Premium Essay

Archetypes In Of Mice And Men

Submitted By
Words 1219
Pages 5
In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, two men, George and Lennie, are kicked off of a farm and need to find new work, but, George is always covering for the trouble that Lennie causes unintentionally, causing George’s life to be harder than it needs to be. This leads into the idea that Steinbeck shows throughout the story, which is companionship is detrimental and will cause problems. Steinbeck uses characterization, archetypes, and motifs throughout the story to prove the detriment of companionship. Throughout the story, Steinbeck shows the detriment of companionship through the use of character development. The first place that the reader can find an example of this is through Lennie holding George back and not letting him reach …show more content…
In fact, the reader can see the detriment through the red archetype. Directly after George and Lennie are tossed off the bus, Steinbeck says that “The rims of [George’s] eyes were red with sun glare” (4). The red archetype highlights the anger that George has towards Lennie, which can be seen at multiple times throughout the story, such as when Lennie wants ketchup for his beans. Anything, including companionship, should be viewed as detrimental if it causes anger. Another key archetype that should show the negative side of companionship is the archetype of the setting sun. When Lennie is talking to Curley’s Wife in the barn, the story says, “Now the light was lifting as the sun went down…” (97). The setting sun is used to foreshadow the death of Curley’s wife, and it was her goal to meet a companion. As she was trying to make a companion in Lennie, he killed her, which could be used to symbolize that companions should be viewed as negative because they lead to death. The reader can see this not only through Curley’s Wife, but it can be seen through the death of Lennie who also needed a companion. Through the deaths of both Lennie and Curley’s Wife, the reader can see the negativity of companionship, because it leads to death. In another instance, the archetype of …show more content…
To demonstrate this, Steinbeck uses the motif of animals to show the detriment in a different kind of companionship. Throughout the beginning of the story, Candy is with his dog and they have a special companionship. Candy says, “I ought to have shot that dog myself, George” (67). This shows how Candy admits that having the companionship with the dog kept the dog alive too long, even when the dog was in substantial amounts of pain. The companionship was detrimental because the dog was kept alive through too much pain, when if he would’ve put the dog out of its misery, it would have been better for the dog. Not only can the reader see the negativity of companionship through Candy keeping the dog alive too long, it can also be seen through the motif of comparing Lennie to animals. In the story, when talking to Crooks, Crooks tells Lennie that if George happens to leave him, they will, “ They’ll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog” (79). By Crooks saying this, he is implying that George is the only one saving Lennie, and without George, everyone would kill Lennie or Lennie would basically become the pet. If Lennie wasn’t with George, he would have developed the skill to think for himself and be able to survive, even without George. Another, equally important, point with the animal motif is when Lennie kills Curley’s Wife. When

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Of Mice and Men Final Draft

...Seventy six years ago, John Steinbeck released what The New York Times called ‘A thriller, a gripping tale that you wilnot set down until it is finished. Steinbeck has touched the quick’. Of Mice and Men is a novel and film demonstrating the Heroes Journey and a tale of friendship that triumphs over incredible odds, of life in the dust bowl of the Great Depression. But what is it about Steinbeck’s novel that never ceases to appeal to all audiences? From Joseph Campbell’s novel The Hero With A Thousand Faces, a twelve step model known as ‘The Hero’s Journey’ and ‘Archetypes’ has been established. The Hero’s Journey is a narrative pattern that the leading character takes on their typical adventure, and the Archetypes are the supporting characters though out the story. The Heroes Journey and archetypes can be perceived in thousands of stories, dramas, storytelling, religious rituals and psychological development including Of Mice and Men. The narrative pattern of, Of Mice and Men starts with the first stage, what Joseph Campbell called ‘The Ordinary World’. George and Lennie’s ordinary world is going around America, from job to job and ranch to ranch to complete their ‘American Dream’, they wished to own their own property and ‘live offa the fatta the lan’. George and Lennie were forced to leave their hometown, Lennie did not realise his strength and got himself into trouble, this was common for Lennie, but George was always there to fix the problem. As discovered by the reader...

Words: 1190 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Archetype In The Great Gatsby

...I am doing my research paper on Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby, and the archetype I have chosen is American Dreamer. An American Dreamer is someone who sees the American Dream as an obtainable goal and vigorously pursues it. Jay Gatsby qualifies for the archetype American Dreamer because in his journey to wealth and prosperity he is reunited with a lost love from five years previous, her name is Daisy Buchanan. I am doing my research paper on Jay Gatsby because I have wanted to read this book for some time and I figured who better to do than the main character of the book. F. Scott Fitzgerald created many interesting characters in his novel The Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby, The main character from The Great Gatsby fits the archetype of the American...

