History YMMV / OfMiceAndMen

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: In the 1992 movie, Curley's wife is [[AdaptationalHeroism far more sympathetic than in the book]] - specifically, the scene in which she arguably crosses the MoralEventHorizon by threatening to have Crooks lynched is omitted. The director wanted her depicted more as a "sad angel" rather than TheVamp she appeared to be in the novel.

-->[[MadonnaWhoreComplex She was told over and over that she must remain a virgin because that was the only way she could get a husband]] ... She only had that one thing to sell and she knew it. [[HiddenDepths She is a nice, kind girl and not a floozy]]. No man has ever considered her as anything except a girl to try to make ... As to her actual sex life -- she has had none except with Curley and there [[SexlessMarriage has probably been no consummation]] there since [[ItsAllAboutMe Curley would not consider her gratification]] and would probably be suspicious if she had any.

* ParodyDisplacement: George and Lennie are far better known to modern audiences as characters regularly spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and Creator/TexAvery cartoons ("Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?") Tex Avery even made a cartoon based on the character Lennie called "Lonesome Lenny", where a dim witted dog [[AndCallHimGeorge finally took out]] WesternAnimation/ScrewballSquirrel1944.

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: This is a pretty depressing book to read. Nothing ever goes right for either Lennie or George, most of the characters they meet are complete [[{{Jerkass}} Jerkasses]], and the story ends with George being forced to [[spoiler:kill Lennie to save him from meeting a worse fate at the hands of the law after he accidentally kills a woman]].

** The extremely sympathetic character Candy freely using the N-word is pretty jarring now but this is a case of FairForItsDay.

** George also uses the slur "Jap" when mentioning the farm that he and Lennie plan to purchase

** Candy. The poor man lost his hand years ago, and he loses his beloved dogs, and eventually his dream...

* ParodyDisplacement: George and Lennie are far better known to modern audiences as characters regularly spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and Creator/TexAvery cartoons ("Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?") Tex Avery even made a cartoon based on the character Lennie called "Lonesome Lenny", where a dim witted dog [[AndCallHimGeorge finally took out]] WesternAnimation/ScrewballSquirrel.

* WeirdAlEffect: George and Lennie are far better known to modern audiences as characters regularly spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and Creator/TexAvery cartoons ("Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?") Tex Avery even made a cartoon based on the character Lennie called "Lonesome Lenny", where a dim witted dog [[AndCallHimGeorge finally took out]] WesternAnimation/ScrewballSquirrel.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: This is a pretty depressing book to read. Nothing ever goes right for either Lennie or George, most of the characters they meet are complete [[{{Jerkass}} Jerkasses]], and the story ends with George being forced to [[spoiler:kill Lennie to save him from meeting a worse fate at the hands of the law after he accidentally kills a woman]].

** George also uses the slur "Jap" when mentioning the farm that he and Lennox plan to purchase

** Lennie, a mentally disabled man, is constantly yelled at, berated, scolded, and treated like a burden by everyone around him, including George. At one point, George pretends that Lennie is his cousin to explain to the ranch head hiring them why they're hanging out together but later says that if Lennie actually ''was'' his cousin, he'd shoot himself. These days, it's less acceptable to make fun of the disabled in any fashion or treat them like a liability, though back in the 30s, the mentally disabled had less personal rights and any mental disability that existed were either undiagnosed or poorly understood compared to the modern age. Asylums in the 1930s were also very inept and outright inhumane in their time; often relying on electroshock therapy and lobotomies.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: For many, Lennie's quicker death in the movie can cause some unintentional laughs.

* WeirdAlEffect: George and Lennie are far better known to modern audiences as characters regularly spoofed in WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes and Creator/TexAvery cartoons ("Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?") Tex Avery even made a cartoon based on the character Lennie called "Lonesome Lenny", where a dim witted dog [[AndCallHimGeorge finally took out]] WesternAnimation/ScrewballSquirrel.

* WeirdAlEffect: George and Lennie are far better known to modern audiences as characters regularly spoofed in WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes and Creator/TexAvery cartoons ("Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?") Tex Avery even made a cartoon based on the character Lennie called "Lonesome Lenny", where a dim witted dog [[AndCallHimGeorge finally took out]] WesternAnimation/ScrewySquirrel.

* WeirdAlEffect: George and Lennie are far better known to modern audiences as characters regularly spoofed in WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes and Creator/TexAvery cartoons ("Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?") Tex Avery even made a cartoon based on the character Lennie called "Lonesome Lenny", where a dim witted dog finally took out Screwy Squirrel.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: In the 1992 movie, Curley's wife is [[AdaptationalHeroism far more sympathetic than in the book]] - specifically, the scene in which she arguably crosses the MoralEventHorizon by threatening to have Crooks lynched is omitted. The director wanted her depicted more as a "sad angel" rather than the vampish character she appeared to be in the novel.

