Abstract: John Steinbeck is the most influential American writers in twentieth Century. Steinbeck published one of the best novels “Of Mice and Men”. It was the most turbulent age of the American society in 1930s. Some people descended to be social vulnerable groups in that they owned various defective aspects and became victims of American society. This paper aims to analyze the reasons causing the phenomena of vulnerable groups and the different characters of vulnerable groups combined with miserable reality and explore era significance from the various perspective of poverty, gender, race, social background. It also can provide a further method to study “Of Mice and Men” and a more detailed understanding of studying literature in 1930s .

Key Words: of Mice and Men; American Social Vulnerable Groups; different phenomena; 1930s; reasons

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

1. 1 Steinbeck and Of Mice and Men-2

1. 2 A General Introduction to American Vulnerable Groups in 1930s-3

2. Different Phenomena of Social Groups’ Vulnerability-3

2. 1 Lenny and His Physical Defect-4

2. 2 George’s Struggle against Poverty-5

2.3 Curly’ s Wife and Her Destroyed Dream-6

2.4 Crooks in Racial Discrimination-7

2.5 Old Candy and His Fear towards Unemployment-9

3. Reasons Causing American Vulnerability-10

3. 1 Natural Disaster-11

3. 2 Stock Market Crash and Great Depression in1930s-12

3. 3 Political Ideas and Launched Policy-14

3. 4 Seedy Social Lifestyle-16

3.5 Others-18

4.Conclusion-19

References-21