Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
Introduction:
Of Mice and Men is a novel, which considers really interesting subjects such as dream/reality, innocence, loneliness, authority and violence. I believe these are the main themes the book contains, these are the things that the author wants us, the readers, to find out.
George and Lennie, the main characters, are travelling together looking for work, they both share a dream. This dream is the most important thing they have, it gives them the hope that things in the future would change, that they would have a house "An'live off the fatta the lan".
These two characters are very different; George is "small and quick" and Lennie has the strength of a giant but the mind of a little child. He likes to stoke nice things with his fingers, which he often gets in trouble for. Although all the differences they have, they travel together and share lots of important things.
I think "Of mice and men" is a good book, because every subject involved in the novel is really interesting and has lots to do with life nowadays.
Dream > < reality:
In the beginning of the story George tells Lennie about their dream (Pan, page 18 line 12). That is the first time we meet this dream. The dream is to get a piece of land, with a little house. Lennie is possessed by the thought that he is going to take care of the rabbits on their dream farm. Lennie loves to hear George tell the story about the dream farm, so he keeps asking George to tell it to him. In the beginning the farm is just a dream for Lennie and George. Then they tell Candy about their dream, he says to George and Lennie that he had saved some money and he wants to be a part of the dream. So all the sudden their dream is becoming realistic. Then one day Lennie goes in the barn where crooks are living. They start talking and Lennie tells crooks about George and his dream. Crooks attitude seams very negative. He doesn't believe that their dream is realistic. He says to Lennie that George never are coming back and that George just are using Lennie's money in the town. He says to Lennie that he has seen many people before like them and none of them have succeeded in living out their dream.
Peter Lisca’s analysis on “Motif and Pattern in Of Mice and Men” clarifies that Steinbeck’s misunderstood usage of symbols, actions, and language convey motifs and patterns that connects the beginning of the book to the end. Lisca implies that the first and primary usage of symbolism was the area near the river where the story initiated and ended. He insinuates that the cave that Lennie mentioned twice and the river George ordered Lennie to visit when in danger symbolizes as “a safe place” and innocence while becoming “translated into terms possible in the real world” (Lisca 1). In addition, Lisca also advocates that the rabbits serve as symbols to dramatize Lennie’s devotion for his safe place, but also to “define the basis of what desire on a very low level” (Lisca 2).
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.
George and Lennie's ultimate goal is to "get the jack together," buy a few acres of land they can call their own, "an' live off the fatta the lan' (pg. 14)." George talks in great depth about how their dream house is going to have individual rooms, a kitchen with a fat iron stove, and an orchard. But, George only recites this yarn when he wants to get Lennie calmed down. Lennie has the mentality of an 8 year old, the memory of a senile 80 year old, and only desires to tend rabbits. George fully understands that Lennie can easily be manipulated. Even though the dream to have a piece of land is shared, George knows that by himself he cannot amass a large enough "stake," to buy it himself (pg. 33)." Just as the boss thought, George was "takin' his pay away from him (pg. 22)."
Steinbeck uses foreshadowing throughout the story that hints on them not achieving their dream. Crooks one of the workers, predicts that Lennie and George will never get their own farm. Also, George looses hope and stops talking about the dream. As Crooks and Lennie discuss the plan to get a farm, crooks docent think that Georges and Lennies dream will become possible.’‘I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, …’em has a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever get it…” In other words Crooks has seen many people with the same dream as George and Lennie that haven't come true. Crooks says that none of the peoples dreams come true, this foreshadows that Georges and Lennies may nit come true. As a result, The failure of dreams creates an effect creates an uncertainty that their dream will come true. Not only does Crooks think that their dream will not come true, but George lost hope in their dream too. While George and Lennie are sleeping by the water, George tells Lennie a story about what their farm would be like, but George breaks down and doesn't want to talk about it. While George and Lennie are sleeping by the water, George tells Lennie a story about what their farm would be like, but George breaks down and doesn't want to talk about it. “I aint got time for no more…” in other words, George is tired of having dreams he doesn't think he can
The 3 themes in “Of Mice And Men” are loneliness, powerlessness, and dreams often fail.
