...Analysis of Major Characters Lennie Although Lennie is among the principal characters in Of Mice and Men, he is perhaps the least dynamic. He undergoes no significant changes, development, or growth throughout the novel and remains exactly as the reader encounters him in the opening pages. Simply put, he loves to pet soft things, is blindly devoted to George and their vision of the farm, and possesses incredible physical strength. Nearly every scene in which Lennie appears confirms these and only these characteristics. Although Steinbeck’s insistent repetition of these characteristics makes Lennie a rather flat character, Lennie’s simplicity is central to Steinbeck’s conception of the novel. Of Mice and Men is a very short work that manages to build up an extremely powerful impact. Since the tragedy depends upon the outcome seeming to be inevitable, the reader must know from the start that Lennie is doomed, and must be sympathetic to him. Steinbeck achieves these two feats by creating a protagonist who earns the reader’s sympathy because of his utter helplessness in the face of the events that unfold. Lennie is totally defenseless. He cannot avoid the dangers presented by Curley, Curley’s wife, or the world at large. His innocence raises him to a standard of pure goodness that is more poetic and literary than realistic. His enthusiasm for the vision of their future farm proves contagious as he convinces George, Candy, Crooks, and the reader that such a paradise might be......
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...Anon 6.3.15 Per. 2 Literary Analysis: Of Mice And Men In the book Of Mice And Men here are many there are many ropy that take place in this novel, for example the mental health of Lennie. The character Lennie helps the author John Steinbeck, show how people with mental health issue would've been treated in those days by Lennie's childish behavior and the affect it has in his actions , how he's dependent on George and the way he's treated, his forgetfulness and the outcome of the novel. The behavior of Lennie is childish as it's demonstrated in this quote."Lennie who had been watching, imitated George exactly. He pushed himself back, drew his knees, embraced them, looked over to George to see whether he had done it just right. He pulled down his hat a little more over his eyes, the way George's hat was." He's trying to copy George just like a child copies their parent. Since Lennie was watching George, he was trying to copy the position that George was in. When Lennie is copying George's position, Lennie looks over to George to make sure that he's "done it just right." Therefore George treats him like a child. On the other hand, everyone else but Slim and Candy don't treat him like so. An example of that would when Curley mistakens Lennie's smile as if Lennie is making fun of him. But that's not the case because he is smiling over the idea of taking care of the bunnies. Therefore Curley ends up picking a fight with Lennie and loses. In the book it shows......
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...Thomas Steiner 03/04/10 Hour 5 Lennie Will Never Change During the great depression families and workers were forced to walk the country in search of jobs. Some kept moving to new locations in hope of living the American dream by getting a house of their own and living on it. In the Novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, two characters, Lennie Small and George Milton, are migrant workers living and working on a farm in Soledad, California for a low pay. George is taking care of Lennie because Lennie is mentally handicapped. They both have a dream in which they buy a few acres of land and “live off the fat of the land.” Throughout the story Lennie is shown as a static character through external conflict, motivation, and complication. In the beginning, Lennie and George are being chased by a bunch of workers who want to kill them. Later in the story the author gives more details as to why they were being chased. Lennie had grabbed on to a girls dress because of an attraction he has to touching soft things. The girl started screaming and accused Lennie of raping her. George repeats multiple times that Lennie, “’…don’t mean no harm’” (36) , and the reader can tell he does not seeing he acts like such a kid. This attraction to soft things causes multiple complications throughout the story and you would think Lennie would learn, yet he always forgets and does the same thing. Also, there were external conflicts between Lennie and his boss’s son Curley. Candy had......
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...In the 1930’s there were lots of hardships during the Great Depression this made lots of people become unemployed. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck it is a novella released in 1937 which tells a tale of two workers named George and Lennie, who lost their old job in Soledad and are going to their new job at the ranch. Largely the ending Of Mice and Men was inevitable because of these following themes; American Dream, cruel society, particularly targeting minorities and friendships helping to build empathy. It was inevitable that George and Lennie will never get their own ranch because of the American Dream. The American Dream is an impossible vision that leads to disappointment this is equaled through how the workers don’t have empathy. Workers...
