...Of Mice and Men is one of the most widely assigned modern novels in high schools because of both its form and the issues that it raises. John Steinbeck’s reliance on dialogue, as opposed to contextual description, makes the work accessible to young readers, as does his use of foreshadowing and recurrent images. Equally important is the way in which he intertwines the themes of loneliness and friendship and gives dignity to those characters, especially Lennie and Crooks, who are clearly different from their peers. By focusing on a group of lonely drifters, Steinbeck highlights the perceived isolation and sense of “otherness” that can seem so overwhelming when one is growing up. Of Mice and Men is also important because it explores the way in which events can conspire against the realization of one’s dreams. It pits a group of flawed individuals against a set of circumstances that they are unable to master or, in the case of Lennie, even to comprehend. This is a theme that Steinbeck also explores in his classic novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939). When Steinbeck began Of Mice and Men, he was planning to write a children’s book called Something That Happened. His intent was to demonstrate that events often have a momentum of their own and need not reflect the existence of a higher power that is exacting punishment. Perhaps it was for this reason that he decided to retitle the book, drawing from Robert Burns’s oft-quoted poem “To a Mouse,” which contains the line “The best-laid...
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...At the time of the Great Depression the U.S created a repatriation program that deported people of mexican descent, 400,000 were repatriated, sometimes against their will. In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men, there are many overarching themes, these themes help the author show the hard times of the Great Depression. One such theme would be the prevalence of loneliness in many of the characters. Another theme would be the discrimination against a number of characters, in the different forms such as sexism and racism. Lastly, many dreams in the novel go unfulfilled leaving many characters with the weight of failure. Throughout the Great Depression human compassion was as rare as a job, this led to widespread loneliness, that, in turn, is apparent...
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...Through a list of harsh truths, John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men casts humanity in an unfavorable light. These include loneliness, oppression, and imperfection. The grim realities of the hardworking characters are revealed through their actions to rise above challenges and in the end their defeats These truths are all used to build the complex main theme of friendship and the effect it can have on an individual's life. Of Mice and Men exposes the validity,loneliness, of people during the Great Depression. For instance Curly’s wife seeks attention ,positive or negative, from anyone on the ranch because of her isolation being the only woman present. When confronted with her isolation she says,“Wha’s the matter with me?Ain’t I got...
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...man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…”. One of the many themes in Of Mice and Men that still relates to society today is that at some point everyone has felt isolated or lonely. The theme of loneliness and isolation is most noticeably present in Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife. For example, sometimes people find themselves feeling lonesome and excluded from a group because of their minority status. Crooks was lonely because, he was always ostracized from the ranchworks because he was African-American. “ A guy needs somebody-to be near him,” he whined. A guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya,” he cried, “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick,” (Steinbeck 72). Last year the National Review wrote an article about how college students were feeling isolated at school because of their race. One Muslim student, said that they felt marginalized, left out, and disregarded in class and on campus by virtue of their minority status(Torres 2). Today, there are laws against discrimination yet, people are still...
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...How does Steinbeck portray the theme of loneliness and isolation? In Steinbeck’s novel ‘of mice and men’ there is much emphasis on loneliness and isolation. The novel ‘of mice and men’ was set and written in 1920’s America during the great depression. The great depression was the time in which professional workers became migrant, and caused many of them to turn to working in farmland harvesting wheat, and others had to go and possibly try and find work on a ranch. Loneliness and isolation can be defined as when a person is on their own and don’t have anyone to talk to or not allowed to do things, for example, in the novel it mentions that the workers are playing solitaire, “George cut the cards again and put out a solitaire lay…” Solitaire is a one-player card game, so this also emphasizes loneliness. In this essay I will explore how Steinbeck creates loneliness and isolation in his novel ‘of mice and men’. Steinbeck uses a lot of past tense, for example, at the end of the novel, Curley’s wife is talking to Lennie and she said that she ‘had’ a dream, and she could have become famous. Curley’s wife is perhaps the loneliest person of all on the ranch. Since she is the only female on the ranch, she is set apart from the others. She doesn’t have a name because she is a female and women have lower statuses than men. As she is the only female on the ranch, Curley’s wife is lonely and sad- something her marriage to Curley only makes worse she reveals throughout the course of the...
