...INSERT ATTENTION GETTER HERE! Friends are sometimes forced to make fatal decisions, and dreams often don’t come true. In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice And Men, George and Candy are forced to kill their best friends, and the dreams of Lennie and Candy die out. Many times throughout the novel, friendships became fatal. In John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice And Men, A frightened Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife. Lennie, who recalls what George told him, ran to the spot where they had arranged to meet. George - who knows he has to kill Lennie in order to spare him a worse fate - distracts Lennie so that he can shoot Lennie using Carlson’s gun in the back of the head, so that Lennie feels no pain. To distract him, he tells Lennie about the rabbits, and then “He brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head… He pulled the trigger.” (Steinbeck 66). George doesn’t want to shoot Lennie, but he knew that it would spare him...
Words: 544 - Pages: 3
...H. Tharp The Unspoken Truth about John Steinbeck’s Legacy in Monterey County John Ernst Jr. Steinbeck is one of the most respected and honored American writers among our society today. In many classrooms around the world, his books are still mandated as reading requirements and there are many museums and centers dedicated to this esteemed author. John Steinbeck has won numerous awards for his books, most notably the Pulitzer Prize for his fictional novel, The Grapes of Wrath in 1940, and the Nobel Prize in literature in 1962 based on his entire body of work. Steinbeck’s other awards, which are typically less known are included in the following chart: WORK | YEAR | AWARD | MEDIUM | “The Murder” | 1934 | O. Henry Award | Print | Tortilla Flat | 1935 | Commonwealth Club of California Gold Medal for Best Novel by a Californian | Print | In Dubious Battle | 1936 | Ibid | Print | Of Mice and Men | 1938 | N.Y Drama Critic’s Circle Award | Play | “The Promise” | 1938 | O. Henry Award | Print | Of Mice and Men | 1939 | American Bookseller’s Award | Print | LifeBoat | 1944 | Academy Award nominee for Best Story | Print | A Medal for Benny | 1945 | Ibid | Print | The Moon is Down | 1946 | King Haakon Liberty Cross | Print | Viva Zapata! | 1952 | Academy Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay | Play | N/A | 1963 | Honorary Consultant in American Literature to the Library of Congress | N/A | N/A | 1964 | U.S Medal of Freedom; Press Medal of Freedom | N/A...
Words: 5126 - Pages: 21
...that was immensely present in the Great Depression. However, when John Steinbeck uses the dialogue of Crooks, the actions of Curley's wife, and multiple characters undergoing major inconveniences for friendship it openly depicts the need for companionship in his novel, "Of Mice and Men". The primary way that Steinbeck portrays loneliness and the need for companionship, is through the articulation of the character Crooks. Initially, this can be viewed when Crooks expresses that he feels unheard and that nobody listens...
Words: 972 - Pages: 4
...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 possible...
Words: 2401 - Pages: 10
...Of Mice and Men Kiescha Giles Of mice and men is a novel written by author John Steinbeck, published in 1937. It’s about George Milton and lennie small, two displaced workers. Who move from place to place in California in search for new job opportunities during the great depression in United States of America? John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is a fable about what it means to be human. Steinbeck's story of George and Lennie's ambition of owning their own ranch, and the obstacles that stand in the way of that ambition, reveal the nature of dreams, dignity, loneliness, and sacrifice. Ultimately, Lennie, the mentally handicapped giant who makes George's dream of owning his own ranch worthwhile, ironically becomes the greatest obstacle to achieving...
Words: 1376 - Pages: 6
...FRIENDSHIP IN STEINBECK'S OF MICE AND MEN A Sermon by Dean Scotty McLennan University Public Worship Stanford Memorial Church July 25, 2004 There are two different accounts in the New Testament of Jesus' disciples asking him how to pray. What has become known as the Lord's Prayer comes in two different forms, this one in today's gospel lesson from Lukei being shorter and less familiar than that in Matthew.ii They seem to stem from separate liturgical traditions in the early church. Matthew has seven petitions, while Luke has only five.iii But Luke alone follows the recitation of the Lord's Prayer with a fascinating parable about the potential limits of friendship in the middle of the night. The point of the parable seems to be that if one is persistent in asking something of a friend, even when it's very inconvenient, one's petitions will be answered. How much more will one be blessed, then, if one is persistent in praying to God, our heavenly Parent?iv John Steinbeck's short novel Of Mice and Men is all about friendship in the middle of the night -- that is, under very difficult circumstances of rural poverty during the Depression. Following my sermonic theme of the last couple of weeks -- not only loving God with all of one's heart, mind and soul but also loving one's neighbor as oneself -- I'd like to explore Steinbeck's understanding of friendship with you this morning. Ultimately, I hope it will illuminate what it means existentially to knock at the door and then have it...
