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Literary exploration of mice and men
Literary exploration of mice and men
Literary exploration of mice and men
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There are many sympathetic characters in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, a novel that tells the tale of an unlikely pair chasing a dream they share while trying to find work in California’s dusty vegetable fields during the Great Depression. There was George, who was small, quick, and dark of face. Then there was Lennie, a man of great size and strength, but had the mental capacity of a young child. Steinbeck had a handful of characters in the novel that he intended the reader to sympathize with, but he intended George to be the most sympathetic character. There is plenty of textual evidence to support why George draws the most sympathy from the reader. One of the reasons being that it is believed George is made out to represent the common
A man often judges himself by his size. If he is not as tall or muscular as the next man, he may feel inferior to him. This may result in that man developing a “little man” syndrome or Napoleon Complex. In the novel Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck displays this inferiority complex through the character Curley. Because Curley feels inadequate due to his short stature, he tends to dislike those bigger than him, challenges most everyone, and is not remorseful for his negative actions or for what happens to others.
The harsh reality is one which hit everyone in America in the 1930. People found work hard to find and crime was on the uprise. This meant, unfortunately, that innocent people were the easy prey and, as we see in the Of Mice and Men, there were plenty of characters that were easy prey. Of Mice and Men characters have and do thing that make them vulnerable in way which do cause trouble. In this essay, that harsh reality and easy prey will be shown through to see which characters are the most vulnerable.
An Ethical Dilemma. People were terrified and disfranchised, John Steinbeck created Of Mice and Men, which set place during the dirty thirties (time of the Great Depression), a time where strength could not overcome aloneness and alienation. The child-like character Lennie was one of the most misunderstood characters, even with his best friend and caretaker George. In the beginning, they were uncanningly together in a society of loners during the time, having only each other, so close many assumed they were brothers. Throughout the story George had vowed to take care of Lennie, however under the circumstances he faced he chose to shoot his best friend.
Compassion might not seem like a big deal but it’s something that everyone one wants and needs. When Curley's wife repeatedly tells Lennie it's ok for him to talk to her. This shows that because Curley doesn’t talk to his wife very much, so shew wanted someone to talk to. Curley is the boss’s son so everyone is afraid to converse with his wife. Another example would be Candy is heartbroken about his dog being killed. It shows that dog's or pets can show love and compassion, just as a relationship with a human. While everyone is in the bunk room Candy says " I ought to shoot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't ought to let no stranger shoot my dog (Steinbeck 58). The quote shows Candy had sympathy and compassion for his dog. Now the quote
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, portrays the hard–done-by life of two California labours, who form an unlikely bond and cling together in the face of alienation. The Novel exhibits the idea of the thirst for companionship when cast into the abyss of loneliness, while unveiling the horrors and strife that the labours of the south endured during the 1930’s. Throughout the plot, one of the protagonist, George, continuously carries through with several decisions that define him as a character and subsequently, as a human being. For example, at the beginning of the story, Geo...
One feels a drag of sympathy on the heart at the conclusion of the book, Of Mice and Men, when Lennie states, “‘We got each other, that's what, that gives a hoot in hell about us.’”(104). Sympathy is in high demand throughout this novel, set during one of the darkest times in America. Steinbeck incites more than just sympathy for many of his multidimensional characters, an emotional appeal that captivates audiences from all walks of life. Steinbeck’s classic novel, Of Mice and Men, incorporates various characters that create sympathy in the reader, such as Lennie, George, and Crooks. The most sympathetic character created throughout Steinbeck’s novel is Lennie Smalls, whose untapped mental strength is in direct conflict with his overdeveloped physical strength.
The title of the novel Of Mice and Men has a unique meaning behind it. The saying “Are you a man or are you a mouse?” has a connection to novel itself but more importantly the characters. Each main character in this novel can be classified as either a “man” or a “mouse”. The “men” seen in the novel are George Milton, and Curley. The “mice” can be classified as Lennie Small and Curley’s wife. The “mice” are represented by the weak or the socially unacceptable characters; the “men” are represented by the strong, independent characters.
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck brings out the themes of Lonliness and companionship, and strengths and weaknesses through the actions, and quotations of the characters. Irony and foreshadowing play a large roll on how the story ends. Lennie and his habit of killing things not on purpose, but he is a victim of his own strength. George trying to pretend that his feelings for Lennie mean nothing. The entire novel is repetitive in themes and expressed views.
John Steinbeck wrote a story about two men that only had each to depend on. Many of George and Lennie's struggles come from things they cannot control such as Lennie's mental issues. George and Lennie are very poor and they work on farms together, but they have to move a lot because Lennie always does something stupid. The greatest tragedy in Mice and Men was when Lennie was left alone with Curley's wife. She was the reason why Lennie ended up being killed. She knew of to manipulate others to get her way and that is what she relies on most of the time.
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, follows the story of two migrant workers named George and Lennie. George takes care of Lennie because he is a little slow and can't take care of himself. Although George gets irritated by all the stupid things Lennie does sometimes, he can't stay mad at him. Lennie is a lovable character because he'll blindly do anything George tells him to do, but he'll get into trouble sometimes by being forgetful. Despite Lennie's mental disabilities, he is an extremely muscular six foot giant. What he lacks in brains he makes up for in muscle. Not much is found out about Lennie's feelings or beliefs other than he loves to pet soft furry animals.
A person you barely know, suddenly, bursts into uncontrollable tears, shocked, you turn to her and ask, “what’s wrong?” You may not know this person, or even like her, but empathy is a powerful thing. Empathy drives people to do things they don't necessarily have to do, these empathetic decisions define our character. The choice to say something and not just let another human cry, is driven by your character and how much empathy you have for others. John Steinbeck uses empathy all throughout his novel, Of Mice and Men mainly through characterization. Lennie and George, two buddies who travel together, are the main characters in Of Mice and Men. George is small, smart and fast, whereas, Lennie is large, slow and quite dumb. This combo may seem
John Steinbeck, the author of the novel Of Mice and Men uses many stylistic devices and description in chapter one to give the reader a deeper understanding of what may occur throughout the novel. Firstly, the name of the city the two protagonists, Lennie and George, are heading to is called “Soledad,” which means loneliness in Spanish; this is symbolism and foreshadowing because it can mean that as they get closer to the city, their relationship as friends may deteriorate and they may end up alone towards the end. Furthermore, this could also mean that there can be major problems in further chapters because of Lennie’s unpredictable behaviour due to his mental disabilities. In relation to Robert Burns’s poem, “To a Mouse,” the author may be
Of Mice and Men is a tragedy novella based on the nature of human existence, and the falseness of the American dream. Two migrants, George and Lennie, get off a bus miles away from the California farm where they are going to start work. George is a small, dark man with “sharp, strong features.” His stalwart companion, Lennie, is quite his opposite, a gargantuan with a “shapeless” face and a brawny body..
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.
In my opinion, Lennie Small is the most interesting character in Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck does a very good job describing and characterizing Lennie's personality. Lennie's character is, indeed, quite unique. A large man with enormous strength, yet kind and childlike, he seems to find joy in simple life pleasures like petting a furry animal and making the water ripple. Lennie's greatest difficulty seems to be remembering; and it is the lack of the ability to remember that ultimately leads to his tragedy at the end of the book. In the novel, Steinbeck seems to reinforce Lennie's characteristics of strength, kindness, childlike manner, and somewhat animal-like personality. In this paper, I will focus on these characteristics.