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...Explore the Significance of Curley's Wife in 'Of Mice and Men' How is Curley's Wife presented in 'Of Mice and Men'? The novel is a microcosm, a cross section of society reflecting the prejudice. Blacks had no rights in America; they were seen as ‘nobody’s. Women too had very few rights. The itinerant workers ended to be loners. All these people were forced into loneliness and isolation; they each had a dream in hope of a better life often referred to at the time as ‘The American Dream’. Central to Steinbeck’s novel is Curley’s Wife and her importance in the novel is of how she revolves around the novels main themes and events. Curley’s Wife is excluded for being female, she is often found in search for companionship on the ranch as her newly found marriage does not give her the affection she desires, as she states to Lennie “I don’t like Curley he aint a nice fella.” Because of this she often tries to interact with the other men although she is never allowed as they think a “ranch aint no place for a girl.” Carlson also states of how a “women should be at home where she belongs.” The fact that she is excluded from a place of physical work is indicative of how women were portrayed during the 1930’s. They were not expected to do work, but instead stay at home and raise a family. Curley’ wife feels insecure because of the loneliness she feels and it is made clear she is frustrated with this situation, “none of them care how I gotta live.” Throughout the novel as similar...
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...During the early and mid 1900’s, African Americans are endless victims of discrimination. They are seen as outcasts and are treated horribly. The events of discrimination are shown very well in the novels A Summer of Kings by Han Nolan and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Both of the books clearly show the themes of racism, segregation and gender inequality throughout the content of their storylines. Having these forms of discrimination in both of the novels, make the readers realize how much suffering these innocent people had to go through every single day of their lives because of the cruel societies around them. Both of the novels have events within them showing the segregation, racism and gender inequality that are associated with the theme of discrimination. The events that they endure every day are horrible and these events have made a mark on history. Every event that shows discrimination is embedded in history and in A Summer of Kings and Of Mice and Men, the authors have shown these events clearly and made the suffering real enough to clearly understand as the reader. In the book A Summer of Kings racism is a central issue. Han Nolan makes sure to inform the readers that the African-American people live in different cities than the white people do. King-Roy Johnston, who is a black man that has been accused of murdering a white man in Alabama. When he comes to live with her family, Esther’s neighbour Pip is not so happy about this when he says “You think...
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...In 1992, Gary Sinise made a movie version of Steinbeck John’s novel, “Of Mice and Men.” Both the movie and book are set in California during the Great Depression era and tells the story of two men, constantly in the run trying to make a living. The two main character George and Lennie, whose role was well played by Gary Sinise as George and John Malkovich as Lennie are a team of two. George being the brains and Lennie being the bronze. The two of them are different from all those other ranch workers as mentioned frequently throughout the movie and book by George, “With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.” This dialogue is pivotal piece in the entire story because one of the main themes...
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...Of mice and men is a novel written by John Steinbeck, published on 1937. The novel portrays the theme of loneliness throughout the story. The story of mice and men was begun at South Soledad, which means loneliness. The story evolves in a two man namely George Milton and Lennie Small, who displaced migrant ranch workers. They move from one place to another in searching for a new job opportunities. Before their arrival in Soledad, however, Lennie and George lived and worked in Weed, California, but fled after the authorities there accused Lennie of attempted rape. Physically, Lennie and George differ as much as night and day. George is small in stature but quick-witted and sharp. What George lacks in height Lennie makes up for, but he lacks...
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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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...‘Of Mice and Men’ serves as a reminder that dreaming is futile. How far do you agree with this representation of the text and its key themes? To first answer the question we need to define a key element, what are dreams? When we dream we contemplate the possibility of doing something or indulging in fantasies about something greatly desired. Yet they are necessary to keep the levels of hope high in people to stand for what they believe in whether it be the inadequacies of society or something else. Furthermore without incorporating dreams and having something to achieve in our life will result in an endless stream of days that have little connection or meaning. The representation of dreams occurs via prejudice and stereotypes- Crooks, because he is black in a racist culture- seems to be no hope for him; Curley’s wife, only woman on the farm and regarded as a tart- will never feel wanted, another hopeless situation; Candy, one-handed- can’t do the same work as the others and is old- can’t socialize with anyone, lonely and isolated. These situations give reason for dreaming as it becomes a paradise for those who wish for something more in their life and acts as a beacon of hope yet over time dreams either materialize or they question reality and in the book no one achieves or has achieved their dream- Lennie and George, Curley’s wife and Curley. Dreams will always be a source of hope but if they are not achieved you begin to realise that they are futile which is why to some extent...
