Beyond the line question: How do the card games in of mice and men represent life?

the guys who work on the ranch in of mice and men, are constantly playing card games. Now, the game these gentlemen play are rummy, a game you have to either be good at, lucky, or just cheat to win. In some sense, the card games represent life and some characters in this story represent these personalities to match "the card game of life". Slim, you can say he's "good" at life, because he is respectable, and the epitome of a man. George and Lenny are are considered lucky, because they have each other in such a lonely world. Curly is neither good or lucky but a cheater at life due to teh fact that he does not due much for himself.

Slim is a man who is looked up to on the ranch by many of the men including George and even Curly. He is brave, and does not take much from anyone including Curly, even if he is the boss's son. As life throws out it's downfalls, he always manages to be untouchable like in a time of a depression, he is still cool and collected throughout the story. Even if Curly gets into Slims face and yells at him, he is always holding his head up and showing he is a symbol to be "good" at life.

Lenny and George are sought out to be lucky, because everyone on the ranch is lonely, but not them says Lenny "We're not like that, because you got me to look after you and I got you to look after me" is what he says to George. They have each other for protection even in a bad state of life. While they work to achieve their dream to live "off the fatta' the land", they are lucky to have each other and even get that money to but the dream house with the money they both plan to make. They are the men who are not lonely in the story and the guys who actually give a dam about each other.

Curly is the "man" in the story who walks around on the high horse with his nice hat and fancy cow boy boots. If it were not for his father's success, Curly would be out on his ass like the rest of the men like George and Slim, and even Lenny. He bosses everyone around and picks on them because he believes he is able to handle himself until Lenny crushes his hand= ). All these men bust their butts to make ends meet, but not Curly, he lives off of daddy's money which is how he is a "cheater" at life.

In conclusion, the card game that is played constantly in the book does represent life. The characters who live their lives link to the cards, whether Slim is "Good" at the game and valiant. George and Lenny having one another for support and being "lucky" to have that luxury. And Curly the "Cheater" who is only successful becuase of his daddy.