Analysis of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

1483 Words3 Pages

Recommended: Research paper of mice and men

Analysis of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice And Men' by John Steinbeck is a classic novel, tragedy, written in a social tone. The authorial attitude is idyllic, however, as the story develops it changes into skeptic. It is evident that Steinbeck knew the setting and places he is writing about.

In my opinion Steinbeck drew the subject matter from his own experience of working on ranches, he was interested in special kinds of relationships among men working on ranches with him.

There are several themes in the novel. The main theme is the careless nature of people caused by weakness. Nearly all the characters, including George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks and Curley's wife feel lonely, isolated and weak and they try to destroy those who are even weaker. Perhaps the most powerful example of this cruel tendency is when Crooks criticizes Lennie's dream of the farm and his dependence on George. Having just admitted his own vulnerabilities - he is a black man with a crooked back who longs for a companionship - Crooks zeroes in on Lennie's own weaknesses. In scenes such as this one, Steinbeck records a profound human truth: oppression does not come only from the hands of the strong or the powerful. Crooks feels strong when he has nearly reduced Lennie to tears for fear that something bad has happened to George, just as Curley's wife feels most powerful when she threatens to have Crooks lynched. The no...

... middle of paper ...

...ife, runs away from the barn. George finds him in the clearing and, while retelling the story of life on their farm, shoots him in the back of the head to spare his friend merciless lynching. The very last sentence in the novel means, as I have already said, that Carlson and Curley were not able to understand the relationship between George and Lennie.

Of Mice and Men' was the first book I have read by John Steinbeck and it surprised me very much. The ideal friendship among men seems to me old-fashioned, but I liked the simplicity and directness of the story and George's devotion to Lennie.