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...Teen loneliness Loneliness is a feeling of isolation, and abandonment, in the story, “Of Mice and Men” loneliness is one of the many themes. Steinbeck’s novel is about two men, George and Lennie, during the great depression. They want to start a ranch, but are delayed by many trials, and hardships along the way. Loneliness is very present throughout this novel; on the most obvious level we see this isolation when the ranch hands go into town on Saturday night to ease their loneliness with alcohol. Others examples of emptiness, are when Lennie goes into Crook's room to find someone to talk to, Loneliness is very real and present today, especially in the lives of teens. Although the loneliness of teens may not be the same isolation as seen in Steinbeck s novel; it is still serious. Society today is much more complex than it was during the great depression. For example, there is technology so advanced that you do almost anything on your I-phone or whatever the case may be. Loneliness is a growing problem, because many teens think that they can use technology to get friends. You may think teens aren’t lonely? Your teenage years are the best years of your life? But let me explain just how a teen can feel unwanted, and lonely. I think the biggest thing is not feeling accepted, which brings us back to Steinbeck s novel, where Lennie feels unaccepted because he is different. Technology is another big problem, connecting teens with each other over the phone instead of face to...
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...wife, his only thought is how to quell George’s anger. He has a childlike faith that George will always be there for him, a faith that seems justified, given their long history together. George, on the other hand, thinks of Lennie as a constant source of frustration. He has assumed responsibility for Lennie’s welfare and has, several times, been forced to run because of trouble Lennie has inadvertently caused. Life with Lennie is not easy. However, despite George’s frequent bouts of anger and frustration, and his long speeches about how much easier life would be without Lennie, George is clearly devoted to his friend. He flees from town to town not to escape the trouble Lennie has caused, but to protect Lennie from its consequences. The men are uncommonly united by their shared dream of a better life on a farm where they can “live off the fatta the lan’,” as Lennie puts it. George articulates this vision by repeatedly telling the “story” of the future farm to his companion. Lennie believes unquestioningly in their dream, and his faith enables the hardened, cynical George to imagine the possibility of this dream becoming reality. In fact, George’s belief in it depends upon Lennie, for as soon as Lennie dies, George’s hope for a brighter future disappears. 2. Discuss the ways in...
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...English: GCSE Controlled Assessment – Of Mice and Men Heroes and Villains: Explore the ways Sympathy and/or Dislike of a character is created in Of Mice and Men. Even before plunging into profound depths of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, it is unequivocal that the novel is a microcosm of American life in the 1930s. As a result of the Great Depression, the setting is abundant with hardships which immensely mould the reader’s ambivalent feelings towards the most dominant female character in this book: Curley’s Wife. Steinbeck’s depiction of this flirtacious but “lonely” temptress has the reader leaping from heartbreaking sympathy to nurturing an intense abhorrence for Curley’s Wife. In the very first few moments that the novel introduces Curley’s Wife, she is immediatley condemned to the reader’s dislike because the author depicts her character as a threat to not just George and Lennie, but their aspirations to “live off the fatta the land”. The author intends to establish Curley’s Wife by labelling her to be an ominous threat from the very beginning as “the rectangle of sunshine was cut off” by her mere first appearance. Steinbeck’s particular use of the word “sunshine” is symbolic of hope which is derived from the main theme in this novel – the American Dream, or rather a paradise that has resulted in false hope flourishing in their hearts. This is in correlation to the “sunshine” which is evidently referring to George and Lennie’s vision of owning a farm. Furthermore, the...
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...Loneliness is the fundamental idea that Steinbeck utilizes in his 1937 novella Of Mice and Men. He establishes this with his use of characterization through such characters as Crooks and Curry’s wife. Whether it be loneliness because of race, or sex, Steinbeck manipulates his use of characterization in ways that make you feel empathy for the various characters in this novella. Crooks is the “negro stable buck” who is confined to the back shed on the ranch because of his African-American heritage. It is because of this isolation that Crooks has become a lonely and bitter man. We receive a hint to how lonely Crooks is when Steinbeck describes, “And scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions; for, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about, and being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than the...
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