I saw the movie version of this before I read the book. "Of Mice and Men" (1937) by John Steinbeck is an easy read, although it does not leave a person with much hope for humanity. I'm sure I could Google it and find out quickly, but it seems to me that the George of the old cartoons - you know, when the half-wit would ask, "Which way did he go, George. Which way did he go," was a reference to the dim-wit in this book who was always asking George about the rabbits. Well, the internet came back on, so I guess I gotta get back to work now.