s and recognitions. The awards included the Pulitzer Prize (1939) for The Grapes of Wrath, and the Nobel Prize in Literature (1962). He also won the Commonwealth Club of California award for best novel by a state resident in 1935, the New York Drama Critic’s Circle Award (1937), and was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964 (French 13-5). Six years before his death in 1968, he was also honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for writing (Rylant et al. 71). A very interesting novel of his, also nominated for an award in its play version, is Of Mice and Men (French 13). Of Mice and Men is titled as such due to the poem by Robert Burns named “To a Mouse”. It refers to the mice Lennie kills and, more deeply, to all who are filled only with hurt and pain and have only broken dreams left (Johnson 19). The characters within the book have been categorized as ignorant. According to critic Mark Van Doren, this ignorance is due to their usage of grammar and vocabulary (Bloom and Harold 26). Also, you will see that the theme of the novel revolves around animals and their connections to humans. It also shows the struggle to overcome animal instincts. Characters display animal characteristics (Johnson 15). The main characters, George and Lennie, meet on a ranch in California, a main setting for Steinbeck, where they work together. When they meet the character named Candy, all three decide to make their dream of the farm come true together. Candy will come through with the money, George with his intelligence, and Lennie with his strength (Heiney 234). The relationship shared between George and Lennie is like that of a dog and its master or even a mother and her child. George protects Lennie from everything and without George, Lennie feels helpless (Heiney 233). Their dream for the farm is a symbol of their commitment to each other (Leone et al. 29). A very visible theme within the novella is loneliness. Lo...
