More handpicked essays just for you.
How do writers in american literature portray the american dream
How do writers in american literature portray the american dream
How do writers in american literature portray the american dream
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Set in the farmlands of the Salinas Valley in California, "Of Mice And Men" is based on the 1930's Great Depression. This novel shows the struggle of two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small in fulfilling the 'American dream'. The dream shared by many of owing "a little house and a couple of acres". From the onset of the novel, it becomes crystal clear that Lennie is heavily reliant on his companion, George. What's more, Steinbeck portrays the two by juxtaposing them to a father and son figure. In this assessment, I plan to clearly deconstruct and explore some of the ways Steinbeck leads up to George's final decision to shoot Lennie. The beginning of the novel reveals the Salinas River to be tranquil and peaceful. This becomes clearly evident when Steinbeck describes the "twinkling" water, hopping rabbits and the "deep and so crisp", recumbent leaves. By using this choice of vocabulary, Steinbeck is able to create a bright and joyful feel to the atmosphere. Furthermore, Steinbeck portrays the scene to be like the Garden of Eden but it seems to be too good to be true. Through the first page, Steinbeck cleverly foreshadows the final chapter. Subsequently when the reader reaches the final chapter, they realise that the opening of chapter six repeats the onset of the novel. The image of the sun "climbing up to slopes of the Gabilan mountains" seems like the return to paradise. However, the reader soon realises that this paradise is lost. The snake that glides through the water without harm at the beginning, is "plucked " and "swallowed" by the "motionless heron" in chapter six. Via this event, Steinbeck foreshadows Lennie's upcoming death and symbolises the predatory nature of the world. In addition, by using the snake... ... middle of paper ... ...ing it himself. "I ought to have shot that dog myself". The regret of Candy makes George shoot his companion instead of leaving him to die in the hands of a stranger. The strangers being Curley or the other ranch workers. George repeats Carlson's way of shooting the dog. Right in the back of the head. The way in which "He won't even feel it". To conclude, throughout this assessment I have explored various ways in which Steinbeck leads up to George's final decision to shoot Lennie. Through techniques such as foreshadowing and symbolism, the author is able to reveal a variety of hints that lead up to George's inevitable decision. As the reader approaches the end of the journey, George's sorrow becomes clearly evident. However, ending the life of his companion was the only option left to allow Lennie to escape the death trap that laid ahead. "A guy got to sometimes".
Within four pages, Steinbeck greatly clarifies and expands upon his story by examining the different emotions and reactions of his general character groups. He takes two sides of an argument and applies them to a third body rather than pit them against each other. By mastering the use of the intercalary chapter, he is able enrich his story with deeper thought and explore it outside the boundaries of his main characters. In this manner, Steinbeck is able to write a four-page chapter which holds great meaning to a 581-page novel.
There are six scenes in groups of two, which resemble three "acts." Each chapter or scene has a clearly-identified setting, which establishes the mood. The setting descriptions at the start of each chapter develop a visual of the mountains, the sun, the river, and all of nature in California. Steinbeck’s usage of imagery transports the reader into the setting, for example Steinbeck writes, “...the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool.”
Therefore, Oliver’s incorporation of imagery, setting, and mood to control the perspective of her own poem, as well as to further build the contrast she establishes through the speaker, serves a critical role in creating the lesson of the work. Oliver’s poem essentially gives the poet an ultimatum; either he can go to the “cave behind all that / jubilation” (10-11) produced by a waterfall to “drip with despair” (14) without disturbing the world with his misery, or, instead, he can mimic the thrush who sings its poetry from a “green branch” (15) on which the “passing foil of the water” (16) gently brushes its feathers. The contrast between these two images is quite pronounced, and the intention of such description is to persuade the audience by setting their mood towards the two poets to match that of the speaker. The most apparent difference between these two depictions is the gracelessness of the first versus the gracefulness of the second. Within the poem’s content, the setting has been skillfully intertwined with both imagery and mood to create an understanding of the two poets, whose surroundings characterize them. The poet stands alone in a cave “to cry aloud for [his] / mistakes” while the thrush shares its beautiful and lovely music with the world (1-2). As such, the overall function of these three elements within the poem is to portray the
Steinbeck employs various conventions to construct the theme that freedom and confinement can make people suffer. At night, when George and Lennie are sitting by the flames, George says, “I wish I could
William Faulkner overwhelms his audience with the visual perceptions that the characters experience, making the reader feel utterly attached to nature and using imagery how a human out of despair can make accusations. "If I jump off the porch I will be where the fish was, and it all cut up into a not-fish now. I can hear the bed and her face and them and I can...