Words: 956 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Lennie In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

...“All brawn, no brain” In the novel Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, every man symbolizes their larger group. Lennie Small symbolizes different things but he is mostly symbolic to the archetype, “all brawn, no brain.” He is very childish and innocent, but is strong as a bull. Lennie is not aware of how strong he really is. The consequences of him being so strong and not very bright gets him in huge trouble. The novel shows his all around character and portrays his simple life and how he handles it. Lennie is a hard and dedicated worker on the ranch. He is huge in size and is strong as bull. The boss pointed a playful finger at Lennie. "He ain't much of a talker, is he?" "No, he ain't, but he's sure a hell of a good worker. Strong as a bull." Lennie smiled to himself. "Strong as a bull," he repeated. George scowled at him, and Lennie dropped his head in shame at having forgotten. (35-38) Even though he’s strong and a good worker, he is not very bright. He will do anything you tell him to but is often forgetful. Lennie can’t help how he is, he was just born this way....

Words: 551 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Aakif

...SYMBOLS, ARCHETYPES & MOTIFS Symbols Three categories: Archetypal – The first symbols of humankind that have replicated themselves in stories throughout the ages across all cultures. They appear in the stories of groups from cavemen to 21st century authors. The term “archetype” was coined by Karl Jung who used them as the basis of “collective unconscious” theory. Cultural – As cultural groups use archetypal symbols to represent their values, fears, beliefs, and expectations, these objects take on meaning specific to that group. For example, the cross is an ancient archetypal symbol. When cultural groups adopt it, the meanings become both universal and specific. For most cultures the cross holds spiritual significance; hence its archetypal meaning. For Christians the cross takes on specific representation of Christ’s crucifixion. Nuance – These objects take on symbolic meaning in the work in which they appear. Modern writers often create their own symbols by repeatedly using the object in meaningful ways. For example, Golding used the conch shell to represent order and governmental control. NOTABLE ARCHETYPAL SYMBOLS, CHARACTERS, AND STORY PATERNS Characters: Hero (Epic, Classical, Romantic, Realistic, Anti-Hero) Outcast, Scapegoat, Trickster, Platonic Ideal, Monster, Temptress, Star-crossed lovers, Clown/jester, Prophet Story Patterns: Rite of Passage/Initiation, Creation, Fall, Expulsion, Death & Rebirth, Journey, Quest Symbols: (Archetypal symbols have...

Words: 1504 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Disney Heroine

...Disney Heroines and America: Yesterday and Today Haley Hayes English 311c Section 02 Movies reflect current American values. Symbols and signs of these shifting values creep into every aspect of the American people’s lives. The entertainment industry provides an example by depicting the powerful influence animated heroines have on cultural trends. In animation, the heroine archetype has come to mean the “ideal person”: a symbol of the qualities, attitudes, popular trends, and those socially acceptable norms which are the most desirable. Has the public brought this upon themselves by buying into the movie-madness scheme, which dictates how one should think, feel, and, in part, be? This introduces another interesting question: Does the shift in societal values affect the nature and content of animation, or do the values portrayed in animation and public’s willingness to be overpowered create these changes in American beliefs? Regardless of which comes first, analyzing a character is synonymous with analyzing the culture from which the character is spawned. These symbols in animation, unfortunately, don’t always depict America’s best values and more often than not are targeted at children. Truly, the influential impact of animation on children is most perfectly depicted in the famed Walt Disney Heroines. These Disney girls have come to reflect America’s ever-changing values and the evolution of its popular culture. Despite the public’s initial skepticism...

Words: 2928 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Miaws

...A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSICS EDITION OF G EORG E B E R N A R D S HAW ’S PYGMALION By LAURA REIS MAYER BUNCOMBE COUNTY SCHOOLS, ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA S E R I E S E D I T O R S JEANNE M. MCGLINN, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Asheville and W. GEIGER ELLIS, Ed.D., University of Georgia, Professor Emeritus 2 A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion TABLE OF CONTENTS An Introduction .......................................................................................3 Synopsis of the Play .................................................................................3 Prereading Activities .................................................................................6 During Reading Activities ......................................................................13 After Reading Activities .........................................................................21 About the Author of this Guide .............................................................29 About the Editors of this Guide .............................................................29 Full List of Free Teacher's Guides...........................................................30 Click on a Classic ..................................................................................31 Copyright © 2007 by Penguin Group (USA) For additional teacher’s manuals, catalogs, or descriptive brochures, please email academic@penguin.com or write...

