" As nearly perfect as any book can be. It is straightforward, it has simplicity and unsentimental tragedy, and it has a swift, unforced style, which stamps it as permanent. "
             In this classic novella, which established him as one of the world's most celebrated writers, John Steinbeck tells the story of two friends in 1930's California. John Steinbeck wrote a naturalistic novel that dealt with three powerful and universal themes, imperative in the latter success of the novel. These themes were the value of dreams and goals, hopes and friendship. The novel also illustrates the importance of moral responsibility, and veracity of social injustice. His book Of Mice and Men is a story of two men living during the Great Depression in California. This is a book of defeated hope and the harsh reality of the "American Dream." Steinbeck's naturalistic and unrefined style of writing is helpful because of its ability to connect with his readers. The three strong themes in the novel are important because they depict human life in an interesting way, which can be understood. Of Mice and Men is a universal story because people everywhere can relate to the dreams, pleasures, and struggles of the characters.
             Whilst Charles Dickens pointed out problems within society, a blinding and mercenary greed for money, neglect of all sectors in society, and a wrong inequality, he offered us, at the same time, a solution. Through his books, we came to understand the virtues of a loving heart and the pleasures of home in a flawed, cruelly indifferent world. In the end, the lesson to take away from his stories is a positive one. Alternately insightful and whimsical, Dickens' writings have shown readers over generations the reward of being truly human, and how important hopes, dreams and friendship really are.
             One of the most significant and common tools that authors use to illustrate the themes of their works is an indivi...