The 1930s in American history were an interesting time blending conflict and eternal hope. John Steinbeck's literature takes a snapshot of this period with realistic circumstances suited to the time. Of Mice and Men reflects the Great Depression era by presenting the plot in the agricultural setting of 1930s California, describing the hardships of migrant workers in the field, and mentioning the dreams and goals of various characters. The United States felt the reverberating effects of its failing economy during the 1930s. The decade of the 1920s was a time of newfound “freedom” in which urban populations discovered pleasurable activities, women demonstrated their power and equal rights with the emergence of flappers, and the American economy flourished as exports surpassed imports. Americans increasingly used credit, backed only by their trust in government, to purchase and repay mortgages. However, this was equivalent to the stock market crash of 1929. Suddenly, many citizens lost their jobs, homes, and money deposited in banks. The majority of Americans lived below the poverty line and were desperately trying to earn a living to support their families. The federal government attempted to help those in need by introducing President Roosevelt's New Deal program which called for the establishment of several government relief initiatives. However, the New Deal program was not enough to assist all of America, especially farmers and those living in rural areas. (Bernanke) (Cullis) (Shindo) The Dust Bowl emerged as one of the hardest hit areas during the Great Depression. Years of drought and overexploitation have left the soil of the Great Plains barren and barren. This caused years of unproductive work...... middle of paper......2011.Dickstein, Morris. "Steinbeck and the Great Depression." South Atlantic Quarterly 103.1 (2004): 111-131. Premier of academic research. EBSCO. Network. March 6, 2011.Hearle, Kevin. "John Steinbeck." American Western Writers of the Twentieth Century: Second Series. Ed. Riccardo. H. Cracoft. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Literary resources from Gale. Network. May 4, 2011.Reith, Duncan. "Futile Dreams and Stagnation: Politics in Of Mice and Men." The English magazine. November: 2004: 6+ literary resources from Gale. Network. May 4, 2011. Shillinglaw, Susan. "Introduction." Of mice and men. 1994: Print.Shindo, Charles J. “The Myth of the Dust Bowl.” The Wilson Quarterly. (Vol.24). .4 (Fall 2000): p25. Literary Resource Center. Storm. New York Public Library. March 6, 2011 .Steinbeck, John. Of mice and men. New York: Penguin Books, 1937. Print.