Words: 11837 - Pages: 48

Free Essay

Othello

...Othello Notes Reputation/Honour Importance of the theme of Reputation / Honour in Othello: The significant theme of reputation and honour is portrayed frequently throughout the novel Othello. Many of the characters in the novel carefully consider the consequences of their thoughts and actions in regards to their reputation and honour, making sure that they appear noble even when their actions are irrational and selfish. Such an example is shown when Iago appears to be simply stating the obvious about Desdemona, instead of manipulating Othello to believe his own fears. Othello is dictated by his desire to live up to his reputation, achieved through years of being a general in Venice. Reputation, used in conjunction with jealousy and trust, provide the key elements which provoke Othello’s mental disintegration shown predominantly by language techniques, into a world of mistrust and assumption. It is logical to assume that Othello’s suicide was a consequence of his need to preserve any traces of reputation left from his dedicated work as a general; from the characteristics portrayed of Othello it is implied that the act of imprisonment would crush Othello – he would no longer be an honourable citizen. In a similar way to Othello’s suicide, Iago’s sudden and unpredicted vow of silence could be assumed to also be a form of self-preservation, manipulating other characters by preventing any more damage to his reputation by not accidentally admitting details of his ignobility. ...

Words: 8721 - Pages: 35

Premium Essay

Rgthtfhyjugkihlololigkydh

...Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Introduction Chapter 1 - Priming Chapter 2 - Confabulation Chapter 3 - Confirmation Bias Chapter 4 - Hindsight Bias Chapter 5 - The Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy Chapter 6 - Procrastination Chapter 7 - Normalcy Bias Chapter 8 - Introspection Chapter 9 - The Availability Heuristic Chapter 10 - The Bystander Effect Chapter 11 - The Dunning-Kruger Effect Chapter 12 - Apophenia Chapter 13 - Brand Loyalty Chapter 14 - The Argument from Authority Chapter 15 - The Argument from Ignorance Chapter 16 - The Straw Man Fallacy Chapter 17 - The Ad Hominem Fallacy Chapter 18 - The Just-World Fallacy Chapter 19 - The Public Goods Game Chapter 20 - The Ultimatum Game Chapter 21 - Subjective Validation Chapter 22 - Cult Indoctrination Chapter 23 - Groupthink Chapter 24 - Supernormal Releasers Chapter 25 - The Affect Heuristic Chapter 26 - Dunbar’s Number Chapter 27 - Selling Out Chapter 28 - Self-Serving Bias Chapter 29 - The Spotlight Effect Chapter 30 - The Third Person Effect Chapter 31 - Catharsis Chapter 32 - The Misinformation Effect Chapter 33 - Conformity Chapter 34 - Extinction Burst Chapter 35 - Social Loafing Chapter 36 - The Illusion of Transparency Chapter 37 - Learned Helplessness Chapter 38 - Embodied Cognition Chapter 39 - The Anchoring Effect Chapter 40 - Attention Chapter 41 - Self-Handicapping Chapter 42 - Self-Fulfilling Prophecies Chapter 43 - The Moment Chapter 44 - Consistency...

Words: 84394 - Pages: 338

Premium Essay

Cyrus the Great

...critical theory today critical theory today A Us e r - F r i e n d l y G u i d e S E C O N D E D I T I O N L O I S T Y S O N New York London Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN © 2006 by Lois Tyson Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number‑10: 0‑415‑97410‑0 (Softcover) 0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number‑13: 978‑0‑415‑97410‑3 (Softcover) 978‑0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Tyson, Lois, 1950‑ Critical theory today : a user‑friendly guide / Lois Tyson.‑‑ 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0‑415‑97409‑7 (hb) ‑‑ ISBN 0‑415‑97410‑0 (pb) 1. Criticism...

Words: 221284 - Pages: 886

Free Essay

Ghhg

...Дневник читателя READER’S JOURNAL Ernest Hemingway. The Old Man and the Sea (1952). Joseph Heller. Catch-22 (1961). Tennessee Williams. A Streetcar Named Desire (1959). Iris Murdoch. The Black Prince (1973). Jerome David Salinger. The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Michael Ondaatje. The English Patient (1992). Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 (1953). Ken Kesey. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1962). Edward Albee. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962). Arthur Miller. Death of a Salesman (1949). ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Ernest Hemingway. The Old Man and the Sea (1952). ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- FULL TITLE · The Old Man and the Sea ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- AUTHOR · Ernest Hemingway ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- TYPE OF WORK · Novella ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- GENRE · Parable; tragedy ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- LANGUAGE · English ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN · 1951, Cuba ------------------------------------------------- ...

Words: 43588 - Pages: 175

Premium Essay

Family Business Models

...Family business models This page intentionally left blank Family business models Practical solutions for the family business Alberto Gimeno Associate Professor in Business Policy and Director of the Advanced Management Program (AMP), ESADE Business School, Spain Gemma Baulenas Family Business Knowledge S.L. Joan Coma-Cros Family Business Knowledge S.L. © Alberto Gimeno, Gemma Baulenas & Joan Coma-Cros 2010 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2010 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue...

