Although John Steinbeck was known to be personally irreligious (), Of Mice and Men is still underlined by Judeo-Christian and Biblical allusions, customs, and ideas. Keeping Steinbeck's irreligious nature in mind, these allusions in Of Mice and Men can be understood as Steinbeck's creation of a familiar structure to explore issues of moral decay and social dissolution in the era of the Great Depression. This idea of ​​religious allusion as a vehicle for exploring modern issues is supported by Steinbeck himself, who explicitly stated in his speech at the 1962 Nobel Prize banquet that “The ancient office of the writer has not changed. It has the task of highlighting our many serious flaws and failures, of bringing our dark and dangerous dreams to light in order to improve them. (). Therefore, Steinbeck primarily uses biblical allusions to explore the devaluation of virtue and morality in the Depression era. Steinbeck often alludes to the Christ archetype in Of Mice and Men, with the clearest references being those contained in the character of George. In fact, by comparison, George's story fits very well with the biblical account of Christ. For example, as he was dying, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (New International Version, Luke 33:34), absolving those who crucified him. In much the same way, George says to Lennie as he is about to shoot him, “No, Lennie. I'm not angry, I never have been and I'm not even now. This is something I want you to know. (Steinbeck 101), thus ultimately forgiving Lennie for everything he had done, even forcing George to shoot him and destroy their dream. Critically, this allusion to the Christ archetype is followed by a social and moral communication…… middle of paper……customs and ideas, however, are not a mere regurgitation of Judeo-Christian values ​​and customs, but rather a powerful commentary on the period following the Great Depression which saw the collapse of traditional social structures in the face of economic difficulties. Specifically, through the character of George, his relationship with Lennie, and salient allusions to Christ, Steinbeck reevaluates classical ideas of brotherhood and sacrifice and notes how these ideals have been undervalued in the era of Of Mice and Men. Furthermore, Steinbeck's allusions to heaven through the rabbit dream are a literary manifestation of his belief in the power of hope and compassion in a cruel world. Thus, Of Mice and Men, built on its framework of biblical allusions, is ultimately both a celebration of "gallantry in defeat" () and a critique of the judgments of man's peers..