George and Lennie live in a hopeless present but they somehow try to keep a foot in an idealized future. They dream of one day running their own ranch, safe and answerable to no one. Others such as Curley's wife dreams of being a movie star, Crooks, of hoeing his own patch and Candy's couple of acres'.The dream ends with the death of Lennie.
George and Lennie depended on their dream as motivation to live on and work. They've been working all their life to accomplish their dream. While taking a break by a pond on the way to another ranch, Lennie asked George to tell him why they are working and saving money. "Guys like us got nothing; they work up a stack and blow it in the town. But we're different, we got a future " (14). Most workers back then just live on day by day, without a goal. But George and Lennie are different, they got a dream to work and live for. Lennie kept on wanting to be told about their dream a few times in the story, indicating that it's really important to them. George depends on the dream to save up money and take care of Lennie instead of using all the money like all the other workers. While staying in the cabin, Lennie asked George about their dream. "George, how long's it gonna be till we get that little place an' live on the fatta the land and rabbits" (56). George and Lennie's dream has been repeated several times in the story. Each time they describe it, it gives them more will to work and try to accomplish the dream. The dream keeps George and Lennie together so they can work toward their dream. Without the dream, George and Lennie would be different from what they are now. George would be like the other workers, spending all the money right after getting them. And Lennie might be in jail for accused of rape or get bullied by other workers.
As George and Lennie have been travelling around together since the death of Lennie’s Aunt Clara the two have build a dream in which they discuss how they in-vision their lives once their done working. “O.K. Someday – we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres, an’ a cow and some pigs and-” (Steinbeck 16). Both George and Lennie share a dream in which they will one day have saved up enough money to buy their own farm and live the rest of their days together so that when they work they will be working for themselves and to be able do whatever they want on their own terms. Even though George and Lennie have been working toward their dream for a long time it is still a challenge for them to achieve it with Lennie’s disabilities and him getting them run out of Weed. “God a'mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an' work, an' no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and g...
As the story, Of Mice and Men, ends, it it easy to realize how important the theme, characters, and symbols are and how they reflect ordinary life. The theme proves that no one can stay lonely forever, and everyone needs someone to be there for them. Many people could see themselves in the characters as they figure out who they really need. Lastly, as we hold onto our youth we also hold onto unrealistic dreams just like George. Before he can let go of the dreams, he must mature and get rid of the part that is holding him back,
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.
George and Lennie have a dream, even before they arrive at their new job on the ranch, to make enough money to live “off the fatta the land” and be their own bosses. Lennie will then be permitted to tend the rabbits. Candy, upon hearing about the dream, wants to join them so that he will not be left alone, especially after they killed his dog. From the 17th Century, when the first settlers arrived, immigrants dreamed of a better life in America. People went there to escape from persecution or poverty, and to make a new life for themselves.
The central element of this novella is its symbolism. This novella has plenty of symbolical forms, such as people, creed, and some of the animals. Candy has several terms of symbolism, for example his disability is a symbol of the migrant workers who are just literally forgotten about, they are forgotten when they are no use to the owners. Candy’s dog is a symbol of a life only for advantage to others Lennie also for shadows this, he is belittled of his mind but enormously commented for his strength. Also he is compelled to lie about the fight he had with Curley, this is a symbol of typical male society in the, “Depression era”.
The setting of Of Mice and Men—Salinas, California in the 1930s—conveys that the characters in the novel are representations of the migrant workers in that time period. To escape the arid farmlands, the itinerant workers went in search for work in the land of promise, California. However, they faced limited opportunities and poorly paid lives, which gave way to the seducing American dream. All the workers hoped for was a piece of their own land similar to that of George and Lennie's. Ultimately, as the ideal dream, it conforms to the American dream of liberty and pursuit of happiness.
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
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