neliness is a word often used by George, Crooks, and Slim. The closest town is also named Soledad, meaning “solitary”. To reinforce this them further, George and Lennie only play the card game solitaire (Johnson 19). Many critics also view a theme of paradise and dream of paradise as most important throughout Of Mice and Men, but critic Louis Owens tends to differ. “In his assessment… -the yearning all men have for contact with another living being…” is the most important theme (Leone et al. 29) John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, is father to many thoughts, differing ideas, and themes. Each person sees something different within the pages of the book. It is always evident, however, that Steinbeck’s own life plays a big influence in all his novels, specifically this one. The setting of California is related to his hometown. In addition, the use of migrant workers, Lennie and George, relate directly to his days as a field hand. Of Mice and Men documents certain aspects of Steinbeck and his views of American society. ...
