...Explore the way the writer presents the relationship between George and Lennie in “Of Mice and Men” Of Mice and Men was written in the 1937 by John Steinbeck, he other well know books as the Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden, h also received a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. This book is set in the 1930s and set in California, his home region. During this time, the USA was suffering from a great depression, this meant that it was hard to find job because the economy was very weak, so to find job the men were disposed to go anywhere and the bosses would exploit their workers. The itinerant ranch workers where very lonely people because they had to move from place to place and tis meant that they could set up a stable life with a wife and children. Another reason that suggests to us that they are lonely is that at the end of each month they take their money and they go to “cat house”. The character of George and Lennie are very unusual and contrasting, this is because they have a strong relationship between them and they also have a dream, a dream of buying a house and some land to become independent and to life together for the rest of their lives. But the reader knows from the beginning that this will not happen and it will have a tragic end, and this is suggested in the title “Of Mice and Men” that comes from a from Robert Burns poem “The best laid schemes o’mice an’ men/ Gang aft agley” and it means: the best laid schemes of mice and men/ often go awry. As soon as the...
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...LEARN ABOUT HUMAN NATURE FROM STUDYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GEORGE AND LENNIE? In the novella ‘Of Mice and Men’ Steinbeck repeatedly explores the theme of loneliness which plagued many people during the hardship of 1930s America. George and Lennie shed a great amount of light onto the intricacies of human nature through the complex relationship they share and Steinbeck uses this to convey to the reader the importance of friendship, loyalty and trust. George and Lennie are designed by Steinbeck to function as two halves of the same person, they are both complementary and contrasting but when combined form an individual greater than either could be alone. The two men are direct opposites of one another; George is slight and ‘defined’ with ‘restless eyes’ which glow with intelligence and focus whilst Lennie is ‘shapeless’ and his ‘pale eyes’ are filled with a lethargic apathy. Steinbeck forms this unlikely pair to convey to the reader the fact that no one person is ever fully complete, George relies on the physical might of Lennie for protection whilst he guides the larger man with his wily intellect. It is the disparity between the two men which provides the basis for dynamic bond they possess. The two men remain firm friends despite their differences in character and the resulting friction which often leads to the pair being at odds with one another. Lennie’s limited mental capacity is a source of much frustration for George as can been seen when he attempts to remove...
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...shows his audience complex relationships between George and Lennie. These two characters have a complex relationship because George is comforting to Lennie, George and Lennie have difficulties between each other, and George wants to be set free from Lennie And how George and Lennie talk about their dream making their own farm and working to make their own money throughout the novel. George comforts Lennie when he needs somebody to talk to. Lennie wants to have his own farm and tend to rabbits and have colorful rabbits. George tells him this story when Lennie is sad a lot or when Lennie has done something wrong. For example, on page 7, George says, “An’ you ain't gonna...
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...poems in the ‘Moon on the Tides’ anthology be seen to provide a meaningful insight into George and Lennie’s relationship? During the Great Depression of the 1930s when America was plunged into financial crisis, following the Wall Street Crash of October 1929, levels of unemployment and poverty were at a record high. Through this period, life was a struggle and the mentality of society became survival of the fittest, every man for himself. Migrant workers toured the country in search of labour to provide money for food. These men led lonely and emotionless lives, which are reflected through Steinbeck’s portrayal of his characters in his famous, yet bleak, 1930s parable ‘Of Mice and Men.’ In the novel, George and Lennie’s relationship diversifies them from the other ranch workers for the reason that they rely on each other for support and companionship ‘I got you and you got me.’ In particular, the dream they share of owning their own land, reflects the American Dream of being the ringleader of your own life with a level of self- sufficiency. The dream is a significant aspect in their relationship and is portrayed in the poem ‘The Moment’. Apart from each other, the only other thing that George and Lennie have to keep them motivated is the dream. The poem opens with the line “The moment when, after many years of hard work and a long voyage”. This is a metaphor for the life that George and Lennie live as itinerant workers and how they move from ranch to ranch together to find work...
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...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 dream, so...
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...Relationships come down to two critical things; loyalty and sacrifice. Good relationships last forever and are supportive, such as Lennie and George. They would sacrifice anything, so they can make each other happy. On the other hand, bad relations are created when people are sneaky and selfish, like Curley and his wife. They made bad decisions and are unsympathetic towards each other, which is the opposite of what a loving married couple should do. Being loyal and not putting yourself first is hard, especially as a ranch worker in the book Of Mice and Men. This book takes place in California during the Great Depression. Throughout the book, they show the many problems that workers in general have to face. They also portray the idea of the...
