Abstract: When Of Mice and Men is read between the lines, it is easy to discover Steinbeck’s objective. Men are destined to be alone, despite their hardships, despite their connections. In order to establish these ideas Steinbeck develops his characters, the relationships they share, and their interactions. Of Mice and Men is considered a classic novel for a reason. Steinbeck does an excellent job of establishing powerful themes while using unparalleled writing techniques. Steinbeck was able to take his upbringing as the common man and turn it into inspiration for novels.
At the mention of the name, “John Steinbeck,” many associations can be made to the classic works produced by the man. However, he did not begin his life as a successful writer. Growing up in Salinas, California, Steinbeck lived the life of a common man, working to survive in the Land of Promise. He began to develop a taste for writing; however, he studied marine biology while he attended Stanford University. Without graduating with a degree, Steinbeck began working as a laborer and reporter for the American in New York City. After realizing that he was not meeting his goals, or at least coming close to them, Steinbeck moved back to California where he continued to work in various odd jobs while he pursuing his career as a professional writer. In the early 1930’s Steinbeck met Edwards Ricketts, a marine biologist who later became a major influence on his works. Steinbeck enjoyed listening to Ricketts’s views on the interdependence of life. Steinbeck became intrigued by these concepts and began applying these themes to all of his developing works. His first two publications were undeveloped and deemed failures, but with the production of Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck was introduced to the world of literary acceptance.
Of Mice and Men is considered an American classic that is taught by almost every high school and featured on most “must read” booklists. The reason for such appraise can be found in the themes lying within the book. Steinbeck establishes the concepts of man’s destiny by developing his characters, the relationships they share, and their interactions and using them to reinforce underlying themes. The relationship between Lennie and George opens many types of interpretation for critics of the novel. Some wonder whether George cares for Lennie and a person, or maybe Geo...
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...e alone, despite their hardships, despite their connections. In order to establish these ideas Steinbeck develops his characters, the relationships they share, and their interactions. Of Mice and Men is considered a classic novel for a reason. Steinbeck does an excellent job of establishing powerful themes while using unparalleled writing techniques. Steinbeck was able to take his upbringing as the common man and turn it into inspiration for novels.
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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.
Levant, Howard. The Novels of John Steinbeck: a Critical Study. Columbia: U of Missouri Press, 1974.
Bloom, Harold. John Steinbeck's Of mice and men. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1996. Print.
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.
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.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck centennial ed. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.
Of Mice and Men, by Steinbeck, shows many different views on society. This book has a lot different messages you can take and apply to real life. All the people in the story can relate to someone today and also to some stuff that still happens all around the world. When reading this book you can really start to understand and connect with the characters and identify their weaknesses and their strengths. Some things you really start to notice is how powerful some people are and how they use that power in everyday living. Many characters had power, because of that it helped some get by, helped some take advantage and boss people around, but power also hurt them.
John Steinbeck’s portrayal of George and Lennie serve to describe and criticize the misjudgment and mistrust of the rejects of society. Understanding builds trust, a fundamental component of a harmonious society. In this global age, trusts and judgments are more important than ever. Steinbeck’s timeless message made Of Mice and Men a true classical novella.
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.
The daily struggle of the working class, fear of loneliness and the reality of putting all your energy into plans that fail are the different themes relating to John Steinbeck's novel, "Of Mice and Men". The characters depicted by the author are individuals who are constantly facing one obstacle after another. The book illustrates different conflicts such as man versus society, man versus man, man versus himself and idealism versus reality. The book's backdrop is set in the Salinas, California during the depression. The two main characters include two men, George and Lennie. Supportive characters include a few ranch hands, Candy, Crooks, Curly, Slim and Carlson.
Some of the most aspiring and influential authors show to be American novelists. American novelists brought about a new style of writing, which became very popular. John Steinbeck shows this style of writing in his novel, East of Eden. This makes Steinbeck one of the most significant American novelists in the twentieth century. East of Eden contains many parts, which add detail and interest to the novel. Many of Steinbeck’s novels and other works remain and continue to be nationally acclaimed. Many elements exist in East of Eden that bring about the meaning and concept of the novel. The study of John Steinbeck and his book, East of Eden, will help the reader better understand the element of fiction and interpret the meaning of the work.
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.
... 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.
Men, Steinbeck’s character’s life is dependent on the assumptions made about him. Of Mice and Men tells the story of two men with opposite character who face the hardships and reality of
The theme of power in prevalent in John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice And Men’ and is presented and developed in many different ways. Power is first established in the title, which introduces the recurring wrath of fate implying that men, like beast, are helplessly fated to live a disempowered and isolated life. Some however seek comfort in their powerful dreams, and companionship in their romanticised fraternal bonds, most notably that of Lennie and George, whose unconditional love for another leaves the reader with questions regarding their own morality. Steinbeck’s powerful prose, a strong single plot line over a short time span drives the tragic events forward, and his depiction of the foreshadowing natural world gives the novella a certain aspect of duality.