How Steinbeck Sustains Interest in Of Mice and Men In 1937 John Ernest Steinbeck wrote 'Of Mice and men' the tragic story of two itinerant farm labourers yearning for a small farm of their own. Steinbeck makes the novel extremely entertaining by sustaining the reader's interest throughout by using several factors. Firstly, Steinbeck's characters are a key point in sustaining the reader's interest in the novel. The description of the characters is brilliantly descriptive; it makes the reader almost feel as though they know the characters. Leading to the reader caring to what happens to them, therefore increasing the passion for wanting to read on and learn of their fate. Lennie is introduced to us as big and animal like 'dabbled his big paw in the water' 'dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws' but most importantly as extremely strong and equally unaware of it, 'I'd pet 'em, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and they was dead'. This is an important hint of what could happen as Lennie is so unaware of what he is doing he might do something a lot worse, therefore making the reader to want to find out what. George is an extremely quick-tempered man. He gets quite annoyed with Lennie forgetting things 'you're a crazy basterd' he is also quick tempered when he thinks Candy is listening to his conversation with Lennie. He is also quick to defend Lennie 'He ain't cuckoo' George's defensiveness and quick temper makes the reader feel worried of what he might get angry at and what he will do if he does. Candy is a friendly man, he is also extremely interesting he knows all the facts about everyone and loves to gossip. He gives the impression that he gossips to gain companionship from the over ranchhands. Because of Candy's knowledge of the other characters we get an insight into what they are like, even if it sometimes untrue. Candy describes curly's wife to George 'well, I think Curley's married…a tart' this
The quote that inspired John Steinbeck was the best laid schemes often go off track can be seen in the novel of Mice and Men. When Curley's wife met a man in her childhood that offered her to be an actress but the chance went away and she later died. Then Curley wanted to be a professional boxer but the dream never happened and he became a farmer then got his hand broken for trying to be tough. George and Lennie were going to buy a farm to live off the fat of the land then Lennie had to get in trouble and George had to give up the dream and kill Lennie for what he had done.
Steinbeck uses the text Of Mice And Men to emphasise the importance of persistence in situations of struggle, however the main message sent forth by Steinbeck is mainly showing how persistence affects opinions and actions that span over time which is shown many times in the text. Such as when George and Lennie are conversing at the green lake on their way to the ranch and George begins to explain their dream which results in “... Lennie’s face broke into a delighted smile” (5). This shows how Persistence and adaptation can affect situations, because if George was made unable to adapt or remain persistent the conversation would have kept a more intense or serious tone instead of changing into a upbeat or happy conversation which results in Lennie
he has. It is a dead mouse, which Lennie kept to pet with his thumb as
This is a novella written by John Steinbeck in 1937, about two men that lived during the depression. They were migrant workers, who wanted to buy a farm. ()
When asked about John Steinbeck’s career, people often refer to Steinbeck as a playwright, journalist, and a well-known novelist. The book Of Mice and Men is a popular novel by John Steinbeck and a required read for most high school students. Most of Steinbeck 's novels have a central theme focusing on the relationship between man and his environment. The American dream for George and Lennie, two of the main characters in Of Mice and Men, is to have a place of their own, to be respected, and to work hard for everything they earn and deserve. In Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, the land and a hope of a better life becomes the talisman of an American dream for Lennie and George that is left unfulfilled.
John Steinbeck, an American novelist, is well-known for his familiar themes of depression and loneliness. He uses these themes throughout a majority of his novels. These themes come from his childhood and growing up during the stock market crash. A reader can see his depiction of his childhood era. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows the prominent themes of loneliness, the need for relationships, and the loss of dreams in the 1930s through the novels’ character.
Man needs companionship and has difficulty maintaining it because no humans think the exact same or have the exact same beliefs. To maintain a companion you must have things in common, you must be able to disagree with a sort of respectful understanding, and finally you must care legitimately about that person. These three requirements to preserve a companionship are at times arduous to keep true. Some people do not have the time, concern, or the ability to sustain a veritable friendship with a companion or companions.
Use of phrases or words to give the reader a hint or sign of something that will happen in the future in the story.
Candy’s physical appearance is used by Steinbeck as an insight into his character. On page 19-20, Candy is described as “a tall, stoop-shouldered old man”, which shows us that he used to be have power and respect as well as being a good worker however now he is ‘stoop-shouldered’ showing that he’s lost that everything including his dignity and confidence meaning he is now insecure. “He carried a big push-broom” indicate he is insecure about how others see him and he wants to look useful since he could be ‘canned’ at any time. This creates sympathy for Candy because being so insecure when before you were respected is a hard circumstance to be in.
As mentioned above, Lennie does not have very much control over his own life and behavior. His brutal actions are never intentional.
Steinbeck incorporates the theme of the American Dream, an expression used to represent wanted success, throughout his story Of Mice and Men as he provides glimpses of the dreams of many characters. Towards the end of the novel, the fact is that each of the characters “American Dream” is just that, a dream, which is unattainable. In short, Steinbeck portrays his position of the unrealistic desires for untarnished happiness through the dreams of Candy, Curley’s Wife, and Crooks in Of Mice and Men.
The ending is powerful because of the shock at the end when George had to kill his best friend Lennie. It happened so fast that it seems like the author wanted to shock the readers without warning.
John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men In the novel of, "Of Mice and Men," the setting of the story starts out when both George and Lennie arrive at a pool of the Salinas River in California. Both of them ran away from Weed, their previous location since Lennie made a terrible mistake. George and Lennie are totally different from one another in every aspect. Lennie tends to act like a demanding child, while on the other hand; George harasses him and is a very impatient father.
"In other periods of depression, it has always been possible to see some things which were solid and upon which you could base hope, but as I look about, I now see nothing to give ground to hope—nothing of man.” (Calvin Coolidge) The Great Depression was a period with high inflation and unemployment, where millions of families lost their savings and their livelihoods. During this time many men moved out west to become ranch hands, one of the few jobs available. Many of these ranch hands were fueled by a false dream, to one day own a piece of land, and start a family. Of Mice and Men is a story set in this historical era and tells the story of two unlikely companions, George and Lennie, who work from job to job to survive only to meet an unfortunate end. Using Symbolism as represented in nature, material objects, and character traits, Steinbeck explores the theme that despite the best efforts of man, sometimes the cruelty and overwhelming power of fate is too strong.
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.