* WeirdAlEffect: George and Lennie are far better known to modern audiences as characters regularly spoofed in WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes and Creator/TexAvery cartoons ("Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?") Tex Avery even made a cartoon based on the character Lennie called "Lonesome Lenny".

** Lennie, a mentally disabled man, is constantly yelled at, berated, scolded, and treated like a burden by everyone around him, including George. At one point, George pretends that Lennie is his cousin to explain to the ranch head hiring them why they're hanging out together but later says that if Lennie actually ''was'' his cousin, he'd shoot himself. These days, it's less acceptable to make fun of the disabled in any fashion or treat them like a liability, though back in the 30s, the mentally disabled had less personal rights and any mental disability that existed were either undiagnosed or poorly understood compared to the modern age. Asylums in the 1930s were also very inept and outright inhumane in their time; often relying on electroshock therapy at best and resorting to lobotomies at worst.

** Lennie, a mentally disabled man, is constantly yelled at, berated, scolded, and treated like a burden by everyone around him, including George. At one point, George pretends that Lennie is his cousin to explain to the ranch head hiring them why they're hanging out together, but later says that if Lennie actually ''was'' his cousin, he'd shoot himself. These days, it's less acceptable to make fun of the disabled in any fashion or treat them like a liability, though back in the 30s, the mentally disabled had less personal rights and any mental disability that existed were either undiagnosed or poorly understood compared to the modern age.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: This is a pretty depressing book to read. Nothing ever goes right for either Lennie or George, most of the characters they meet are complete [[Jerkass]]es, and the story ends with George being forced to [[spoiler:kill Lennie to save him from meeting a worse fate at the hands of the law after he accidentally kills a woman]].

** Lennie, a mentally disabled man, is constantly yelled at, berated, scolded, and treated like a burden by everyone around him, including George. At one point, George pretends that Lennie is his cousin to explain to the ranch head hiring them why they're hanging out together, but later says that if Lennie actually ''was'' his cousin, he'd shoot himself. These days, it's kess acceptable to make fun of the disabled in any fashion or treat them like a liability, though back in the 30s, the mentally disabled had less personal rights and any mental disability that existed were either undiagnosed or poorly understood compared to the modern age.

** Lennie, a mentally disabled man, is constantly yelled at, berated, scolded, and treated like a burden by everyone around him, including George. At one point, George pretends that Lennie is his cousin to explain to the ranch head hiring them why they're hanging out together, but later says that if Lennie actually ''was'' his cousin, he'd shoot himself. These days, it's not acceptable to make fun of the disabled in any fashion or treat them like a liability, though back in the 30s, the mentally disabled had pretty much zero rights and any mental disability that existed were either undiagnosed or poorly understood compared to the modern age.

* HolyShitQuotient: Goes up ''exponentially'' in the final two chapters with Lennie accidentally killing Curley's wife and George killing Lennie.

** Crooks. He's a lonely black man that isn't allowed to befriend the other workers because of his race. He receives no respect despite being one of the few, at least we know of, who once lived on his "own" land. He's now jaded due to racism and loneliness, explaining his attitude toward Lennie initially. Oh, and to add insult injury, just when things seemed to be looking up for him, Curley's wife crushes that pretty quickly.

* ValuesDissonance: The extremely sympathetic character Candy freely using the N-word is pretty jarring now but this is a case of FairForItsDay.
** Lennie, a disabled man, is constantly yelled at, berated, scolded, and treated like a burden by everyone around him, including George. At one point, George pretends that Lennie is his cousin for a job interview, but later says that if Lennie actually ''was'' his cousin, he'd shoot himself. These days, it's not acceptable to make fun of the disabled in any fashion or treat them like a liability, though back in the 30s, the mentally disabled had pretty much zero rights and any mental disability that existed was either undiagnosed or poorly understood compared to the modern age.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: For many, Lennie's more quicker death in the movie can cause some unintentional laughs.

* FridgeHorror: If, somehow, they manage to stop the mob from lynching Lennie, it wouldn't be much of stretch to guess that the judicial system wouldn't be easy on him, either. To go a bit further, knowing how institutions were back then, what would have happened to Lennie if he didn't have George watching after him before that point.

* ValuesDissonance: The extremely sympathetic character Candy freely using the N word is pretty jarring now but this is a case of FairForItsDay.

** Subverted with Aaron's move to being the sole vocalist. The fans were very supportive of him and even highly praised his vocal ability.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: The reason Jerry gave in an interview as to why he was only in the band for a year. Prior to joining the band he was under an exclusive contract with a different record label and they would not let him make any arrangements to terminate it.