In the 1930’s John Steinbeck wrote the novel Of Men and Mice. He wrote the book in the middle of the great American depression. During this great time of loss over 15 million people lost there jobs. OF MEN AND MICE In the 1930’s John Steinbeck wrote the novel “Of Men and Mice”. He wrote the book in the middle of the great American depression. During this great time of loss over 15 million people lost there jobs and were made redundant. All these people were left to find whatever work they could, all with no income or government support such as benefits or social security. The health service was no longer on a work plan so people were suffering in their masses because they could not afford to pay the service costs. California at that time was quite a rich state so many flocked there to find work. “Of Men and Mice” is set in Salinas in California. Salinas is on the coast of California and is quite a fruitful county and a lot of people will have gone to work on the ranches there like Lennie and George. John Steinbeck wrote “Of Men and Mice” in a socialistic point of view to capture what was going on in these times. He captured what was going on around him and turned it into a novel of two men doing exactly what millions of others were doing at that time going from place to place, ranch to ranch. This is how millions lived for many years to come. John Steinbeck felt that the government had let the public down buy not supporting them in their time of need. Lennie is described as “a huge man, shapeless of face with large pale eyes.” Just from this you can tell that he is abnormally big for these times. However George is described as “small, quick and dark of face with restless eyes and sharp, strong features.” This tells us that the man is smaller and skinnier than Lennie with more defined features. Lennie is said to be big and clumsy, so big even he is described as a bear “dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags its paws.” Steinbeck then refers him to again “Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water….” This then emphasise just how big he is being compared to a bear again. But whilst being like a bear he is also like a child “I forgot, Lennie said softly, I tried not to forget, honest I did George.” This makes Lennie sound like a child not only because of the language
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.
Once upon a time a naive man named Bob was accumulating a bunch of candy. He was stupid enough to adorn his gingerbread house with candy. The ruinous mice ate all his candy. The disconsolate man set out to get back his candy and kill the mice. He blundered around until he stumbled to a river, so Bob decided that this was a good place to rest for the night. The next day the sleep deprived man was captured by the mice. He woke up face to face with a odious mouse. Bob struggled indignantly against the rough hemp rope. The mice rasped and drowned on and on about mice being superior to all other animals, meanwhile Bob slowly untied the rope that bound him. Suddenly he was free moving slowly he grabbed a stick. When the mouse turned his back on him
A Comparison of John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men and the 1939 Film Version of the Novel
John Steinbeck's agricultural upbringing in the California area vibrantly shines through in the settings and story lines of the majority of his works. Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men, takes place in the Salinas Valley of California. The drama is centered around two itinerant farm workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, with a dream of someday owning a place of their own. Lennie Small is a simple-minded, slow moving, shapeless hulk with pale eyes whose enormous physical strength often causes him to get into trouble. George Milton on the other hand is small in stature, clever, dark of face and eyes, and acts as Lennie's guardian and calming force.
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. ()
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.
The novel describes Lennie as “a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a beat drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely” (Steinbeck 2). Lennie is slow minded as well, but “strong as a bull.” George states in the novel, “He ain’t no cuckoo. He’s dumb as hell, but he ain’t crazy. An’ I ain’t so bright neither, or I wouldn’t be buckin’ barley for my fifty and found” (Steinbeck 37). Because Lennie is slow minded, he often gets impatient with individuals around him, which causes him to have a short fuse. He expresses his anger sometimes, but keeps composer at the same time. The reason Lennie has not been in more trouble than what he has already been in is because he is protected by innocence. One reason Lennie gets in trouble is because his obsession with soft things. For example, Lennie likes to “pet” mice, soft puppies and even hair on someone’s person. Curley’s wife ends up being killed by Lennie in chapter five because she underestimates his strength when she lets him “pet” her hair.
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.
Unlike George, Lennie is a minion and is described in an undistinguished manner. His first appearance in the book (page 2, paragraph 3, 2nd last and last lines) emphasizes his childish and animal like behavior. He drags his feet and carries his sloped shoulders. His arms hang loosely to his sides. He wears a shapeless hat and carries a blanket roll while
Lennie is described as a large, powerful and mentally disabled man. He is also interpreted by his physical appearance he is strong and intimidating. The author portrays Lennie as “a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes and wide sloping shoulders.” John Steinbeck addresses Lennie as a complete opposite of George. In the text the author refers Lennie to a bear. This is due to the way he walked “heavily dragging his feet a little, the way a bear does his paws,” with his arms hanging loosely at his sides. Lennie is also referred to parallel to Old Candy’s dog. They were both found replaceable, dependant, and useless.
Lennie is big man with incredible strength but isn’t bright minded. He would listen to anyone who tells him to do something. This is why he follows a small man named George to stay out of trouble. The friendship between George and Lennie shows how Lennie may be physically strong, but can easily be
Use of phrases or words to give the reader a hint or sign of something that will happen in the future in the story.
Lennie, the big-tenuous-scary animal, is charged as a bear, but is really a small Chihuahua. “Suddenly Lennie appeared out of the brush, and he came as silently as a creeping bear moves. “ As usual, Lennie being compared to a bear because of his size and body language. Lennie as said in the passage walks to the water and sips the water but this time different from the beginning he barely touches his the water with his lips as if to have refined.
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.
John Steinbeck uses similes to build and create powerful characters that touch the hearts of readers. Throughout the story Lennie`s character grows to be stronger and stronger through Steinbeck`s use of similes. When George and Lennie arrive at the farm, George introduces himself and Lennie to the boss. George compliments on Lennie being a hell of a good worker and tells the boss Lennie was “Strong as a bull” (Steinbeck 22). Up till this quote, Lennie is thought to be a huge man, shapeless of face who walked very heavily until Steinbeck`s use of similes help uncover Lennie`s true character. John Steinbeck illustrates Lennie`s body and strength by comparing him to a large, heavy and physically powerful animal such as a bull. The use of similes helps in indirect characterization as well and adds to Lennie`s physical appearance and age. The use of similes in this quote helps to create a more powerful character and bring more ...