Places In The Heart Comparison Between Of Mice And Men

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John Steinbeck in Of Mice and Men and Robert Benton in the film Places in the Heart both tell a tale of disappointment and frustration as the unfortunate reality of life often destroys plans and crushes dreams. In an age of lost hope, both Lennie and George in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and the Spalding Family in Benton’s Places in the heart both hope for a brighter future but their plans are quickly destroyed. Benton and Steinbeck put many references on what could have been if life did not take such a toll on the characters. Tragedy still lurks as hardship destroys the goal of peace and prosperity among the Spalding family, they look back on past events and think of what could have been. For example many times throughout the film Ms.spalding …show more content…

For example when george is about to shoot lennie he said "No, Lennie. Look down there acrost the river, like you can almost see the place." Lennie obeyed him. George looked down at the gun…."Go on, George. When we gonna do it?" "Gonna do it soon." George knows what he has to do, but just then realizes that he will not get his land and makes himself feel worse by telling Lennie lies. In this final scene the death of lennie shows that this story is about unfinished goals because with his death comes the realization that they will never get their land. In addition after learning of what Lennie had done Candy asks george about the land to which george replies with “its over”. George puts down the idea of getting land because it would remind him too much of Lennie and the dream that they never got to accomplish. Steinbeck put this into his book to show that one small mistake changed all of george's future intentions. When George is talking to Lennie in the final scene he tells him "You... and' me. Ever'body gonna be nice to you. Ain't gonna be no more trouble. Nobody gonna hurt nobody nor steal from 'em." When George is talking to lennie before he kills him he is trying to make Lennie's death as peaceful as possible by describing a perfect world to him. George and lennie aimed to have no problems, or trouble in their lives but the reality is that their

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