All the Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men may not be a fairytale, but it gives the public the raw and real truth. It does not sugar coat anything. The book tells of the hardships of two very different men, who are inconceivably united together through circumstances. In the short novel, I grew to fully appreciate George and Lennie. I cried over their hardships and laughed at their cheers. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, I saw a theme that was surely meant to stand out, the theme that dreams do not always come true. In fact, I believe that they hardly do.
Of Mice and Men is the story of George and Lennie. George is a small and sly, but bitter man, and Lennie could be said to be the exact opposite. Lennie is large and slow, but an innocent man. We first meet our protagonists by a river. They discuss their reasons for leaving, which was Lennie allegedly molesting a girl, even though he only wanted to touch her dress. Lennie wants to discuss his dream of owning a farm with rabbits and George reluctantly agrees. George and Lennie plan on going to a ranch to get work, and after a good night’s rest, they proceed to the ranch.
After procuring the jobs, a series of events occur, including the meeting of the ranch hands, the death of Candy’s dog, Candy wanting to join in their dream, and Curly picking a fight with Lennie. That does not end well for Curly, as he acquires a broken hand from the bout. Later on, as Lennie ponders what to do with his dead puppy, Curly’s wife, a temptress, talks with him, and eventually, Lennie succumbs to temptation, and touches Curly’s wife’s hair. He would not let go, however, and ends up breaking her neck. Fleeing, the truth was found out and a search party was sent, as Curly swore curses. George knew where Lennie went and...

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... passionate on avenging his wife. Curly was mad, and like a bully, decided to take it out on the closest person, Lennie. Curly ends up with all his hand bones smashed. Lennie was sorry but Curly was not the forgiving type. When Curly’s wife is found, it is just injury upon injury, salt in the wound. Lennie did not mean any harm but was unconsciously responsible for it, just like with the mice and puppies. This was the climax of the novel. It set the tone for the end, and ultimately is the end for a beloved character.
To conclude, Of Mice and Men may not be for everyone, but it pulls at the heartstrings, with it’s eccentric plot and twists. It ascertains the argument that dreams are not always meant to come true. Of Mice and Men is truly a work of art, for it’s intricate mesh of literary elements, amplifying the novel in an even superior display of knowledge.