Steinbeck based the novella on his own experiences as a teenager working alongside migrant farm workers in the 1910s, before the arrival of the Okies whom he would describe in his novel The Grapes of Wrath.

Slim gives puppies to Lennie and to Candy, whose loyal, accomplished sheep dog was put down by fellow ranch-hand Carlson.

In spite of problems, their dream leaps towards reality when Candy offers to pitch in $350 toward the purchase of a farm, in return for permission to live with them.

She finds out about Lennie's love of soft things and offers to let him stroke her hair, but when she feels his strength, she panics and begins to scream.

When the other ranch hands find the corpse, they form a lynch mob intent on killing him, sending for the police before beginning the search.

George quickly realizes that their dream is at an end and hurries to find Lennie, hoping he will be at the meeting place they designated in case he got into trouble.

Candy aspires to reassert his responsibility lost with the death of his dog, and for security for his old age—on George's homestead.

"[8] The author further reinforces this theme through subtle methods by situating the story near the town of Soledad, which means "solitude" in Spanish.

Crooks's barrier results from being barred from the bunkhouse by restraining him to the stable; his bitterness is partially broken, however, through Lennie's ignorance.

Lennie possesses the greatest physical strength of any character, which should therefore establish a sense of respect as he is employed as a ranch hand.

As George, Candy and Crooks are positive, action-oriented characters, they wish to purchase a homestead, but because of the Depression, they are unable to earn enough money to fulfill their dream.

Curley uses his aggressive nature and superior position in an attempt to take control of his father's farm.

[10] Fate is felt most heavily as the characters' aspirations are destroyed when George is unable to protect Lennie (who is a real danger).

[11] Animals play a role in the story as well; the heron shifts from a beautiful part of the scenery from the beginning of the novel to a predator near the end.

The ending chapter has the heron return, preying upon snakes that get too curious in a repetitive nature, symbolic of the dreams of men constantly being snatched away.

Of Mice and Men was Steinbeck's first attempt at writing in the form of novel-play termed a "play-novelette" by one critic.

[13] Burns's poem tells of the regret the narrator feels for having destroyed the home of a mouse while plowing his field.

As he explained in a 1936 letter:[15]My setter pup [Toby], left alone one night, made confetti of about half of my [manuscript] book.

We couldn't stop him until it was too late.Attaining the greatest positive response of any of his works up to that time, Steinbeck's novella was chosen as a Book of the Month Club selection before it was published.

Praise for the work came from many notable critics, including Maxine Garrard (Enquirer-Sun),[17] Christopher Morley, and Harry Thornton Moore (New Republic).

[18] New York Times critic Ralph Thompson described the novella as a "grand little book, for all its ultimate melodrama".

[19][20] In the UK, it was listed at number 52 of the "nation's best loved novels" on the BBC's 2003 survey The Big Read.

[21] The novella has been banned from various US public and school libraries or curricula for allegedly "promoting euthanasia", "condoning racial slurs", being "anti-business", containing profanity, and generally containing "vulgar", "offensive language", and containing racial stereotypes, as well as the negative impact of these stereotypes on students.

[22][23] Many of the bans and restrictions have been lifted and it remains required reading in many other American, Australian, Irish, British, New Zealand and Canadian high schools.

[28] The role of Crooks was performed by Leigh Whipper, the first African-American member of the Actors' Equity Association.

[33] The play was revived in a 1974 Broadway production in the Brooks Atkinson Theatre starring Kevin Conway as George and James Earl Jones as Lennie.

[35] A new version of the play opened on Broadway at The Longacre Theater on March 19, 2014 for a limited 18-week engagement, starring James Franco, Chris O'Dowd, Leighton Meester and Jim Norton.

[38] The first film adaptation was released in 1939, two years after the publication of the novella, and starred Lon Chaney Jr. as Lennie, with Burgess Meredith as George, and was directed by Lewis Milestone.

[39] In 1981, a TV movie version was released, starring Randy Quaid as Lennie, and Robert Blake as George, and directed by Reza Badiyi.

[40] Another theatrical film version was made in 1992, directed by Gary Sinise, who was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes.