Symbolism in Of Mice and Men Symbolism is a person, place, or thing which has a meaning in itself but suggests other meanings, as well. There are many instances of this throughout Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Symbolism in books allows characters, places, and things to have many meanings and help explain the main points and themes of the book. This helps Of Mice and Men show the themes of innocence, loneliness, fidelity, dreams, Lennie’s strength, euthanasia, and discrimination. John Steinbeck’s use of symbolism helps the story have a deeper meaning with the use of symbolism with many characters, animals, and places. There are many uses of symbolism with the characters in Of Mice and Men. The character Lennie shows innocence throughout …show more content…
Rabbits are one of these animals and they show dreams in the book. The quote from Lennie shows how rabbits show dreams, “George how long’s it gonna be til we get that little place an’ live off the fatta the lan’ –an’ rabbit.” (pg. 85) This shows how rabbits are part of George and Lennie’s dreams just as much as the ranch is part of their land. It is very important to Lennie to get the rabbits because they it is his dream. Another quote that shows rabbits in a symbolic way is “ I wish’t we’d get the rabbits pretty soon, George.” (pg. 10) This explains how rabbits show dreams because Lennie cannot wait to get his rabbits and reach his dream. Puppies are another animal that John Steinbeck uses to have a greater meaning. The puppies in Of Mice and Men are used to show how strong Lennie is. The quote “Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice. I didn’t bounce you hard.” (pg. 85) This shows Lennie’s strength because he did not even mean to kill the dog, but he was so strong that he did it anyways. Another quote is “He picked up the pup and hurled it from him.”(pg. 85) This shows Lennie’s strength because he is able to hurl the pup extremely …show more content…
Candy’s Dog shows euthanasia throughout the story. One quote that shows euthanasia is “If you want me to, I’ll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with.”(pg. 47) This quote shows that Carlson wanted to put Candy’s Dog down because it is not good for him to continue living. Another quote is “I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let let no stranger shoot my dog.”(pg. 61) At first Candy was opposed to having his dog killed but he realizes that that was the best thing for the dog and he should have done it himself. There are many uses of symbolism with the places in Of Mice and Men. Crook’s room is one of those places that is used as a symbol. Crook’s room shows discrimination with the quote “You go on get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” (pg. 68) Crook’s room shows discrimination because Crooks is not allowed in the bunk house, so he does not want Lennie in his room. Another quote is “’Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black.”(pg. 68) Crooks is not allowed inside the bunk house to play cards and is left out alone in his room all
Symbolism is one of the most effective and powerful elements in writing. We see various examples of this all throughout "The Things They Carried." Symbolism enables us to tell a story one way, while all along trying to say another. I believe Tim O'Brien has achieved success in doing so in "The Things They Carried."
All forms of literature consist of patterns that can be discovered through critical and analytical reading, observing and comparing. Many patterns are discussed in the novel, How to Read Literature like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster. Among these patterns, he discusses the use of symbolism and the representation something can have for a different, underlying aspect of a piece of literature. These symbols tend to have multiple meanings and endless interpretations depending on who is reading and analyzing them. No matter
They say that you can tell a great deal about a man by his handshake. In the novella Of Mice And Men, Steinbeck uses hands as a strong motif to help us to understand the essence of each of the characters. By the end of the story it all comes together and we are introduced to the ingenious symbol of hands and how it fits together.
In the novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck chooses to use many different and unique symbols in order to help develop characters and to foreshadow upcoming events. The symbols used in this story give it a more effective message and provide a better understanding to what Steinbeck has intended to convey. He uses many different forms of symbolism, some which are objects while some are actual human relationships, in order to make the story more realistic and to give it a more insightful approach.
Overall the readers may feel sad about the story of the Of Mice and Men because of the three themes that he has used in the novel. The three themes: Freedom and confinement, loneliness, and racism show the struggle that George and Lennie go through throughout the
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Hopes and Dreams Help People to Survive, Even if they can Never. Become Real How is this true for George and Lennie/ the characters in ‘Of Mice and the.. Men’. An important theme in ‘Of Mice and Men’ is that of hope and dreams. The main dream is that of George and Lennie to own a smallholding and work self-sufficiently.
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.
The 3 themes in “Of Mice And Men” are loneliness, powerlessness, and dreams often fail.
Life is not a bed of roses. People use this expression to stress the fact that there are and will be difficulties in life. John Steinbeck, in his novella Of Mice and Men, does not fall short of the same views. It takes place in the year 1937, a period associated with the Great Depression, and illustrates the hardships of the time, and more so those that laborers such as George and Lennie experience. Life proves to be full of disappointments for both men who are victims of harsh circumstances in more ways than one. The two have a dream to own a farm of their own but circumstance and fate robs them of their dream for a better life. This is a depiction of the lost American Dream during the Great Depression which lasts between 1929 up to the 1940s. The poem titled “This Is Not The Life” further depicts the hardships found in life. It clearly portrays the uncertainty and struggle associated with living during the Great Depression. Thus, both the novella and the poem explain that human dreams for a great future are subject to circumstance and fate, which most of the time collude against human success in life leaving only a trace of broken dreams, pain and misery.
dream; that one day they may buy a farm, and Lennie will be able to
In almost every story, one can find symbolism throughout the text to help the reader better understand what the writer wants the reader to takeout from his/her story. Symbolism is something that must be analyzed and explored to experience a deeper meaning to the story. Sometimes, symbolism throughout a story may not be noticeable when first read, but going back to analyze the text can add a deeper meaning to words and can also help to enhance the meaning behind the story line. In some instances, symbolism can leave a reader to ponder what the writer is trying to express with the symbolism used in the story; for symbolism can be interpreted differently and can have many layers of meaning to it. Some good examples of short stories that use symbolism to extend the meaning behind the story line are “The Lottery,” “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” and “The Jury of Her Peers”.
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.
"A symbol is an act, person, thing, or spectacle that stands for something else, by association a usually broader idea in addition to its own literal meaning" (Cassill & Bausch, 1728). John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" may seem as a story describing a simple day with the Allen couple. It begins with Elisa Allen working in her garden and her husband, Henry Allen, negotiating with two suited business men that want to purchase steers. They seem to engage in conversations and go about their day as they normally would do. By the time the story ends, they are on their way to dinner and a movie. At first glance, this story may seem as nothing special, just a day in the life of fairly happy couple attempting to enjoy their marriage. However, there is much more under the surface of what is written. The story has a relative amount of symbols which gives light on other details of the story. It is not until after looking at deeper meanings of some of the symbols that there can be a more comprehensive reading of the tale. If one takes a good look, one can notice that Henry is an uncommunicative husband, and Elisa craves for more from the relationship, and her life. The lack of passion between Elisa and her husband leads her to use her flowers, the chrysanthemums, and other household tasks as an outlet for the attention that she longs for. Elisa, like many other women, is limited by society's view on women's position in the home.
John Steinbeck, in his novel Of Mice and Men, makes use of similes and foreshadowing to keep readers in touch with the characters and at the edge of their seats throughout the story. Foreshadowing lets readers keep questioning, while similes add more details and brings out the characters in the book. Steinbeck’s use of foreshadowing and similes brings out the deep meaning and themes learned through the characters and the circumstances George faces. Foreshadowing and the use of similes are two of the many literary techniques that bring out the deep thoughts of an author using great details and suspense. These are the techniques which make authors like, John Steinbeck, successful writers.