John Steinbeck explores human experience in the novella ‘Of Mice and Men’ in friendship, loneliness and marginalisation. He does this through the characters as explained thought the paragraphs below.
All human beings begin to develop relationships with each other because these relationships can fill particular needs. Those may be social, physical, physiological or even economic. When you analyse the dense relationship between George and his friend Lennie who is mentally challenged, you start to wonder how they still manage to stick together. George and Lennie stick together because they have a dream, a dream that they want to fulfil even if one of them messes up they still will push through. "I remember about the rabbits, George.” (Page 5)
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From the introduction it seems that Lennie is more excited than George about the vision. George is easily unhappy about “them rabbits” (Page 5) it makes you think the George thinks this whole dream is a foolish idea. This will get more difficult as we get to understand that George might actually be as thrilled about the dream as Lennie is; it seems George is actually more vigilant about his eagerness, given that he is more mature and weary of things than his friend. The last paragraph of the book explores a deep friendship that has not been revealed in the novella, this part of the book also brings emotions for the characters and even the readers. In the last few pages of the novella you start to release the dream actually doesn’t become a reality as sadly Lennie will be shot by George. “I thought you were mad at me George.” (Page 120) “No, Lennie. I ain’t mad. I never been mad an’ I ain’t now. That’s a thing I want ya to know.” (Page 120) George knows that the only way to make Lennie happy before he gets shot is to retell the dream about tending the rabbits and also telling him …show more content…
A main character in the novella that is affected by marginalisation is Crook. The marginalisation of Crook’s character is used by Steinbeck to represent the black community in which the time period of the novella was set in. Crook is an important character in the novella as he presents a vision of the truth of the ‘American Dream’ and all the emotions of the people at the bunk house. Crook finds himself pushed out of the social circle in which the other predominantly white ranchers are in. Crook is then pushed to live in the barn and not live with the other white ranch workers in the bunk house. The alternative men don’t enter this area because they are scared of Crook because of his skin colour. For, as he tells Lennie, "I ain't a southern negro." (Page 79) In his novel of socialist motifs regarding the socially and economically voteless travelling employee of the Great Depression, Crooks character represents the ideal voteless
In this book George is constantly taking care of Lennie and is always reassuring him that they will have their own land and be able to tend the rabbits. George doesn’t actually believe in this dream which shows how he is willing to say anything to make Lennie happy. Also, George is constantly bringing up how easy his life would be without Lennie, he said "God almighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could get a job a work, an no trouble (12). This quote shows how George is aware that Lennie is holding him back from making more money but how he choices to stay with him because they have a genuine friendship. George takes his parental figure role seriously and would never leave him.
Within the beginning of the story, the dynamic of George and Lennie’s relationship is introduced, one that is uncommon and presents a fatherly vibe. The readers are thrown into the novel at the height of the great depression, an economic catastrophe that shook the world. Within these dark time, an unlikely friendship is in full blossom and we are meet by Lennie and George setting up camp for the night by a riverbed. After the duo’s personalities are expressed, they begin to set up the idea of a commonly shared dream which exists according to Lennie “Because... because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you” (Steinbeck 14). Lennie is seen as a quite simple minded and extremely dim-witted character from just the first
George and Lennie need each other to achieve their dream of their own farm with rabbits to tend. Lennie could not take care of his rabbits or even survive without George.
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.
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.
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.
In the novel Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck illustrates the possibilities that life has and its effects on Lennie, Crooks and George. It shows a view of two outsiders struggling to understand their own unique places in the world. Steinbeck suggests humans have the natural potential to seek happiness although the potential can be fatal or harmful.
In the great work, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck makes clear that George is faced with many struggles. Steinbeck writes of a character that has many internal and external conflicts. Yet, through those conflicts, the reader learns the purpose of the novel; what the true meaning of friendship
Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a book that can be analyzed and broken down into a vast majority of themes. One of the predominant themes found in this book is loneliness. Many characters in this book are affected by loneliness and they all demonstrate it in one way or another throughout the book. Examples of these characters are Curley’s Wife, Crooks, and Candy.
