They own basically nothing. They sleep on burlap mattresses and George thinks his bunk has lice, since he found a can of lice powder in his bunk.
The Joad family in The Grapes of Wrath also had to go through the struggles brought about by the Great depression. They were farmers in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. By the mid-1930s, the drought had crippled countless farm families, and America had fallen into the Great Depression. Unable to earn money they like many other farm families they traveled to California with hopes of finding work. But the farm country of California quickly became overcrowded with people in the same situation. They have little possessions. They desperately struggle to find work and food. Even when they do find work the pay was horrible. A day's work doesn't even buy them a decent meal. They lived in cramped, poverty ridden camps called "Hoovervilles," named after President Hoover, who was blamed for the problems that led to the Great Depression. Many of the residents of these camps starved to death, because they couldn't find work.
Another topic Steinbeck's books reflect on is the issue of the family. He hits not only on the whole family issue but more importantly the role of women in the family. In the two books he portrays the role of women in the family completely differently. In Of Mice and Men women are portrayed as sex objects trying to capture and corrupt men. They are almost non existent. For instance, Curley's wife is never given a name and is only acknowledged in reference to her husband. This nameless, person also happens to be the only female character. The men on the farm call her names like "tramp and "looloo". George warns Lennie to stay away from her that she is nothing but trouble. In Lennie and Georges dream they will be by themselves on their farm, cultivating the land and raising there rabbits, without women to complicate their happy little world.
