More handpicked essays just for you.
Literary analysis paper on of mice and men by john steinbeck
Literary analysis paper on of mice and men by john steinbeck
Literary analysis paper on of mice and men by john steinbeck
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
George’s Attempts to Find Guidance Everybody at one point in their life has needed somebody to guide them and make sure they are fine. In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, almost every character has faced a point in time where they have needed somebody to keep them on the right track. It could be argued that much of the character in the novella is faced with choices and road barriers. The most notable character faced with these problems is Steinbeck's George Milton, who, as a migrant rancher worker, is forced to travel around to farms to make a living while in the meantime has forgotten who he is himself. Steinbeck describes George as a “small, quick, darked face man with restless eyes” (2). As a reader, you soon, then learn that George
As we journey through life, we must make difficult decisions, even when few options exist and the situation is grim. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the decision George faces after Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife is complicated, as none of his choices are good. The importance of his relationship with Lennie forces George to look at the big picture and act in Lennie’s best interests, even though the action he must finally take will result in a weight that he will carry forever.
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.
Steinbeck gives a lot of reasons for George to stay with Lennie, but his critics also have some merit in their criticism that the story isn't believable. Steinbeck's critics suggest that Steinbeck is "simply sentimental in this regard." There are some very compelling reasons George would like to stay with Lennie... but being "sentimental," towards Lennie has nothing to do with it.
Levant, Howard. The Novels of John Steinbeck: A Critical Study. Columbia: U of Missouri P, 1974.
Steinbeck starts his book off with the aura of brotherhood between George and Lennie. George is always watching out for Lennie because he is unable to look out for himself, “because I got you to look after me, and you got
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...
The first description of George and Lennie in the novel gives the reader an idea how very different the characters are physically. Through their physicality, one can see the vast difference in their mentalities as well. Steinbeck begins with an image of George, saying, "the first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features" (2). This description conveys the idea that George is smart, with the use of the words sharp and quick, which both describe his physical likeness and his mental acuity. George's restless eyes and dark face give indication that he is wary as well as work worn. Especially during the Great Depression, a tanned face would be a sign of hard work. The fact that George is small does not immediately seem to matter until the reader gets an im...
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.
“Of Mice and Men”, by John Steinbeck is a novel about the hardships of life and the importance of having other people around. The story is of two men trying to survive with one another in a world full of loneliness; their relationship is quite rare and strange. Lennie, a large bear, has a mental disability which causes him to be in a childlike state. George, a much smaller and more competent man takes care of both of them. Although they work for others on ranches, their dream is to get by on their own and live off the land. However, Lennie’s state causes conflict as they travel from job to job. Steinbeck uses clever ways in his novel to develop his theme and characters as the story progresses; both of these elements also help create a large
George, a character in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck was “small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.” (Steinbeck, Pg.2) George was Caucasian and it looked as if he had stepped out of an old movie containing drifters, better known as migrant workers. Although physically George was very small, he had complete control over his companion Lennie, the way a father controls a son.
Steinbeck employs various conventions to construct the theme that freedom and confinement can make people suffer. At night, when George and Lennie are sitting by the flames, George says, “I wish I could
... read and his beautiful and descriptive style allow me to say with absolute certainty that Steinbeck has developed into being my favorite author over the past few months. Yet, as I bring this paper to a close, I know that I have barely skimmed the surface of who this man was and why he wrote what he did the way he did.
George Milton in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is crude, snarky, and downright normal. He’s a character that, while some of his decisions are questionable, is easy to relate to from his actions, thoughts, and personality. The idea of such a character being remindful of the reader by spirit or another is emphasized by Alan Moore’s quote, “I suppose all fictional characters, especially in adventure or heroic fiction, at the end of the day are our dreams about ourselves. And sometimes they can be really revealing.” Throughout the book, the reader will see George as an abundant wealth of realism from his own strengths and weakness. It’s not only limited to that, for his own appearance is neither an exaggerated stretch of flesh, nor an over-glorified Adonis, but that of an average person with common struggles in life (though that may be because of Steinbeck’s own habit of writing based off his experiences and views). Even though George’s speech may be considered partly obsolete, it not only is still understandable to readers, but it fits in the 1930’s setting in the book. Specifically, the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a historical, western to be exact, book on the story of one George Milton and Lennie Small’s life on a ranch. George Milton is shown to be a conventional character that’s shown to be easy to relate to, right up until his last action.
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.
I remember 20 years ago when I used to look after a guy called Lennie, he was a really nice, he was very tall with a very friendly smile. I had a slight problem though, he was a lot like a child. He would enjoy stroking things which are soft and warm. If he saw something he liked he would touch it and if he was scared he wouldn’t even let go. This meant he loved rabbits and mice but he didn’t know his own strength so he usually ended up killing them by stroking them too hard and crushing their skulls but he is really just like a big friendly giant. He has the strength of 2 men so he is usually very good at work but I always had to get him out of trouble. He would do anything I asked him to.