From Lennie’s perspective his goal is to work hard, error free, in order to tend the rabbits on their dream’s farm, elsewise he will be punished by George. But you ain’t gonna get in no trouble, because if you do, I won’t let you tend the rabbits (page 9). From this quote we can see that they only stick by each other to stave off loneliness. Granted Lennie has the upper hand of strength, whilst George has more advanced communication skills; it creates a yin yang aeffect, but Lennie's immature, imbecile ways is beginning to threaten their dream. George as a result is becoming, understandably, sick of having to punish Lennie for threatening the aforementioned. For these justified reasons George emotionally ended Lennie’s life with positive thoughts of the two living off the fata of the lan' (page
There are many themes in the book “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, including the theme that comes from the poem “To a Mouse” written by Robert Burns. Near the end of the poem Burns writes “The best laid schemes of mice and men oft go awry” which is said to have been the inspiration of Steinbeck when writing his book. That quote is saying, that all plans between mice and men often get messed in some sort of way, shape or form.
The biggest dream throughout the story is for George and Lennie to have enough money to go and buy a farm of their own. But then Lennie does something that he can’t change back or hide from, and all hope is lost for him and George to have a farm when George does what he never thought he’d do. “And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger… Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering.” (page 106) This one final scene symbolized all of George’s aspirations, hopes, dreams, ambitions, anything he had, diminishing before his eyes. He made a point earlier in the book, “ I was feelin’ pretty smart. I turns to Lennie and says, ‘jump in.’... well I ain’t done nothin like that no more” (40). He promised himself he wouldn’t hurt Lennie again, he took it upon himself to keep Lennie safe. But George fired that last bullet and killed Lennie, stripping himself of all his hope and ambitions. The other main ambition that was crushed in this story has to do with Lennie and his rabbits. “We’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs… An’ have rabbits!...” (14) This is a recurring event throughout the book; they talk about their future dreams, and Lennie tells everyone he meets about the rabbits he's gonna have, but again that all changes when Lennie messes up badly and kills Curley’s wife. The story displays the reader the visual of, “She struggled violently under his hands… “Don’t you go yellin’,” he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.” (91) This visual can help you see where Lennie’s dream of ever handling another living being again diminishes because if he can’t keep an
In his novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck depicts the essential loneliness of California ranch life in the 1930s. He illustrates how people are driven to find companionship. There were so many moments of loneliness and sadness throughout the novel, including many deaths. Following the deaths, they were very unexpected making the novel more intense and latch onto it more.
The classic book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck one each of the characters must battle with their own personal conflicts. For Lennie the conflict he must face is his own mental health. Lennie is constantly fighting with himself over his own actions and how he affects the others even when he couldn’t control what he did. Lennie may have had to fight against himself mentally, however cause of Lennie's death was not his mental health, but the actions of the others around him.
George’s relationship with Lennie has made him selfless; his conversations, with and with out Lennie, are generally revolving around Lennie, although in the case of their dream-ranch George seems to find fulfilment for himself as well. Due to these altruistic tendencies that he shows throughout the novel, a danger is bestowed upon George; he tends to care for Lennie far too much, and too little for himself. In occasional moments, he escapes his sympathy and compassion for Lennie, and realises the burden that he causes. This usually results in George taking his frustration out on Lennie, which can often harm his simple mind, leaving Lennie upset and forced to confess to his own uselessness, and George feeling guilty for what he has caused. We can learn very little about George through his actual conversations, which made it necessary for Steinbeck to focus the novel on him in particular, and let the reader gain an closer insight on him through his actions. Generally, he seems to be caring, intelligent and sensible, but is greatly worn by the constant attention Lennie requires. This illustrates a major theme in Of Mice and Men, the dangers that arise when one becomes involved in a dedicated relationship.