage. Each character is searching for connection, dignity, or a better future. For a brief time, George and Lennie's dream seems achievable when Candy offers to help them buy land. However, Lennie's inability to understand the consequences of his actions leads to tragedy. After accidentally killing Curley's wife during a moment of panic, Lennie becomes the target of an angry mob. Knowing that Lennie will face a cruel death if captured, George finds him hiding near a river. As Lennie happily listens to George describe their dream one last time, George mercifully shoots him, sparing him from a more violent fate. The novella explores themes of friendship, loneliness, dreams, discrimination, powerlessness, and the harsh realities of life during the Great Depression . Through George and Lennie's relationship, Steinbeck shows how companionship can provide meaning and hope even in a world filled with hardship and disappointment.

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## Transcript

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