Themes in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men
1108 Words | 3 Pages
John Steinbeck, an American novelist, is well-known for his familiar themes of depression and loneliness. He uses these themes throughout a majority of his novels. These themes come from his childhood and growing up during the stock market crash. A reader can see his depiction of his childhood era. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows the prominent themes of loneliness, the need for relationships, and the loss of dreams in the 1930s through the novels’ character.
Read More
Characteristics And Similes In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
1227 Words | 3 Pages
John Steinbeck, the author of the novel Of Mice and Men uses many stylistic devices and description in chapter one to give the reader a deeper understanding of what may occur throughout the novel. Firstly, the name of the city the two protagonists, Lennie and George, are heading to is called “Soledad,” which means loneliness in Spanish; this is symbolism and foreshadowing because it can mean that as they get closer to the city, their relationship as friends may deteriorate and they may end up alone towards the end. Furthermore, this could also mean that there can be major problems in further chapters because of Lennie’s unpredictable behaviour due to his mental disabilities. In relation to Robert Burns’s poem, “To a Mouse,” the author may be
Read More
Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
1117 Words | 3 Pages
In his novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck depicts the essential loneliness of California ranch life in the 1930s. He illustrates how people are driven to find companionship. There were so many moments of loneliness and sadness throughout the novel, including many deaths. Following the deaths, they were very unexpected making the novel more intense and latch onto it more.
Read More
Human Experience In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
796 Words | 2 Pages
John Steinbeck explores human experience in the novella ‘Of Mice and Men’ in friendship, loneliness and marginalisation. He does this through the characters as explained thought the paragraphs below.
Read More
John Steinbeck's Influence On Of Mice And Men
711 Words | 2 Pages
The quote that inspired John Steinbeck was the best laid schemes often go off track can be seen in the novel of Mice and Men. When Curley's wife met a man in her childhood that offered her to be an actress but the chance went away and she later died. Then Curley wanted to be a professional boxer but the dream never happened and he became a farmer then got his hand broken for trying to be tough. George and Lennie were going to buy a farm to live off the fat of the land then Lennie had to get in trouble and George had to give up the dream and kill Lennie for what he had done.
Read More
Handicaps, Hardships, and Friendships in Of Mice and Men
1354 Words | 3 Pages
Lisca, Peter. "Of Mice and Men." The Wide World of John Steinbeck. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1958. 130-143. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Jelena Krstovic. Vol. 172. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
Read More
Analysis Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
2021 Words | 5 Pages
When asked about John Steinbeck’s career, people often refer to Steinbeck as a playwright, journalist, and a well-known novelist. The book Of Mice and Men is a popular novel by John Steinbeck and a required read for most high school students. Most of Steinbeck 's novels have a central theme focusing on the relationship between man and his environment. The American dream for George and Lennie, two of the main characters in Of Mice and Men, is to have a place of their own, to be respected, and to work hard for everything they earn and deserve. In Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, the land and a hope of a better life becomes the talisman of an American dream for Lennie and George that is left unfulfilled.
Read More
Importance Of Journeys In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
1035 Words | 3 Pages
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a fiction novel. This novel is about two best friends who work as farm hands. Both men dream of owning a farm together one day. On the way to that dream the men face some struggles and that is what most of the novel is about. The novel goes into detail about how they overcome their struggle.
Read More
The Powerful Ending of The Grapes of Wrath
1143 Words | 3 Pages
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck centennial ed. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.
Read More
Theme Of Murder In Of Mice And Men
2516 Words | 6 Pages
George begins to hear the footsteps of the other men. To prevent the men from killing Lennie, George decides he has to kill Lennie himself. The scene is almost parallel to when Carlson shot Candy’s dog and Candy regretted that he did not kill his dog himself, but allowed a complete stranger to do it. As George talks to Lennie about the dream farm, “.[George] raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. He pulled the trigger.
Read More
How Does Steinbeck Use Power In Of Mice And Men
685 Words | 2 Pages
Of Mice and Men, by Steinbeck, shows many different views on society. This book has a lot different messages you can take and apply to real life. All the people in the story can relate to someone today and also to some stuff that still happens all around the world. When reading this book you can really start to understand and connect with the characters and identify their weaknesses and their strengths. Some things you really start to notice is how powerful some people are and how they use that power in everyday living. Many characters had power, because of that it helped some get by, helped some take advantage and boss people around, but power also hurt them.
Read More
Steinbeck and His Techniques for Success in "Of Mice and Men"
919 Words | 2 Pages
There is only one way an author can get their readers to cry, laugh, and love or just enjoy their master pieces. That one way is through the uses of literary devices such as similes, metaphors and personification. These are the small things that brings the author`s thoughts and ideas alive. The author`s ability to use literary devices through the book helps in direct characterization and lets readers get a better understanding of Lennie and George, the two main characters Of Mice and Men. It also helps in keeping readers thinking on their feet and constantly questioning George and Lennie`s next move while in Salinas, California. John Steinbeck, in his novel Of Mice and Men, makes use of similes and foreshadowing to keep readers in touch with the characters and at the edge of their seats throughout the story.
Read More
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
1044 Words | 3 Pages
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Life is an array of emotions and experiences. At times it blesses us with experiences that instill feelings of happiness and joy, in which we are able to celebrate life and all it can offer us. Other times life hits us in the face, letting us endure hardships, sadness, depression and loss. Most may argue that Of Mice and Men is either intended to celebrate the joys of life or meant to be a depressing book.
Read More
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
780 Words | 2 Pages
John Steinbeck’s portrayal of George and Lennie serve to describe and criticize the misjudgment and mistrust of the rejects of society. Understanding builds trust, a fundamental component of a harmonious society. In this global age, trusts and judgments are more important than ever. Steinbeck’s timeless message made Of Mice and Men a true classical novella.
Read More
Of Mice And Men
612 Words | 2 Pages
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck brings out the themes of Lonliness and companionship, and strengths and weaknesses through the actions, and quotations of the characters. Irony and foreshadowing play a large roll on how the story ends. Lennie and his habit of killing things not on purpose, but he is a victim of his own strength. George trying to pretend that his feelings for Lennie mean nothing. The entire novel is repetitive in themes and expressed views.
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

Analysis of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Themes in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

Characteristics And Similes In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Human Experience In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

John Steinbeck's Influence On Of Mice And Men

Handicaps, Hardships, and Friendships in Of Mice and Men

Analysis Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Importance Of Journeys In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The Powerful Ending of The Grapes of Wrath

Theme Of Murder In Of Mice And Men

How Does Steinbeck Use Power In Of Mice And Men

Steinbeck and His Techniques for Success in "Of Mice and Men"

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

Of Mice And Men

More about Analysis of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck