The film contains no LGBTQ+ characters or non-heteronormative identities. The 1930s ranch setting is presented through a strictly heteronormative lens without queer subtext.

A rigid patriarchal hierarchy dominates the narrative. While Curley’s wife is central, her agency is restricted by the era's social structures and a male-dominated labor environment.

The character of Crooks provides meaningful representation of racial segregation. His experience illustrates how identity dictates social agency within a hostile, white-dominated space.

The film critiques the American Dream and predatory migrant economies. It explores moral relativism and the systemic impossibility of upward mobility during the Great Depression.

Lennie’s intellectual disability drives the narrative tragedy without relying on mockery. The story highlights a profound lack of societal infrastructure and empathy for neurodivergent individuals.