The way that Steinbeck combines detailed descriptions of
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, portrays the hard–done-by life of two California labours, who form an unlikely bond and cling together in the face of alienation. The Novel exhibits the idea of the thirst for companionship when cast into the abyss of loneliness, while unveiling the horrors and strife that the labours of the south endured during the 1930’s. Throughout the plot, one of the protagonist, George, continuously carries through with several decisions that define him as a character and subsequently, as a human being. For example, at the beginning of the story, Geo...
It is about mountains, river, trees, sun and animals and it is a nice place. In chapter two opening paragraph is about bunkhouse. It is about where the all workers slept on the ranch, where they kept their belongings and it is a dark, cold and horrible place. Steinbeck uses different colours to describe different places. In chapter one starting paragraph he uses nice colours to describe warm setting.
The first description gives the reader insight into Elisa’s life. Steinbeck describes the valley as being “closed off,” and a “pot.” scene This similar to the restrictions Elisa faces in her life. Elisa is closed off and sealed in by societal restrictions that stipulates what women can do and what they could not.
There is a subtle undertone of the presence of destiny as well as hope and rebirth. Though the poem starts out almost eerie, by the end it seems as though the speaker has either grown into themselves or has begun a fresh start. Oliver uses many different metaphors in the poem such as comparing the speaker to a stick and making the swamp seem like a living thing. By using these metaphors combined with vivid imagery Oliver makes the swamp come to life and seem like something more than just a
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.
Even from the very start of John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, the uniqueness of George, as a character, is already noticeable. He is described as “small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp strong features” and has an obvious dominance over the relationship between Lennie and himself. This lets the reader know from a very early stage in the book that George is different, and probably the essential character. George’s character seems to be used by Steinbeck to reflect the major themes of the novel: loneliness, prejudice, the importance of companionship, the danger of devoted companionships, and the harshness of Californian ranch life.
Steinbeck begins the story by creating a serene mood when describing the setting. He illustrates how the Salinas River looks, and stating that “the water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool. On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees—willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winter’s flooding; and sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool” (1). Steinbeck’s word choice alone (“twinkling,” “golden,” and “fresh and green”) makes the setting appealing to the reader. The peaceful mood is created through the way he closely describes every detail; the images that the reader follows are animated and picturesque. He uses such a long sentence with semi-colons, commas, and dashes to make the passage flow smoothly, as opposed to choppy. The run-on like syntax he uses creates a comfortable feeling, showing that the Salinas River and everything surrounding it is an undisturbed area; the...
Steinbeck wrote “He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled back down again.” (P.147) this scene is suggesting that Lennie’s death had a big impact but then there was silence as in the end, nothing has changed. However at the same time, we also feel sympathy for George because as he is now alone, the theme also help to make the ending so influential. In conclusion, the combination of these reasons made the ending so shocking and heart breaking. Leaving the readers a memorable and though-provoking
In “Crossing the Swamp” by Mary Oliver; she argues that chaos can produce new life. The speaker changes their perspective towards the end of the poem. While describing the swamp the author is able to convey a deeper meaning that is representative of the life. Oliver uses both repetition and personification to form an intriguing poem about the challenging and opportunistic relationship that the swamp has with the speaker.