Context of the novel "Of Mice and Men" John Steinbeck celebrated friendship; it mapped the contours of his life and art. "In every bit of honest writing in the world," he noted in a 1938 journal entry, "...there is a base theme. Try to understand men; if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, …showed first 75 words of 2426 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2426 total…black man and a woman. "Of Mice and Men" shows us the persecution and suffering they endured. It is a tragic novel on loneliness and frustration. It highlights the social attitudes of society within the boundaries of a ranch and also presents us with the importance of friendship. Published on February 25, 1937, it made a huge impact with its theme genuinely rooted in American life, it has found success as a book, play and a film.