Of Mice and Men narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States. George is an intelligent but uneducated man, and Lennie is a bulky, strong but mentally disabled man. They hope to one day attain the dream of settling down on their own piece of land. George is Lennie's protector and he wants to secure a safe job and living for them, but Lennie keeps dragging them back down due to his handicap.