Words: 56393 - Pages: 226

Free Essay

The Outline of English Literature

...Министерство образования и науки Республики Казахстан Кокшетауский государственный университет им. Ш. Уалиханова An Outline of British Literature (from tradition to post modernism) Кокшетау 2011 УДК 802.0 – 5:20 ББК 81:432.1-923 № 39 Рекомендовано к печати кафедрой английского языка и МП КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова, Ученым Советом филологического факультета КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова, УМС КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова. Рецензенты: Баяндина С.Ж. доктор филологических наук, профессор, декан филологического факультета КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова Батаева Ф.А. кандидат филологических наук, доцент кафедры «Переводческое дело» Кокшетауского университета им. А. Мырзахметова Кожанова К.Т. преподаватель английского языка кафедры гуманитарного цикла ИПК и ПРО Акмолинской области An Outline of British Literature from tradition to post modernism (on specialties 050119 – “Foreign Language: Two Foreign Languages”, 050205 – “Foreign Philology” and 050207 – “Translation”): Учебное пособие / Сост. Немченко Н.Ф. – Кокшетау: Типография КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова, 2010 – 170 с. ISBN 9965-19-350-9 Пособие представляет собой краткие очерки, характеризующие английскую литературу Великобритании, ее основные направления и тенденции. Все известные направления в литературе иллюстрированы примерами жизни и творчества авторов, вошедших в мировую литературу благодаря...

Words: 82733 - Pages: 331

Free Essay

Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment

...e eBook Collection This is a Protected PDF document. Please enter your user name and password to unlock the text. User Name: Password: Unlock Remember my user name and password. If you are experiencing problems unlocking this document or you have questions regarding Protectedpdf files please contact a Technical Support representative: In the United States: 1-877-832-4867 In Canada: 1-800-859-3682 Outside the U.S. and Canada: 1-602-387-2222 Email: technicalsupport@apollogrp.edu. This document is published by:Apollo Group, Inc. ISBN 1-256-49231-0 joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka jokaGlossary joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka joka ...

Words: 153006 - Pages: 613

Premium Essay

Barron 3500

...6 Build Your Vocabulary ■ ■ ■ ■ The SAT High-Frequency Word List The SAT Hot Prospects Word List The 3,500 Basic Word List Basic Word Parts be facing on the test. First, look over the words on our SAT High-Frequency Word List, which you’ll find on the following pages. Each of these words has appeared (as answer choices or as question words) from eight to forty times on SATs published in the past two decades. Next, look over the words on our Hot Prospects List, which appears immediately after the High-Frequency List. Though these words don’t appear as often as the high-frequency words do, when they do appear, the odds are that they’re key words in questions. As such, they deserve your special attention. Now you’re ready to master the words on the High-Frequency and Hot Prospects Word Lists. First, check off those words you think you know. Then, look up all the words and their definitions in our 3,500 Basic Word List. Pay particular attention to the words you thought you knew. See whether any of them are defined in an unexpected way. If they are, make a special note of them. As you know from the preceding chapters, SAT often stumps students with questions based on unfamiliar meanings of familiar-looking words. Use the flash cards in the back of this book and create others for the words you want to master. Work up memory tricks to help yourself remember them. Try using them on your parents and friends. Not only will going over these high-frequency words reassure you that you...

Words: 92038 - Pages: 369

Free Essay

Ggggg

...IMPORTANT This electronic version of The Century Vocabulary Builder (1922) has been prepared by Serenson Pty Ltd for www.write-better-english.com. This PDF follows the pagination of the original (hard copy) book and includes hypertext links that we have inserted, which look like this. Please do not remove links. Reformatting the original text into this PDF has been no easy task; it is possible that the process has introduced errors or caused omissions. As a result, we make no guarantee about the accuracy or completeness of this version of the Vocabulary Builder. If you find an error or omission in this PDF, please check the original book and contact us so that we can fix the error or omission. Please check your local copyright laws before accessing this PDF. If you are serious about building your vocabulary, we highly recommend you try the popular vocabularybuilding program called Ultimate Vocabulary Want the ultimate vocabulary builder? Click www.write-better-english com/ultimate-vocabulary.aspx THE CENTURY VOCABULARY BUILDER BY GARLAND GREEVER AND JOSEPH M. BACHELOR NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. Want the ultimate vocabulary builder? Click www.write-better-english com/ultimate-vocabulary.aspx PREFACE You should know at the outset what this book does not attempt to do. It does not, save to the extent that its own special purpose requires, concern itself with the many and intricate problems of grammar, rhetoric, spelling, punctuation, and the like; or clarify...

Words: 97231 - Pages: 389