Character Assessments of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

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Character Assessments of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 'Of Mice and Men' is written by John Steinbeck. The story is based in the 1930s and Steinbeck focuses on The American Dream throughout the book. The Amercian Dream was a dream to achieve success through hard work and commitment. Steinbeck uses the theme of an American dream to illustrate a general truth, the need people have to dream of a life that is better and which will combine freedom and personal fulfilment. Of Mice and Men is a novel set on a ranch in the Salinas Valley in California. The two main characters are George Milton and Lennie Small who represent victims of forces beyond their control. George and Lennie are two migrant agricultural workers on a California ranch who share a dream of owning their own farm someday. George is 'small, dark of face with restless eyes and sharp, strong features,' whereas Lennie is a 'huge man, shapless of face with pale, large eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders.' The ranch and the people on it can be thought of as a microcosm of American society because it reflects the loneliness, the prejudice, and the different aspects of society of the time. Microcosm is a representation of something on a much smaller scale. Microcosm means "small world." George travels with Lennie and helps him to survive although Lennie is more of a load than a help, and creates many problems for him but George realizes that Lennie depends on him, and needs him to survive. George is fairly kind and friendly, and almost immediately makes friends with Candy, Carlson, Slim, and the other ranch hands. George

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