...In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses a lot of symbolism. The story is about two men, George and Lennie, who are living in the great depression and just trying to stay alive. Steinbeck uses symbolism to show readers what life was like for his characters. The three major uses of symbolism are George and Lennie’s dream farm, Candy’s dog, and Lennie’s animal like features. The largest symbol in Of Mice and Men is Lennie and George’s dream farm. Having this dream helps Lennie have hope. Lennie has a mental disability, which makes him act as if he was a kid. The dream far is a way that George keeps Lennie in check. George asks Lennie if he remembers the story, and he responds, “I remember the rabbits George” (Steinbeck 9). Not only does it give Lennie hope, but also it keeps George going. He knows that they will never be able to have a farm, but if it keeps Lennie happy, then George is happy....
Words: 615 - Pages: 3
...Of Mice and Men is a popular book written by John Steinbeck. In Of Mice and Men we are shown a brotherly relationship between our characters, George Milton and Lennie Smalls. George is almost like a parent or guardian for Lennie, and Lennie often gets into trouble. Lennie is unaware of his own strength, thus killing many small animals like mice and puppies. The deaths of these animals are just one symbol out of the many throughout this book. There’s symbolism from mice to Curley’s wife, and from Crook’s quarters to Lennie’s puppy. The symbols that are most important include Curley, Crook’s quarters, and the dream of owning a farm. Have you ever had a dream that was deemed impossible or unlikely? In Of Mice and Men we get a glimpse of George’s...
Words: 578 - Pages: 3
...In the novel, Of Mice and Men, author John Steinbeck portrays society's harsh judgements of a person’s mental or physical disabilities, identifying them as outcasts. Steinbeck addresses this idea through his use of symbolism. Candy’s old dog that has “pale, blind, old eyes” and “struggl[es]ed lamely” to walk symbolizes Candy because “‘I [he] lost my [his] hand right here on this ranch,’” showing both Candy and his dog have lost their usefulness for the ranch and can no longer provide much service to the ranch. Since Candy’s dog is so old and unneeded, Carlson, a harsh ranch worker, wants to put the dog out of its misery and shoot it. Carlson says that nothing “stinks as bad as an old dog,” depicting that the poor dog’s time was up in its life. After Carlson shoots Candy’s dog, Candy comes to a sudden realization that both he and his dog are just alike, and that Candy will be “canned” soon because he is no longer useful to the ranch, just like his dog was. The old swamper is different from the other men physically because he has lost one of his hands and because of this impairment, Candy is doubtful of himself that he has nothing to offer for the ranch. Steinbeck also shows another character as an outcast through the use of diction by using the phrase said by Crooks, “‘’Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t because I’m black. They say I stink,’” to show how Crooks describes himself conveying the struggles Crooks goes through by being black because he is different...
Words: 496 - Pages: 2
...Mikayla Weinke 04/23/14 Advanced Lit. and Comp. Mr. West Symbolism is a key concept throughout the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Though there were many examples of symbolism, mice were paramount throughout the book, even included in the title of the novel. They were symbolic of the struggle with helplessness. The mice and Lenny were helpless and acted without the ability to understand consequences they may face because of their lack of cognitive ability. The mice in the story were helpless creatures that were only seeking love and affection. As any other animal, mice act upon nature instinct. Their brains don’t have a thinking process of cause and effect; they act upon what their natural instinct is. So when the mouse acted impulsively and bit Lennie, Lennie acted impulsively and killed the mouse. Lennie was different from most people. His brain didn’t process the way a normal human beings does. All he wanted was to be loved and cared for like any other person. He was unable to understand the potential consequences of his actions, but rather acted on impulse. He was so helpless that most of the time when he got into situations, he couldn’t even remember them. So when Lennie and Curleys wife got into an argument and Lennie got scared he acted upon impulse and shook Curleys wife to death. The title of the book is Of Mice and Men which from previous examples show how both can be helpless creatures. In examples throughout the book these helpless creatures...
Words: 387 - Pages: 2
...Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was published in 1937 during the Great Depression in the United States. The novel follows two men during the trying period as they search for work. Lennie’s mental condition proves to make keeping a job difficult, but George is always there to protect Lennie when he gets himself in trouble in a time when so little was understood or accepted about mental disabilities. Steinbeck uses literary devices such as symbolism, imagery, foreshadowing, metaphors, and oxymora to tell his story eloquently and expertly. When you first meet Lennie and George, they are beginning the long trek to their new jobs. Lennie has a mild form of autism, and though George and Lennie are not related, George still feels obligated to protect Lennie. When they arrive at the ranch, the pair are afraid that their...