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...Friendship is very important and is key element throughout the book. During the time the book was set, many people were unemployed and found it difficult to find work therefore they were left with no choice but to travel several miles to find temporary jobs which left many lonely. This is reflected throughout Of Mice and Men. Apart from Lennie and George all of the other people featured are lonely and just desire a companion. Lennie and George are complete opposites. We know this from the very beginning when George is described as having “sharp, strong features” while Lennie has a “shapeless of face” but depsite being complete opposites they’d rather have each other’s company than none at all. This is Steinbeck’s way of telling us how important friendship was at this time and how precious but rare it was. This is at the beginning at the story when they have all their dreams and everything seems perfect however things change. Steinbeck constantly points out how close they are intertwining their relationship with dreams and having their own ranch. We can tell this when George says “we got a future. We got somebody to talk to” their relationship is desirable and the reader is fooled, believing it will last and they will achieve all these amazing things but in the end Lennie is just shot dead. This is done to show friendship can’t last. It’s Steinbecks way of telling society that it’s a load of rubbish and no such thing can exist in the current state. During the great Depression,...
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...Essay Topics Plagiarism Donate a Paper Related Essays - Chocolate Rabbits: Foreshadowing in "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck - Forrest Gump’s Mama once preached the saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” These words of wisdom maybe true in some cases but In Of Mice and Men by John St...[ view ] - Analysis of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - Analysis of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Of Mice And Men' by John...[ view ] Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Rate This Paper: 1 2 3 4 5 Length: 738 words (2.1 double-spaced pages) Rating: Red (FREE) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck There is a wide variety of what some people would call a good friend. Some would say a good friend is someone who will cover for them even though they know they are wrong. Others would say that a friend is someone that has good connections to get them discounts on what they want. However, my definition of a good friend is someone who doesn't laugh when you tell them something serious, who listens and is considerate to what you are feeling at that moment and tries to help in any way they can. A friend is also someone that you can have fun with and accepts your flaws as well. I believe that George, a main character from the novel "Of Mice and Men", was a good friend to Lennie, George's problem person. I know many have reasons to state......
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...Literary analysis Of Mice and Men Loneliness can be a large point in fiction writing. Loneliness can push people to extremes. Once can be pushed to become extremely introverted while the other can rage, setting a path against the world to find a place to fit in. In John Steinbeck’s of Mice and Men loneliness is evident and a huge focus of the author. The characters Lennie, Crooks, and Candy are set apart from other due to loneliness. The country of America has long been tainted with segregation, a divide of black and white. Segregation can push people to the dark ends of loneliness. A prime example of this would be in the novel of Mice and Men. One person in particular experienced loneliness due to segregation. That character would a black fellow knows as crooks. “…The stable buck put in his head; a lean Negro head, lined with pain” (p.50) Crooks was slow in entering the white quarters, knowing he was not allowed in. The only black man on the ranch, without any company. “He kept his distance and demanded that other keep theirs.” (p.67) He pushed himself away from other and made them keep their distance from is quarters due to him not being allowed in theirs. Crooks shows his loneliness through separation from others due to his color. More expressions of loneliness would come from Lennie. Lennie shows many proofs of loneliness in the novel of Mice and Men. Lennie shows his desperation when he panics and says “George wun’t go away and leave me. I know George wun’t do......
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...John Steinbeck Research Paper: Final Draft John Steinbeck is regarded as the “quintessential American writer.” He created many works of literature that “evoke life in the 20th century with compassion and lyrical precision” (Li). John Steinbeck’s most popular works such as Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Grapes of Wrath (1939) explore the darker side of life in America for farm laborers. Though these works were considered highly controversial, they gained him major recognition. Of Mice and Men was adapted as a play in 1938 and was declared the best play by New York Drama Critics’ Circle. He went on to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1940 for The Grapes of Wrath. In 1962, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature (Schultz & Li). As a child and youth, Steinbeck spent a lot of time working on farms and interacting with other migrant workers. His experiences with migrant farm workers created the foundation for Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. John Ernst Steinbeck was born on February 27th 1902 in Salinas California to John Ernst Steinbeck Sr. and Olivia Hamilton Steinbeck. Steinbeck Sr. managed a flour mill, and his mother Olivia was a teacher in a school, thus securing the family a middle class income (Bender). His mother Olivia looked to “mold him into a man of broad intellectual capacity” (Kiernan). She read him several books as a child and, by the age of five, he could read. In school he was teased for “his large ears…so he withdrew into books.”......
