Why did Steinbeck choose the title 'Of Mice and Men'?

Of Mice and Men

Steinbeck

Steinbeck originally titled it Something That Happened, however he changed the title after reading Robert Burns' poem, To a Mouse That poem tells of the regret the narrator feels for having destroyed the home of a mouse while plowing his field. In essence, it suggests that no plan is fool-proof and no one can be completely prepared for the future.
"To a Mouse" which in English is often quoted as: "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry (or astray)." However, the original Burns Scottish is: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley."

Story
Farm laborer Lennie is a loving but infantile giant who has often killed pets accidentally with his crushing embrace. His buddy and fellow migrant worker, George , has warned him to be careful, since one day it might not be an animal that he kills. When their boss's sluttish daughter‐in‐law finds Lennie in a barn weeping over a dead puppy, she is sympathetic, so Lennie attempts to embrace her. But she screams and, in a panic, Lennie breaks her neck. George finds out where Lennie has run to hide and shoots him before the other men can get to him. Steinbeck based the play on his own novel, which appeared to have been written with a play in mind.

First answer by Ganderton. Last edit by Josiehyper. Contributor trust: 13 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 14 [recommend question]