Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature, both describe the harsh living conditions and The difficult hardships migrant farm workers faced during the Great Depression. In the short story Of Mice and Men, two men named George and Lennie travel in search of ranch work in California, hoping to one day have a farm of their own. However, Lennie is mentally retarded and always causes trouble, ultimately leading to George's merciful killing of Lennie, an action that ends their pursuit of their American dream. In this latest novel, the Joad family, like many other poor Oklahoma tenant farmers, is forced to abandon their land and embark on a journey to California, in search of work, land, dignity and a better future. Although the family works diligently, their dreams are crushed by cruel realities, including the separation and death of family members, limited job opportunities, and mistreatment by wealthy California farm owners. Some of the recurring themes, shared by both novels, are the inhumanity of human beings towards others, the powerful nature of relationships, and the impossibility of the American dream. In both novels, humans show inhumanity towards each other, even if some of them are the victims. of this predatory nature. The author takes on the voice of a used car salesman: “God, if I could only get a hundred gears. I don't care if they run or not." (Chapter 7 GOW) When farmers are in trouble, dishonest car salesmen betray their urge to buy cars, taking advantage of the weak and showing the inhumanity among human beings. This inhumanity is also shown through selfishness and animosity towards… the medium of paper… to change one's life in some positive way. George and Lennie want to own a farm. Curley's wife wants to be a movie star. Curley wants his wife's love. Scammers want to be treated equally. However, at the end of the book, none of them realize their dreams, a confirmation of the phrase: the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. (To a Mouse) As the three recurring themes of the books become clear, so does our understanding of the ideas contained within the lines of the books. Despite all the difficulties presented by the themes of both books, I think Steinbeck still wants us to see these challenges as valuable experiences and richer opportunities to finally achieve the seemingly impossible American Dream. In a smaller context, what the two books taught me is: be kind. Be optimistic. Be yourself. These words are grossly cliché but totally true.