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...Professor Gordon ENC 1102 TTH 830 am 19 November 2009 Research Paper Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck the author of the novel, Of Mice and Men, wrote a story about two migrant workers and their dream of one day owning their own piece of land (Bloom). George Milton and Lennie Small are the two main characters that travel together in search for work. The story took place in California, during the Great Depression, a time in history where everyone suffered from the economical problems and hardship. It was a hard era to live in, there was an extremely high unemployment rate, no one had a steady job and people had to adapt to a new living style. John Steinbeck was present at this time and had a firsthand experience working on a ranch (Leaf). He wrote about the American dream every human being wanted; through the characters of George and Lennie, who both dreamt for the same future, in owning their own land and working for no one else. These two characters are both similar in the sense of wanting the same thing, yet are completely different. Also, Steinbeck included a character, Curly, who lives every American dream and displays how he is. I am going to characterization these three major characters and show their part in the novel. The story begins with two different, thus alike men who are each other’s companion. George and Lennie are both men who work on ranches for money and do not have family, thus they both have a common future. They are both hard workers and optimistic......
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...Michael Emminger Ms. Wanczuk English 9 Honors Period 3 11/21/13 Character Analysis Essay A time of sickness, bankruptcy, and underground liquor runs; the 1930’s were a devastating time in which our protagonists lived. Of Mice and Men is a classic book by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, this tale shows the adventures of two poor men, George and Lennie, who are suffering in the Great Depression. The book goes through a portion of their life through different places and roads. Lennie, I believe, is the most interesting character. Lennie shows his strengths and flaws from Of Mice and Men by having a big heart but bigger hands, helping keep George sane, and accidentally killing animals and people. Lennie has extraordinary physical strength, but his mind does not have that type of power. His head and heart did not know what to do when Curley started punching him and: “he was too frightened to defend himself… Curley’s fist was swinging when Lennie reached for it. The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie’s big hand” (69). Lennie’s brain could not comprehend the events developing around him and his body initially shut off in the process. If it was not for George yelling at him to fight back Lennie could have been really hurt. Some might say fighting is wrong all together, but if it is not possible to walk away from it then it is important to defend yourself. Even though it took him a while to be convinced to hit......
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...Of Mice and Men The short story “Of Mice and Men” is written by author John Steinbeck and was first published in 1937. In the story we follow the two main characters George and Lennie’s attempt to fulfil The American Dream doing The Great Depression. The fame of the book has lead to the making of a film based on the book. The film is very similar to the book, however some things have been omitted. This is one of the main focuses of this analysis along with a comment on The American Dream as a theme. The filmatisation of “Of Mice and Men” leans close up to its book. Many times films are often twisted a lot and new scenes are added. However, after reading the book and watching the film this is not the case here. While you watch the film, you remember a lot of the quotes from the book, which are often said word by word. The director has, however, chosen to change the order of some of the scenes though they are the still same. This gives a different dynamic to the story in the film compared to the book. The scene with the girl in the red dress who cries out loud about Lennie, and forces him and George to run away, is an example(p 42-43.). A few more incidents happen before that specific scene in the book, but it is one of the first ones in the film. There is one very characteristic scene in the book where Lennie has run away and starts to hallucinate. He believes his dead Aunt Clara emerges from the bushes along with talking rabbits, which are also a huge symbol in the......
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...Year group: Title Extended Reading Language Unit 3 A Of Mice and Men 10 Unit description Candidates must make reference to the whole text. Tier ( Higher) Candidates must produce work totalling about 1200 words in a period of up to four hours CA task: Explore the ways sympathy and dislike of ‘Curley’s Wife’ is created in ‘Of Mice and Men.’ CA = Week starting 20 October 2014 (All 4 lessons this week) (Possibility of starting one lesson early at the end of week 6). Level or Grade A*-C Differentiate appropriately for the group that you teach and for individuals within that group th Length 7 weeks (To include CA) Learning objectives AO3 (See mark scheme for band descriptors) Interpretations of texts/understanding significant meanings of the text Engagement with writer’s ideas and attitudes Interpretation of ideas supported with evidence Understanding of features of language and structure Learning outcomes Close analysis of text extracts leading to development of reading skills Consideration of context and writer’s intentions/themes and ideas Speaking and Listening to show understanding of issues and empathy with character Writing a draft essay and set targets for the assessment Produce an analytical essay for CA (New Acronym = SMILE (Structure, Meanings, Ideas, Language, Evidence) Prior knowledge (Enter pre-requisite knowledge and skills.) Analytical essay – Year 9 KS3 reading skills National Framework for Secondary English Strands National Framework for...
