...ohn Steinbeck presents the relationship between George and Lennie by using different techniques and devices in the first chapter. Their relationship is shown in different ways through âOf Mice and Menâ, and is such, that George is protective and makes decisions to prevent Lennie coming to harm. Also, Steinbeckâs presentation of relationship between the two men changes through the novella as they attempt to fulfil their dream-The American Dream. The first paragraph focussing on the two men (page 4) describes as one being a leader, and the other a follower. âThey had walked single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other.â Immediately, Steinbeck portrays the essence of George and Lennieâs relationship through the quote, that this relationship had a hierarchy; it was a leader and follower relationship, with one guiding the other. In the quote, one of the main words is âsingle fileâ, which suggests that George and Lennie are both children, because a group of children normally walk in a single file line. Furthermore, children always have dreams, which George and Lennie have-The American Dream, which is ironic because they are built and strong men acting like children. Another word which is important in the quotation is âopenâ, because we can infer from that word that Lennie chooses to walk behind George instead of beside, even though he has the choice. This can be because Lennie takes George to be the carer or the person who will guide Lennie to their...
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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 Curly...
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...Collin Ryan Block 8RH Of Mice and Men Essay Many people believe that the novella Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is the most fantastic piece of short fiction ever written. Some people say this because of the many themes that are depicted in the literature. The statement can be proven true by the two concepts or themes: “the importance of relationships” and the “responsibility to others.” These themes are portrayed by his two main characters George and Lennie. “The importance of friendships” is one theme of many presented in the novella Of Mice and Men. The novella shows the relationship between the main characters George and Lennie, and how they try to reach their goal of owning their own land. It may seem a little odd to the other characters because at the time of the Great Depression it was normal to be alone by themselves. The reason why they were able to survive was only by their friendship that is emphasized by their dependence on each other. When Lennie said, “I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you,” was essentially the true dependence that both George and Lennie have for one another. Lennie also sees his friend George as a role model and sees him as guidance on how to live his life indicated when Steinbeck added the phrase, “he pulled his hat down more over his eyes the way George’s hat was.” George needs Lennie as much as Lennie needs George regardless of Lennie being the one who is mentally challenged and in need of constant directing...
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...Katie Oliveira February 22, 2013 Essay #3: Of Mice and Men The American idea of justice sometimes operates under a layer of mythology. Our “innocent until proven guilty” principle predicates itself on the idea that those accused of a crime will have a fair trial and will be justly judged by their peers. It is an elaborate system established to thwart prejudice and to prevent the public from jumping to conclusions, to protect the innocent and to punish the guilty. In John Steinbeck’s Great Depression-era story Of Mice and Men, justice is carried out without a trial. No laws are taken into consideration, but instead an angry mob of men with guns is present. Mobs react with violence for real or imagined crimes at their own discretion, not waiting for legal justice to take course. Steinbeck expresses the idea that when justice fails people take matters into their own hands through George’s decision to kill Lennie. On the surface, the answer seems obvious to most people. Of course George should not have killed Lennie; murder, after all, is wrong no matter what the circumstances. Yet it is not as simple as that. Throughout the book, Lennie seems to be unaware of what is right and wrong, and this makes him a burden to George. Every time Lenny did something bad, they had to quit their jobs and start somewhere else. If George had let Lennie live, Lennie would not have been able to look after himself properly. Lennie couldn’t look after a puppy – let alone himself. Lennie...
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...Of Mice and Men Free Response Essay Questions The scene in which George shoots Lennie and the scene in which Carlson takes Candy’s dog away to kill it both add characterization to the novels theme of a person’s responsibility to another person. The novel of mice and men allows us to explore the relationship between George and Lennie. We also explore the relationship candy has with his dog. Candy’s responsibility over his dog is parallel to George’s over Lennie. Carlson cannot stand candy’s dog because it is old and smells badly it’s also arthritic. With candy’s consent Carlson takes the dog out on a thong leash and tells candy “He won’t even feel it.” Away Carlson shoots the dog with his gun and then buries it. Later candy confesses to George that he shouldn’t have let a stranger shoot his dog. Due to Lennie’s retardation Lennie accidently kills Curley’s wife. After the rest of the workers find out, they set out to find Lennie and kill him. George is stuck between turning his friend in to the police or letting curly and the rest of the workers kill Lennie. George decides that none of the two options will save Lennie from horrible consequences. Because candy expressed his remorse in not killing his own dog George decides to kill Lennie rather than have Lennie spend his life in jail. When George finds Lennie by the river he comforts Lennie. George tells Lennie to picture the farm they will buy and live off. As George tells the...
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...‘Of Mice and Men’ is written by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. The novel is set in the 1930s during the great depression in California. The two protagonist characters, George and Lennie are farm workers who have a dream of one-day owning their own ranch. They find work in a ranch near Soledad, after escaping from Weed because of George’s incident. They are met by different characters on the farm that all have a dream. To be lonely means to lack friends or companionship and to feel isolated. Most of the characters are lonely and the only thing that keeps them alive is their dreams. Some of the loneliest characters they meet are Candy, an old man with only one hand, Crooks, a black cripple and Curley’s Wife, a woman who has no identity, she is lonely even though she is married. Although they are all on the ranch together, they are lonely because of who they are and their history. ‘Of Mice and Men’ is an emotional story with many different themes and characters. This essay will describe the way loneliness is portrayed in ‘Of Mice and Men.’ George Milton and Lennie Small are friends who travel together. They both share the same dream, which is to one day own their own ranch. George is quick-witted and intelligent. He takes the parental role of looking after Lennie, a simple-minded man who in the book is described as a giant. Lennie is kind hearted with huge physical strength. He does not know how powerful he is and likes to pet animals. The other men on the ranch find their relationship...
