While the powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in
Steinbeck's work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing
"Of Mice and Men" (1937), creating an intimate portrait of two men
facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and
callousness. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal; a
friendship and a shared dream that makes an individual's existence
meaningful.