Words: 2332 - Pages: 10
...06 November 2012 John Steinbeck: A Champion for the Common Man Born with the hand of a writer, John Steinbeck’s career sparked great political controversy, and greatly influenced the writings of his time. Widely considered one of America’s greatest novelists, his books are still frequently studied in school. Among his many accomplishments is the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Nobel Prize in Literature. With notable works such as The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, he expressed his dissatisfaction with capitalism and his sympathy for the struggle of the common worker in a way that captured the world’s attention – which resulted in some of his work even being banned. In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck explores the pervasive theme of loneliness and illustrates the fallacy of the American Dream. Widely considered his masterpiece, however, is The Grapes of Wrath which depicts the struggle of a family of Oklahoman farmers who are forced into a migratory existence due to the drought and dust storms following the Great Depression. When considering both The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, it is clear Steinbeck drew from his own personal experiences as a laborer when writing each of these novels. On February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California, John and Olive Steinbeck welcomed their third child and only son, John Ernst Steinbeck. John Ernst Steinbeck, Sr. was a county treasurer and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck was a schoolteacher. By all accounts, Steinbeck enjoyed...
Words: 2324 - Pages: 10
...John Steinbeck John Steinbeck’s career as a writer led, led him to becoming a great American Novelist. When Steinbeck started his literary after dropping out of college, he was going nowhere. His work showed his inexperience, and it would be years before his writing would mature. Once he gained the experience he needed, his books were becoming top sellers and he became a distinguished author. The focus of his works was to reveal conditions in American work life. He particularly helped express what the conditions for farm hands were like. What made John Steinbeck a great American author is how he tried to help improve American’s life with his writing throughout his life. It is this focus is what makes him a true American author. “John Steinbeck was born February 17, 1902 in Salinas, California” (Gale). He was raised in a large family, “He was the only son and the third of four children of Olive (Hamilton) Steinbeck, a school teacher and John Ernst Steinbeck, manager and eventually owner of the Sperry Flour Mill, later treasurer of Monterey County” (Bernhard). His family was wealthy and down to earth allowing young Steinbeck an easy childhood, leaving a lasting impression in his literature. “The Salinas Valley, the rugged hills surrounding it, and the coastal flats bordering Monterey Bay … later became the backdrop for much of his fiction” (Bernhard). Both of Steinbeck’s parents actively stimulated his literature, but “Olive (Hamilton) Steinbeck … fostered Steinbeck’s love of...
Words: 809 - Pages: 4
...the course of the novel? Give Specific Reference to the themes present in the text. "Of mice and men", by John Steinbeck is a classic novella with containing pages filled with awe-inspiring literature, that has brought smiles as well as tears to all of its readers. There are several cultural issues that Steinbeck incorporates into this text, using effective techniques and a very articulate writing style to make this novella one to be remembered long after the final pages have been read. The main cultural issues that evolve through the course of the novel include racism, alienation and the constantly evolving issue of hope. The main cultural issue that evolve during the course of the novella is discrimination and prejudice. There are three main people in the novella who are discriminated against in this text. They include Curley's wife, Lennie and Crooks. Crooks is an American African and because of his skin colour he is constantly discriminated against throughout the novella. As Lennie enters Cooks' room for the first time, he becomes very defensive as he says, "You got no right to come in my room. This here is my room. Nobody got any right in here but me". Lennie, as innocent as he is, does not know about racism and does not, through the entire novella understand or use racism against Crooks. Lennie, who does not know of racism, "smiled at helplessly in an attempt to make friends". Crooks realises that Lennie is mentally disabled and Crooks then tries to explain Lennie...
Words: 1204 - Pages: 5
...is seen as synonymous with money in contemporary culture, yet isn't it evident that some have a happy life without it? Seeing the extremely wealthy getting whatever they want, whenever they want may lead one to get caught up in the belief that money is everything. Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men are texts following the dreams of common Americans who end up losing them. Hansberry’s play tells the hardships which come with sudden changes. Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, however, tells the audience that the main reason dreams are destroyed is due to others. Lorraine Hansberry and John Steinbeck both display the futility of one’s American Dream by depicting its imminent dissipation through...