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...Characterization of Lennie and George - Of Mice and Men The two main characters in “Of Mice and Men” are George Milton and Lennie Small. The story is written by John Steinbeck during the Great Depression in USA. Lennie and George have a very unorthodox relationship at that time but they are still like a family to each other. The relationship between them is different from any other relationship that was common among most workers during the Great Depression. Migrant workers usually travel alone but it is different with Lennie and George, they do almost everything together and they take care of each other. They also grew up together and all the kids, including George, would always make fun of Lennie, but one day George rescues Lennie from dying and since that day, Lennie begin to trust George. If anyone threats or talks bad about George, Lennie will be there to protect him and George also protects Lennie from bad guys such as Curley. Lennie is much stronger than he think and if George tells him to fight for himself or to rescue another man, Lennie is ready to kill, because he loves and respect George so much. Lennie is mentally handicapped so he needs George to talk for him and to take care of him and that is also one of the reasons why they are travelling around together. George tolerates that Lennie is with him, because he would be alone if Lennie was not there, and Lennie also loyally follows George, because he don’t have any family left besides George. George is the small and...
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...Not all of relationships are going to be healthy. The people in a relationship may care and love for each other but still exercise behaviours that is harmful to the other person. Protecting your friend can become too much like isolating them from everything and defending them could be burdensome. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, George takes up the responsibility of caring for Lennie, who seems to have a childlike mind despite being a grown man. George deeply cares for Lennie and has good intentions, but his ways of trying to protect Lennie do not always have good consequences. First off, Lennie and George have negative feelings towards each other, more evidently in George. Lennie constantly fears George’s judgement and thus always tries...
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...Testing the Waters : Relationships in Of Mice and Men and Romeo and Juliet “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.” This was said by Muhammad Ali talking about how being in relationships, romantic or not, are not something that is black or white. There are no rules that state what is right or wrong, or what can and cannot be done. The main characters in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men represent the love found in a friendship. George and Lennie are best friends who travel together to find work in order to earn enough money to make their dream of owning their own land come true. In Soledad, California,...
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...characteristics and relationship between the protagonists, George and Lennie. The novel centers these characters who are two childhood friends who travel around together looking for work and face many struggles due to Lennie’s disabilities. Steinbeck initially presents the reader with a clear image of the central characters, who are complete opposites. George is told to be “small and quick” with a thin figure. He is seen as being short-tempered but a loving and devoted friend. He always makes Lennie’s protection his primary purpose despite sometimes coming off impatient towards Lennie. Lennie on the other hand, is very large with ‘sloping shoulders’ which leads the author to compare him to “the way a bear drags his paws”. Lennie is a very strong man with a child’s mind and this is the main problem that George and Lennie face in the novel. I think that Lennie is the least dynamic character as he is very flat and undergoes no significant changes in the novel and appears in the end exactly the same as when we first meet him. At the start of the novel we can clearly see that the author seems to have set Lennie up for disaster. These very different qualities of the characters George and Lennie show the peculiarity of their friendship. From the outset, Steinbeck sets the tone of George and Lennie’s relationship through George’s first words; “Lennie for God’s sake’s don’t drink so much. You gonna be sick like you was last night.” Straight away we can clearly see that George is like a...
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... This is George, who is the obvious leader. George "was small and quick, dark of face with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined". In comparison, Lennie - the follower - was "a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders and he walked heavily". The relationship that Steinbeck presents between George and Lennie is quite smooth but to an extent, the relationship is founded on love and trust. George in various occasions is seen as being a parent, saviour and an ambassador for Lennie. Due to, Lennie’s mental immaturity he is totally reliant on George and places his trust in George. As George has the intellectual capacity to think and to find a job on the ranch for himself and Lennie, George doesn’t have to have Lennie as a companion especially as account of Lennie that George loses his job, as he clearly states in chapter one, “God you’re a lot of trouble... I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail.” Here when George is punishing Lennie he later resents his anger, which shows that, George has dreams and hopes as well as Lennie this might suggest that, George likes Lennie out of love as a parent would do. Also further in the book ‘in a panic Lennie looked at George for help.’ Lennie automatically looked for George for help and reassurance as George is his saviour. This is typical of what a child would do when they feel threatened. However George needs Lennie for companionship...
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...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 story he prepares himself to shoot Lennie. George uses the...
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...In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses figurative language to create mood, emphasize important situations, and provide a vivid picture of what is occurring in the novella. After analyzing the passage the first thing that is noticeable is that Steinbeck is creating an important setting. The paragraph “The shadow in valley was bluer . . . on the wind the sound of crashing in the brush came to them” (105). By using the figurative language at the end of the paragraph, Steinbeck can indicate to the reader that something intense is about to occur. The dialogue of George and Lennie is becoming more concise and emotional. “Tell how it’s gonna be” (105). This statement shows how the interactions between George and Lennie are becoming shorter but...
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...John Steinbeck. John Steinbeck wrote this novella during The Great Depression, a time of great despair and economic decline, where citizens would migrate everywhere to get a job and that is exactly what the main characters, George and Lennie, do in Of Mice and Men. While George and Lennie were staying at the ranch, they met a series of new people, most of them coming in pairs. The character pairs in Of Mice and Men where the readers can see Helen Keller’s wise wisdom ring true is through George and Lennie, Candy and his dog,...
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...“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. Therefore the reliance of each of the main characters on one another accentuates how significant the companionship is in maintaining both them and the novella together. Without friendship, one cannot have a person that will always be there to point them in the right direction, like George tried to do for Lennie. Configuring all of...
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