Words: 557 - Pages: 3
...Fiction is all about what an author creates, his imagination may blow the reader’s mind away.There are many fictional books that give joy to the children and excitement to the elderly. An example of fiction filling in the gaps of history can be found in the selections of Fences, Of Mice And Men, The Things They Carried, and Night. Which these books filled in the gaps by using symbolism, exaggeration, and the act of just making things up, to just get their theme and point across to the reader. The definition of a symbol is a representation of something. Fictional books fill the gaps by using symbolism. For example, in the book Night by Elie Wiesel, there were many factors of symbolism throughout the book, but the main one would be the title itself. Night was about a young kid named Eli, that went through a horrifying experience that he will never forget due to the Holocaust. The title relates by being the darkest moment of his...
Words: 781 - Pages: 4
...Everyone has aspirations is life. Whether they are to become a scientist, discover new and amazing things, or become a star basketball player and be the highest paid player in the league; people dream about their future. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is a story about two men’s, George and Lennie, eagerness of owning their own ranch. The readers follow them through the obstructions that stand in the way of that eagerness, which reveals the nature of dreams, loneliness, and sacrifice. Ultimately, Lennie, the mentally handicapped man who makes George's intention of owning his own ranch worthwhile, becomes the biggest hurdle to achieving that target. Through his use of characterization, imagery and setting, and symbolism in Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck demonstrates that dreams serve as an incentive, particularly when one is faced with the adversities of life. Steinbeck’s diction reveals that dreams cause people to persevere in attempts to accomplish their goals.On Sunday nights, all the ranchmen go to the club and the “weak ones” get left behind: Candy, Crooks, and Lennie. Lennie decides to go into the barn to play with his dog and while he is in there he gets approached by Crooks, the stable buck. At first Crooks is...
Words: 981 - Pages: 4
...The Teachings of John Steinbeck, Through the Novel Of Mice and Men During the 19th and 20th century, modernism was introduced. Modernism was a movement that sought to break ties with the classical and traditional ways of life. Many Authors during this time moved away from the American lifestyle and even the country. John Steinbeck was no exception to this movement. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the author uses a simplistic writing style to present the two characters “American Dreams”, while also using symbolism to connect the reader to the characters and the plot of the story. Throughout the book there are many symbols, and each symbol has a story to be told and a lesson to be learned. Candy’s dog for example, represents everyone who...
Words: 862 - Pages: 4
...plus they work hard for very little money. George always has to look after Lennie and be his parent making sacrifices just to keep Lennie happy and safe. John Steinbeck in the novel Of Mice and Men uses foreshadowing and symbolism to prove without friendship they are forced to face many obstacles and soon be left with nothing but loneliness. Lennie is a child stuck in an adult’s body. He doesn’t listen and always does things he’s not supposed to do. “Lennie! Lennie for god sakes don’t drink so much… the small man leaned over and shook him by the shoulder. Lennie, you gonna be sick like you was last night” (Steinbeck 3). George is always looking out for what’s best in Lennie, because Lennie cannot fend for himself. It’s ironic because Lennie is bigger and stronger than George. At this time George is still trying to fulfill his dream by one day owning his own ranch, but realizes he cannot accomplish it with Lennie in his life. “ And George raised the gun and steadied it, he brought the muzzle of the gun close to the back of Lennie’s and pulled the trigger…”(Steinbeck 106). Steinbeck shows this is very ironic because George is the one always looking after Lennie, but is the one behind the trigger of the gun that kills him. John Steinbeck in the novel Of Mice and Men uses foreshadowing and symbolism to prove without friendship they where forced to face many obstacles and soon be left with nothing but loneliness. Even though Lennie would say he could live life without George he still...
Words: 335 - Pages: 2
...In the novella of Mice and Men and the TV show Fargo, the idea of masculinity and its surrounding ideas are played with allot. From the idea of a male partnership to animal symbolism, these texts show similar events happening to similar collections of people, however, these two texts are different in the audience that they are appealing towards. In Steinbeck’s novella, it is very much a piece of its time, being centered around the great depression and a man's struggle to find work in these hard times, very much reflecting on Steinbeck’s own life. Whereas Fargo focuses more on the ideals of the American dream, following a lowly ‘failure’ of a man as his life gets ripped from him. The idea of the traditional Lone Wanderer is portrayed in both...