Words: 1063 - Pages: 5
...Guadalupe Dominguez June 3, 2011 Humanities 303 Mrs. Nyhan Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was a book that told the ultimate demonstration of love George had for Lennie. The first instant that George demonstrated that he cared for Lennie was when he asked Lennie to give him the mouse he had pulled out of the river. When Lennie gave George the mouse he began to cry so George said “Aw, Lennie!” “George put his hand on Lennie’s shoulder” (Of Mice and Men). “I ain’t taking it away just for meanness” (Of Mice and Men). “That mouse ain’t fresh, Lennie; and beside, you’ve broke it petting it” (Of Mice and Men). Here George demonstrated he cared about Lennie’s feelings. He wanted Lennie to understand that he was not taking the mouse from him just because he didn’t want him to have it; it was because it was died and he could get sick. George showed compassion toward Lennie when George places his hand on Lennie’s should as a way to comfort Lennie because the mouse was taken away from him. Another instant when George demonstrated he cared about Lennie was when Lennie got in trouble for the first time in Weed. Lennie said “jus’ wanted to feel that girl’s dress---jus’ wanted to pet it like it was a mouse---Well, how the hell did she know you jus’ wanted to feel her dress?” (Of Mice and Men). Because Lennie grab this girl’s dress and wouldn’t let go he got accused of raping this girl. Since, no one was going to believe Lennie didn’t do anything...
Words: 3239 - Pages: 13
...In a staunch, musty bunkhouse and the sweltering heat of the northern California sun, nothing is worse than being all alone. This is especially true for the lives of the laborers in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. The novel tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two nomadic consorts who travel through California looking for work. They have a dream of owning a small stake of land together and living a relaxed, comfortable life on that land. While living in a bunkhouse in Soledad, they meet an old man named Candy, who has no family or relatives that care about him. His only true friend is his dog. Through Candy’s speech and thoughts, Steinbeck reveals that everyone is much happier with a companion than without. Candy’s relationship...
Words: 632 - Pages: 3
...and aggressive. It can make the strongest of people feeling weak and useless. John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, shows that loneliness and isolation can have negative impacts on its victims. First of all, Isolation can make people feel unwanted, leading them to make others feel the same way. In Steinbeck's story, Crooks wanted to make Lennie feel unwanted by being rude to him and trying to get him to leave. On page 68 Crooks said sharply, "You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me." Although it was Crooks's room, he could have given Lennie a chance to see if he wasn't like the others. Crooks eventually did allow Lennie to stay after realizing that he has someone to talk to for a while. He didn't care that Lennie wasn't paying attention to what was being said, he was just glad that he had...
Words: 607 - Pages: 3
...John Steinbeck was a famous man whom made great additions to literature. Writing classics such as “Of Mice and Men,” “Once There Was a War,” and others. All of his stories were quick to talk about human nature of some sort. Then in 1962 when he received the Nobel Prize, he openly expressed his opinion on what a writer should be making its readers feel. Mankind can either win or lose the battle internally as well as externally. Humans can conquer anything when we rule out fear, even though from time to time many all get lonely needing something to remind us of our homes. Steinbeck’s ideas were that a writer should be able to show the reality of life; to show that life is a war for every single person. In every single story mentioned from Steinbeck, he has shown that the real war is internal. Internal of course being inside of us, he showed that fear and any sort of emotion can make something so much harder to decide the next step. In that book the only person who seemed to understand the internal stirring was Slim. Who clearly said “You hadda, George. I swear you hadda.” Also, the understanding was very clear in the movie as well. As the men rode to look for Lennie, Slim looked at George and they both nodded at each other in a very knowing manner. George was trying to figure out how to protect Lennie while retaining the safety of the others around him. In Of Mice and Men at the very end of the book George had to make a serious decision that would affect him for the rest of...
Words: 807 - Pages: 4
...According to John Bouvier, a justifiable homicide is, “a killing without evil or criminal intent, for which there can be no blame.” Without out a doubt whether it may be justified or not the act of murder is messy. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, almost concludes when Lennie Small, a guy who had a mental illness accidentally kills Curley’s wife. Unfortunately, the book tragically ended with George Milton, another struggling migrant worker and Lennie’s friend, murdering Lennie. On the contrary, many people see how George can be justified for this action for having Lennie's best interest in mind and for saving him from a path of destruction in the future. However, George’s decision in ending Lennie’s life can not be justified because George did it for his own selfish needs, Lennie could have escaped like he did in Weed, and even though he was mentally ill, he still had the right to live. For example, George can’t be justified for killing Lennie because he killed Lennie...
Words: 700 - Pages: 3
