Of Mice and Men (37) written by John Steinbeck uses many different rhetorical strategies to develop a very enthralling story. The strategies Steinbeck uses form a theme throughout the story that justifies what george did to lennie. Characterization, mood and setting all play a huge role in manipulating the reader's emotions to feel that what george did to lennie was warranted. Characterization plays a huge role in the mood and the feeling of all the events leading up to George shooting Lennie. Throughout the book Steinbeck continuously describes lennie as not being as smart and sometimes having violent tendencies. In contrast, George is described as being quick witted but being also calm and cool. Many times throughout the book, Lennie’s lack of common sense creates a problem that George needs to fix. Sometimes, it requires …show more content…
From the beginning of the book to the end, the use of setting greatly enhances the reader's experience so they can enjoy and follow the story better. From the beginning where steinbeck describes cool blue water to the end where a calm barn setting or a heron sweeping across the water paint vivid pictures, Especially at the end of the book, setting was a very powerful tool used to calm the reader. With sentences such as (heron sweeping across water). This calms the reader and makes him feel at peace so when a major plot event happens such as george killing lennie the reader feels less sadness and more a sense of finality and that george did the right thing. All in all, steinbeck uses many amazing strategies and wording to make the reader feel many different ways. First pity at lennie, but when he kills curley's wife and subsequently gets killed by george, we feel acceptance but not a large feeling of betrayal or sadness. Characterization, mood, and setting all work together to make it seem like George killing lennie was the right thing to
Many characters have hopes and dreams which they wish to accomplish. Of Mice and Men has two main characters that go through obstacles to get what they want. In the beginning it is George and Lennie running away trying to get a job. Once both George and Lennie have a job they try to accomplish their dreams. Unfortunately they both can't get their dreams to come true since lennie does the worst and George has to shoot Lennie. Steinbeck uses characterization, foreshadowing, and symbol as rhetorical strategies to make George's actions justified.
That ain’t no good, George.’”(Steinbeck 97). Because Lennie killed Curley’s wife, he committed a felony. George wanted Lennie to be thrown in jail at first. He wanted Lennie to be arrested because he thought it was the best thing for Lennie but then Slim told him it would not be good for Lennie. It would be bad for Lennie because Lennie would not understand his rights because he’s mentally challenged and locking him up in a cage would just hurt Lennie. George then realized he needed to kill Lennie so nobody would mistreat him. George is protecting others from Lennie.”’Lennie-if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before…’”(Steinbeck 15). George has been with Lennie for many years and he knows how Lennie will never learn and he will keep committing bad stuff. George knew something was going to happen at the ranch because Lennie has always done something wrong. George tried to prevent something from going wrong but he couldn’t. As a result he had to put down Lennie so he would not hurt anyone ever again. George felt the hard choice of killing Lennie was the right decision for George because Curley wanted to get his revenge, Lennie would be mistreated in prison and he was
Ender is first shown as intelligent and skillful, and Peter shows the same attributes throughout the story. Ender uses his intellect to triumph over his bullies, and this translates to his experience in the Battle Room. He has to outsmart the enemy, rather than beat them physically, and it worked in his favor the majority of the time. Ender understands when he has to use his physicality to beat a bully, but also knows when he has to strategize to avoid a certain situation. When Ender is encountered by Bonzo after he won the battle by disobeying Bonzo’s orders, he has to use his judgement rather than his fists to get what he wants. Ender argued with Bonzo, “‘... I’ll pretend that you won this argument. Then tomorrow you can tell me you changed your mind.’ ‘I don’t need you to tell me what to do.’ ‘I don’t want the other guys to think you backed down. You wouldn’t be able to command as well’” (Card 87). Ender understands what his enemy, in this case Bonzo, wants, and knows how he can make both of them get what they want. He doesn’t resolve to violence when he knows that he can use a different method that benefits him. Ender’s intelligence and strategizing helps him overcome the difficulty he approaches throughout his life. Peter also uses his intellect to benefit himself throughout the events that happen.
Although Lennie was unattractive and has the tendency of accidental violence, compassion was still something readers had for him. Steinbeck constantly reminded us that he has a mental disability which automatically makes someone feel pity for him. Additionally he was ignored and made fun of by other characters, “Blubberin’ like a baby! Jesus Christ! A big guy like you”(Steinbeck 10). Him getting in trouble was beyond his control because of his mental disability which is something else that makes a reader feel sympathetic for him. Also, the readers are solicitous towards Lennie because of how much he looks up to George. This is portrayed when Crooks asks Lennie what he would do if George never came back, “Well, s’pose, jus’ s’pose he don’t come back. What’ll you do then?”(Steinbeck 70). Because of his inability to comprehend information, he got extremely defensive and said, “George is careful. He won’t get hurt” (Steinbeck 70). This scene is crafted in such a way that it automatically
Steinbeck gives a lot of reasons for George to stay with Lennie, but his critics also have some merit in their criticism that the story isn't believable. Steinbeck's critics suggest that Steinbeck is "simply sentimental in this regard." There are some very compelling reasons George would like to stay with Lennie... but being "sentimental," towards Lennie has nothing to do with it.