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...John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice And Men’ is a fictional story, about George and Lennie, the main protagonists, who find work in a ranch and the events and consequences that happen during their time there. The story has become an American classic, partly due to the fact that there are many levels of Disenfranchisement present in the story. Disenfranchisement in it’s simplest form, is the lack of power of individuals, places or animals in the context of the story. This idea of lack of power can be viewed through the lens of various literary theories. The two theories this essay will explore are Marxism, power through property, money and class, and Foucault’s theory on, the power of spaces in relationships. The story of George and Lennie is placed...
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...In this essay I will be discussing the point,” How does Steinbeck explore the use of dreams in Of Mice and Men”. I will review what each main character’s dreams are and how they attempted to fulfil or fulfilled their dreams, and how Steinbeck displays different emotions and sways how the reader feels about the novel. After this, I will compare how the irony of the title to how the book ends. The theme of the novel is set in the 1930’s, and the novel plays out over a period of around 3 days, with it starting with best friends George and Lennie out in the wild, with nothing. The first character I am going to review is George and what his original dreams are, and how far he has come to them by the end of the novel. He is the first character introduced and shows simple understanding of basic common sense (something which his partner-in-crime doesn’t have), “Lennie, for God’ sakes don’t drink so much”. Lennie at this point is drinking from a “green pool”, and George immediately realises the dangers and tells Lennie what to do, which is a sign of things to come. Georges dream is basically a carbon copy of the “the American dream”, and he realises that it is possible for himself and Lennie to achieve the dream – because he thinks (and perhaps more to the point hopes) that a combination of his brains, and Lennie’s brute force (which is plain to see throughout the novel) will lead them to where they want to be. Although at the end of the novel George has to kill Lennie, he decides to...
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...Of Mice and Men “The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” This quote from James Truslow Adams “The epic of America”, states one of the themes in the novella Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck, the author of Of Mice and Men, deals with the topic of living through the great depression, as the readers follow the story of two migrants workers and their wish to fulfil their American Dream. Steinbeck’s inspiration for his novella can be linked back to his own life, as he was both born and raised in Salinas Valley, the most productive agricultural region in California. This essay will cover Of Mice and Men’s setting, the characterisation of major characters and the key themes identified within the novella. Two protagonists, Lennie and George, travel around together to obtain work. Within the novella, Steinbeck has presented two obvious settings, and focused on the contrast between them. Nearing the beginning of the book, the two men spend a night in a small, secluded glade near the river. The description of the nature area could be compared to heaven, just a beautiful place as described in this quote: “On one side of the river, the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Galiban mountains” (page 1, line 5), where the nature is described as majestic, strong and even golden. However a contrast is formed with the two men entering the setting...
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...Last Name 1 Student Name Mr. Patterson Acc. English III 24 May 2010 Barriers Influencing American Dreams Do obstacles in one’s life change one’s aspirations? If something hard or even Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:49 PM Comment: TITLE SHOULD REFLECT OVERALL THEME OF ESSAYß Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:35 PM Comment: Attention Getter unexpected occurs, does one turn his or her back on all that has been worked for? In an American society, there is an idea of a dream. Most people have dreams that differ from one another. Dreams are not limited only to society. Countless numbers of times in American literature, there are moments when an obstacle slows or possibly halts progression. Dreams can also be found in American literature; however, like the reality of society, barriers can be a component of having aspirations. Barriers create obstacles, whether emotional or physical, that make achieving a dream difficult or even appear to be impossible. In American literature dreams seem to be unattainable because of barriers. In all the years of literature, dreams, goals, and aspirations come in contact Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:35 PM Comment: Broad Topic Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:35 PM Comment: Narrow Topic Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:36 PM Comment: Thesis Statement Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:36 PM Comment: Clincher Sentence with a conflict. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby has a dream to be ...
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...Of Mice and Men Essay ‘Of Mice and Men’ was written by John Steinbeck in 1937, the same time as the great depression. In ‘Of Mice and Men’, Steinbeck presents Curley’s Wife in a variety of different ways. In the novella Curley’s Wife is seen as a villainess. Curley’s Wife is also seen as someone who craves attention which leads to the novellas tragic ending. Steinbeck could also be showing society’s view of how women should behave. In the 1930s women were one of two roles- a ‘tart’ or a ‘mother’ in the both cases they are presented as serving a purpose for men- either to give the man sexual pleasure or to provide a family. Steinbeck presents Curley’s Wife in many ways in the novella. Firstly he presents her through the male gaze as a tart and we see this through Candy’s description of her. Steinbeck’s use of description states that she is ‘heavily’ made up and she exhibits extremely flirtatious behaviour. Although this could be because how restricted women were at the time. Curley’s Wife did not have children so she may have been automatically put into the category of a ‘tart’. Curley’s Wife also never had a positive female role model because of her bad relationship with her mother. Throughout the novella the reader’s view of Curley’s Wife changes from her being a ‘tart’ to a lonely figure that just wants attention. Steinbeck also presents her as a victim of prejudice and sexism as the reader’s perceptions change as her character develops but the male view of Curley’s Wife...
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