John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, and lived the early part of his life in California. It was here that Steinbeck developed a knowledge and love of the natural world and the different cultures that figure so prominently in his works. Steinbeck's family was middle-class. John Ernst was his father and he was a miller and County official. His mother, Olive Hamilton taught in schools at various locations in California. As a boy Steinbeck was more of a reader than a scholar; he was vivid reader and read a wide varity of literary pieces.

Steinbeck wrote for the student newspapers at Salinas and at Stanford University. His reading background was both varied and intense, but he couldn't adjust to the disciplines necess

ary for a college degree, and never graduated. He had gone to college at Stanford University for five years, but also worked on ranches, and had a variety of other jobs. In the process he met friends that would later be characters in his novels.

In the novel Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck used George and Lennie's relationship and the theme of hope to point out the loneliness in the novel. The novel starts off and is set in Soledad which means lonely. At the beginning they get a job working on a farm together. Lennie is a little retarded and has great physical strength that isn't too controllable. As they work from ranch to ranch, Lennie relies on George for guidance and help. Rather than them both wasting their earnings, they try to save it in the hope of buying a place of their own. While working at one ranch they meet a cow worker named Candy who tries to help them financially. Before this dream can happen, Lennie kills the wife of the boss's son. As the novel concludes George has to kill Lennie for his benefit. Later he goes into town and abandons his dream by spending his money.

The novel suggests doubts of someone getting their dream many times. This is where the character Crooks joins in. He states that he has seen a hundred of men in his time and that everyone has a hunger of a piece of land in their head and none of them ever get it. He uses the metaphor to going to heaven that not everyone gets to go and that not everyone gets some land: "I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land" (Steinbeck 89). Here it suggest that George and Lennie might not get a place, but they refuse to believe it. The last thing that they want is to be alone and that is why they hope nothing will happen: "I tell you a guy gets too lonely, then he gets sick" (Steinbeck 89). Lennie and George reassure that they won't be alone, and all of their dreams of having a place will come true.

There were excessive points where the proceeds of George and Lennie were complete out of loneliness. In the novel a home remains a dream, and their friendship covers up the loneliness that is there. The characters are isolated besides each other and they have never really had a companionship or other friends. In Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck used George and Lennie's relationship to point out the loneliness in the novel.

At this time Steinbeck's career as an author went very well and a lot of his books came out with excellent reviews. Then on December 20, 1968, Steinbeck died in Sag Harbor, N.Y. His ashes were later returned to California by his widow.

"Of Mice and Men is the story of a man in a fallen world. They were set to the challenge to break the wandering and loneliness and return to the perfect world which was their dream" (Bloom 145). George and Lennie were committed to accomplishing the impossible in this case. To hav

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