What truly led up to this, and how would the story have gone differently if George had not killed Lennie? As aforementioned, they lived in the Great Depression, a time where achieving the American Dream was almost impossible to do, especially with all the farms being lost in Oklahoma. Most of the character's perspective of Lennie was that he was most simply a passive aggressive retard. Later in the novel the reader notices that he is incredibly strong which serves to positive and negative effects in the story.
Would you be able to kill your lifelong companion? George Milton had to make that choice in John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men. After a whole bunch of misadventures with his mentally handicapped giant, Lennie Small. Lennie accidently murdered a woman out of innocence. While the ranch men search for Lennie, George made the decision to give Lennie a merciful death. I believe that George should have killed Lennie because he would have been put in an institution, Curley would have been cruel to him, and George had to give him a merciful death.
George’s love for Lennie is simply an unconscious effort to make up for Lennie’s mental weakness, yet at the same time his sentiment and kindness is out of sympathy. In chapter one, it is apparent to the reader that Lennie does have a slight mental impairment, but we do not yet know how acute it actually is. For example, when George asks Lennie what he has in his pocket, Lennie responded, “Ain’t a thing in my pocket,” (Steinbeck 5) as if he were intelligent. George knew something was in Lennie’s pocket, yet Lennie still tried to act as if there was nothing there. This gives the reader just a quick glimpse into the thought process of this complex character that is actually quite unpretentious.
Steinbeck shows that people will trust others because of their personal prejudices. Because of his mental disability, Lennie often acts in inappropriate ways that cause both him and George to lose their jobs. George complains to Lennie that “I got you! You can’t keep a job and lose me ever’ job I get. Jus’ keep me shoving’ all over the country all the time. An’ the worst. You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out” (Steinbeck 11). Just like in Weed, a town that they have once worked at, Lennie and George has to hide from the townspeople because Lennie grabbed a woman’s dress in panic. Although Lennie acts with innocent intentions, the people around him simply do not spend the time to understand them. As soon as they move into the new farm, the boss and Curley display suspicion and even open hostility toward Lennie. They make their judgments about him before even trying to have a chance know him better. Even Crooks, also abandoned by society, regards him with contempt and disdain when Lennie first tries to enter his room. Lennie has no intention of hurting the other people, yet the people around him always feel uncomfortable around h...
John Steinbeck in the novel of Mice and Men demonstrates that, even though it may hurt sometimes, sacrifices are made that can possibly be difficult. A great deal of sacrifices are made for friendship, this is illustrated in Steinbeck's book it appears that through pages 105-107, Steinbeck displays how difficult it is for George to kill Lennie. This occurs just as George is about to kill Lennie "his hand shook, and he dropped his hand to the ground again" (105). As can be seen, George's first attempt at killing his friend Lennie, he was clearly having some emotional difficulties enabling him to kill Lennie. This is because of their close relationship as friends and growth they have built together. George had made the right decision of not
Of Mice and Men is written by John Steinbeck. The story is about these two men, George and Lennie, and they find work at this ranch. Within a few days, Lennie, a tall bulky man with the brain of a young child, gets in trouble, making his traveling buddy, George, do the unthinkable. George shoots Lennie to make his death a more "joyous" one than the one he would've received from Curley, the man that wanted to kill him the most. It was right for George to shoot Lennie because Lennie died suddenly, was thinking about the dream, and was shot by a friend.
George’s relationship with Lennie has made him selfless; his conversations, with and with out Lennie, are generally revolving around Lennie, although in the case of their dream-ranch George seems to find fulfilment for himself as well. Due to these altruistic tendencies that he shows throughout the novel, a danger is bestowed upon George; he tends to care for Lennie far too much, and too little for himself. In occasional moments, he escapes his sympathy and compassion for Lennie, and realises the burden that he causes. This usually results in George taking his frustration out on Lennie, which can often harm his simple mind, leaving Lennie upset and forced to confess to his own uselessness, and George feeling guilty for what he has caused. We can learn very little about George through his actual conversations, which made it necessary for Steinbeck to focus the novel on him in particular, and let the reader gain an closer insight on him through his actions. Generally, he seems to be caring, intelligent and sensible, but is greatly worn by the constant attention Lennie requires. This illustrates a major theme in Of Mice and Men, the dangers that arise when one becomes involved in a dedicated relationship.
George is who trying to do the right thing. He is really impatient with lennie he’s trapped with a guy who always in trouble. Another reason the reader feels sympathy for george lennie has a mind of a six year old which makes george frequently frustrates about how easy his life could be without having to take care of lennie. ”If i was alone i could live so easy.(11) I could work go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come i could take my fifty buck and go into town and get whatever i want….’’(12) ”You keep me in hot water all the time.’’(11) “We travel together,’’ said george.(40) Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They ain’t got no family. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. ”(13) George had to kill his best friend -- wants him to die happy “I never been mad, an’ i ain’t now”.
When I was asked what my opinion about the American Dream, I thought about The Novel, Of Mice and Men. I thought about George and Lennie and all the struggles they faced. The American Dream to these characters was their friendship. Their friendship included a brotherly relationship, hardships, and death.
This semester, I have read many pieces of literature in English class, including Of Mice And Men, The Odyssey, and Romeo and Juliet. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck provided me with the greatest education. Of Mice And Men taught me to always have friends and companions, to always keep aspirations in mind, and that it’s always better to do the right thing.