Abstract
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is known as one of the author's most powerful novels. Even though the story is completely imaginary, the plot takes place in a very precise historical and geographical context: 1930s California. Moreover, one of the main themes of the novel is humanity and Steinbeck's words kindle the reader's sensibility by confronting him or her to his or her own conception of life and human relations. To what extent does John Steinbeck manage to describe a universal story taking place in a precise historical and geographical context through the journey of two drifters? To answer this question, it is first worth analyzing the universal themes of friendship, loneliness and the quest for achievement through the characters' personalities and destinies. Then, it will be shown that some of those universal themes were very particular to California at that time.