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...BOOK: OF MICE AND MEN by John Steinkbeck Learn: An introduction to The novella ‘of mice and men’ Keywords: -historical background -1930’s -cultural – ‘farming community’ –working on land –ranch, barn, bunkhouse, horses, donkeys – many words related to the farming community -characters -themes -1929 wallstreet crash – the great depression 1930’s -stucture – nature versus man (write these words in the exam ^^^ to have a A* or a B) Chapter1: opening paragraph -description of Soledad (loneliness) -Salinas River -Gabilan mountains -Sycamores (like helikopterblaadjes of a tree) -Soledad – Twinkling – Golden – Strong – Sloops – Jungle – deforest George Small, darkface, restless eyes, strong features. Lennie Shapeless of face, large pale eyes, huge man, dranks like a horse, like a child. John Steinbeck Born in 1902 in Salinas California his father owned a …. John describe farming life he was an intelligent student and at age of 14 he decided to become a writer. He did Stanford university, never complete his degree he went to NY and works as a construction worker. He later became a newspaper reporter. *1928 – cup of gold *1932 – pastures of heaven *1933 – to an unknown god *1935 – Tortilla flat *1937 – of mice and men The clearing by the river- Salinas begins by the river and ending by the river –full circle storyline Nature=Good Questions OF MICE AND MEN: * Physical environment * Infested environment * Racist......
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...Reading File – Class 5 1. Summary Retell the story in your own words or attach a good summary from the internet (mentioning your source)..... The book Of Mice and Men is about two poor guys, George and Lennie, who travel together to find work. Lennie is a big, clumsy man, who doesn’t know his own strength and he is also childlike, simple and easily forgetful. Lennie goes through life with his fellow George, a smart guy and hard worker who takes care of Lennie. The book starts with them walking down a road, they ran away from their job in Weed because the stupid, innocent Lennie touched a ladie’s dress (because Lennie likes soft things). Lennie and George have a shared dream: having their own farm, where they can keep all kinds of animals, and can live from their harvest when they have saved enough money. When they on their way to a ranch, hoping to find work, they sleep in the clearing (a place near a river) for one night. The next day they come to the bunkhouse and they get a job. Soon they meet the other workers on the ranch, including Curley, the son of the boss. Curley is mean, aggressive and a lightweight-boxer. Because he is so small he doesn’t like big guys, he feels threatened by them. So an aggressive look and a rude attitude is his first reaction when he sees big Lennie. The next day when Curley comes into the room, Lennie is attacked by Curley. But strong Lennie defends himself and crushes (accidentally) the hand of Curley, because he tried to......
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...gCharacter Analysis of Lennie Small Of Mice and Men In the Novel, “Of Mice and Men”, written by John Steinbeck, Lennie Small is huge and lumbering and, in many ways, the opposite of George Milton. Where George has sharp features and definite lines, Lennie is "shapeless." Often he is described in terms of animals. He lumbers like a bear and has the strength of a bear, but his actions are often described like those of a dog. Lennie's personality is like one of a child. He is innocent and mentally handicapped with no ability to understand abstract concepts like death. While he acts with great loyalty to George, he has no comprehension of the idea of "loyalty." For that reason, he often does not mean to do the things that get him into trouble, and once he does get into trouble, he has no conscience to define his actions in terms of guilt. Lennie only defines them in terms of consequences: "George is going to give me hell" or "George won't let me tend the rabbits." He is devoted to George like a dog is devoted to its master, and he tries to follow George's commands. There is a childlike wonder in Lennie that can be seen when he first sees the pool of water and slurps down huge gulps of water like a horse. Lennie's greatest feeling of security comes from petting soft things. When the rest of the world gets complicated and scary, petting soft things helps Lennie feel safe. In petting dead mice, Lennie is doing something that makes him feel safe. Society as a whole would......
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