Words: 857 - Pages: 4
...I just cannot get into it to find it fun. I would much rather be doing something outside like something active or hanging out with friends. But I started reading The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway because I have always wanted to read one of the books that are always mentioned as one of the best books ever wrote. I also like the fact that we are reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald because that’s also known as one of those books. I have read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck which I also think are in that category. I did not think To Kill a Mockingbird was good but I thought Of Mice and Men was incredibly good. I honestly do not know how people could find To Kill a Mockingbird a good read, I just do not think the story line made much sense and I liked the court plot of the book, but that is it. Also, even though Lennie ended up being killed in Of Mice and Men, I just thought it was a great story with a lot of symbolism that really tied the whole story together from the start. Many people did not like that book because Lennie did die,...
Words: 402 - Pages: 2
...talk to that gives a damn about us.” (Steinbeck 14). In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck two men have a dream. George and Lennie believe they have a future. They believe that they are special, they are different from the other men on the ranch. George describes a dream farm, which I believe is his and Lennie’s American dream. The dream farm symbolizes the quote “The best laid schemes Of Mice and Men often go wrong and leave us nought but grief and pain for promised joy.” As you can see the dream farm plays a major role in the story. In the story Of Mice and Men the dream farm is a huge symbol of the American dream during the great depression. Off of prior knowledge I know that the American dream during the great depression was to own land. George and Lennie’s American dream is to own their own ranch. The dream farm shows their American dream compared to others on the ranch. “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and the first thing you know they’re poundin their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.” (13) George...
Words: 995 - Pages: 4
...In The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men both authors portray the American Dream that no matter what happens it's going to fail at some point. In The Great Gatsby the author introduces the green light which symbolizes Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for a contented life with Daisy. The author also ironically shares Gatsby life as a kid, with Gatsby growing up poor and hopeless all he wanted to do was be able to make money and to be known for his own success. In Of Mice and Men the author introduce George, whose dream was to work on a farm hard enough that he could one day be able to have his own with Lennie. George’s buddy Lennie had the same dream in mind, he wanted to own a farm with George and raise lots animals specifically rabbits. The characters...
Words: 1673 - Pages: 7
...John Steinbeck uses a range of languages and stylistic features to convey his ideas on powerlessness, friendship, the importance of a dream and the role of women during the Great Depression, in his novel Of Mice and Men. These features influence the reader by creating empathy and sense of inevitability. Techniques such as foreshadowing, symbolism, repetition and allusion help readers make a connection with the characters in the novel. Foreshadowing was used in the novel to show how Lennie would kill Curley’s wife and interfere with achieving the dream that George and Lennie had. Lennie accidentally killing the mice and dog as he patted them showed the strength he has which he is unable to control. This lead readers to predict that when Curley’s wife told him to pat her hair Lennie wouldn’t be able to control himself and would end up ruining the chance of having their dream. Lennie lifting up a girl’s skirt up in Weed foreshadowed that when Lennie met Curley’s wife there would be trouble which George also had doubts about hence why he was trying to protect Lennie whenever Curley’s wife said something to Lennie. The allusion of the poem, To a Mouse by...
Words: 922 - Pages: 4
...Image it you were lonely with no friends and nobody to care for or care about you. In the novel “ Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck is a non-fiction about two main characters named George and Lennie, they escaped from a town called Weed because of Lennie making his mistakes and get went north to get a job there to get money. They had a dream and it was to have a few acres and rabbits to tend, but sorrowful it ended in loneliness. Steinbeck wants us to understand about loneliness because loneliness it makes a man or woman depressing. Steinbeck uses foreshadowing when George pulls out the luger because the same thing happened to Candy’s dog when Carlson pull the luger to put down Candy’s dog. Foreshadowing is used throughout the novel to know that loneliness is getting through everyone. One example of this is when Candy was laying down on his bed staring at the ceiling after he said his final goodbyes to his dog. In the novel, it states that, “ Take a shovel, said Slim shortly. Oh sure! I get you. He led the dog out into the darkness. Candy lay rigidly on his bed staring at the ceiling”. (pg.48) Loneliness is what damages a man, George believes people that are alone are...
Words: 476 - Pages: 2
