What do you learn about life at the time of the story?

In the first chapter, we learn that jobs are hard to come by, and that moving from place to place in order to make a living is not an option. We also learn that the lives of these men are lonely..... no homes, no families, no ties to anyone.

The first chapter can be summarized as follows: George and Lennie are migrant workers who have travelled to California in search of work. The reason being Lennie's interaction with a woman got them chased off a ranch. George is stuck with Lennie, a big strong man with the mind of a child, and George feels responsible for Lennie so he lugs him around wherever he goes.