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Literary analysis of mice and men
Of mice and men literary
Literary analysis of mice and men
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Steinbeck upon creating the novel in the 1930’s seen and was experiencing some of the things he wrote on. In the beginning he introduced to us a friendship between two opposite men. One man, George Wilson, is a little man compared to his companion. His friend, on the other hand, was a giant who was naïve as a new born baby. His name was Lennie Smalls. Lennie Smalls was a character that Steinbeck used to allow his audience to see that although he had a good heart and was seemingly helpless, that one day his strength would be the cause of his downfall. Questions on whether or not Steinbeck’s readers should believe in the image in which it is given or primarily based it on the novel being written in a bad environment from the first of the novel. Steinbeck knew upon writing that readers tend to cling and fall for the caring, loving, and misunderstood bad guy trying to prove his innocence against all evil brought to him. So Steinbeck created Lennie to try and portray this character to his audience. Steinbeck had to be sure that all elements presented in the novel were able flow good and complete the recipe (Krutch 29-30). The recipe consisted of a perfect combination of social criticism and realism that would surely get readers excited to read. Little did some not know or did know is that Steinbeck was using a technique that is very old and has work lots of times (Krutch 29-30). Harry Thornton Moore, a scholar of D.H. Lawrence, views Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men dramatic elements as more of a play than a novel. Steinbeck after being told many times that his novel should be a play explained that it was written to soon become a play. Once produced into a play critics thought it was good but not so much suited for the stage. Steinbeck t... ... middle of paper ... ... friendship built around dreams of living off the fatt of the land (Sparknotes). Hence, I feel as if John Steinbeck wrote a piece of art when he created this novel. It possessed many great characteristics that gave a good idea of how they were then. I felt as though the novel told a wonderful of two men trying to chase their dreams although temptations, heart ache, and pain may get in your way you just keep striving. When I read the book and the articles on the novel, I felt that George was somehow the epic hero in the novel. He used his own selfishness to his friend out of the misery that was sure to keep coming to him. All in all I think the novel told an excellent story. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. John Steinbeck's Of mice and men. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1996. Print. Bloom, Harold. John Steinbeck. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Print.
town they were heading to, he must come back to the pond and hide in
Lennie Small, a mentally impaired man, is first introduced to us traveling with George. George, however, is not related to Lennie. Lennie travels with George because no one else understands him like he does. Lennie says, “Because…because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you…” (Steinbeck 14). Lennie believes if George ever left him that he could live in a cave by himself and not bother anyone again (Steinbeck 12). Lennie realizes he would be alone without George, but he never has known anyone else to depend on but George, and from that, they have a bond, a friendship. This shows Lennie’s need for his relationship with George.
John Steinbeck explores human experience in the novella ‘Of Mice and Men’ in friendship, loneliness and marginalisation. He does this through the characters as explained thought the paragraphs below.
Levant, Howard. The Novels of John Steinbeck: A Critical Study. Columbia: U of Missouri P, 1974.
Lisca, Peter. "Of Mice and Men." The Wide World of John Steinbeck. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1958. 130-143. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Jelena Krstovic. Vol. 172. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
McMurray, Elizabeth. "Of Mice and Men: Actors in a Play." Steinbeck Studies 15.2 (Fall 2004): 103-106. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Jelena Krstovic. Vol. 172. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Of Mice and Men, by Steinbeck, shows many different views on society. This book has a lot different messages you can take and apply to real life. All the people in the story can relate to someone today and also to some stuff that still happens all around the world. When reading this book you can really start to understand and connect with the characters and identify their weaknesses and their strengths. Some things you really start to notice is how powerful some people are and how they use that power in everyday living. Many characters had power, because of that it helped some get by, helped some take advantage and boss people around, but power also hurt them.
In 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck George is seen as one of the main protagonists of the novella. He is portrayed as a very selfless and noble character as he takes care of Lennie and defends him from the more malicious characters, such as Curley and his wife. George represtents the lack of opportunity for workers in 1930s Amercia as he is forced to travel around constantly and make little money for his work to survive from month to month.
Steinbeck, John E. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Group, 1993. 72. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
Every great writer creates powerful images and presents story lines that draw their readers deep into the pages of their books, however; any writer would be hard pressed to do so without incorporating their own feelings, trials and tribulations into the plots and John Steinbeck is no exception. Through his appreciation for adventure and willingness to indulge in it, Steinbeck found a myriad of fascinating people in addition to experiences that he was eager to share. Past various negative criticisms and frequent rejections of his work, he manages to provide relatable characters capable of deep connections to those who enter into the realms of his tales. John Steinbeck's early life experiences influenced his portrayals of women, his love of the land, and his intimate connection to the plight of lower social classes, themes which translate into his work.
The experiences that were most influential to Steinbeck were not at school, but instead came from his home and the countryside. He read his mother’s books, which included the titles
...rtrayed differently in the movie. Lennie is shown as being very mentally challenged, whereas in the book he is just a little slow and has a mind of a young child. Although some changes are made in the movie to make it flow better, it is still based on the same story as the book. The movie has the same plot line and characters, and some of the scenes are told in the exact same way as they are in the novel. As well, the movie and the book give out the same themes. This story is about how all the people in the Great Depression were trying to escape their unhappy, lonely lives, but weren’t capable of doing so. The movie stays very true to the book even though some things are removed or added. Everything that is added or changed still works very well and captures the film perfectly.
Even from the very start of John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, the uniqueness of George, as a character, is already noticeable. He is described as “small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp strong features” and has an obvious dominance over the relationship between Lennie and himself. This lets the reader know from a very early stage in the book that George is different, and probably the essential character. George’s character seems to be used by Steinbeck to reflect the major themes of the novel: loneliness, prejudice, the importance of companionship, the danger of devoted companionships, and the harshness of Californian ranch life.
There is only one way an author can get their readers to cry, laugh, and love or just enjoy their master pieces. That one way is through the uses of literary devices such as similes, metaphors and personification. These are the small things that brings the author`s thoughts and ideas alive. The author`s ability to use literary devices through the book helps in direct characterization and lets readers get a better understanding of Lennie and George, the two main characters Of Mice and Men. It also helps in keeping readers thinking on their feet and constantly questioning George and Lennie`s next move while in Salinas, California. John Steinbeck, in his novel Of Mice and Men, makes use of similes and foreshadowing to keep readers in touch with the characters and at the edge of their seats throughout the story.
The theme of power in prevalent in John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice And Men’ and is presented and developed in many different ways. Power is first established in the title, which introduces the recurring wrath of fate implying that men, like beast, are helplessly fated to live a disempowered and isolated life. Some however seek comfort in their powerful dreams, and companionship in their romanticised fraternal bonds, most notably that of Lennie and George, whose unconditional love for another leaves the reader with questions regarding their own morality. Steinbeck’s powerful prose, a strong single plot line over a short time span drives the tragic events forward, and his depiction of the foreshadowing natural world gives the novella a certain aspect of duality.