What is the meaning of the title of John Steinbeck's novel ';Of Mice and Men?

its from a robert burns poem ';to a mouse';


Here is the stanza where it is found





But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane


In proving foresight may be vain:


The best laid schemes o' mice an' men


Gang aft a-gley,


An lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,


For promised joy.





it is about a mouse that makes ready for winter to find the home built ploughed up


and though foresighted and planned, it all went to ruin.What is the meaning of the title of John Steinbeck's novel ';Of Mice and Men?
the above is only half the quote and therefore means nothing.


The rest of it is ';gang aft agley'; which means ';often go wrong.'' It is from the Scottish poet Robert Burns in To a Mouse.What is the meaning of the title of John Steinbeck's novel ';Of Mice and Men?
it's all encompassing of every living thing.
Some men act like mice, some men act like men.
it's a play off of the phrase, ';the best laid plans of mice and men...';, which figuratively means that things don't always work out the way you plan them to. Such is the case in the book, things didn't go their way.