How is the ending of ‘Of Mice and Men’s so powerful?
The ending is powerful because of the shock at the end when George had to kill his best friend Lennie. It happened so fast that it seems like the author wanted to shock the readers without warning.
¬The first reason that makes the ending so inevitable powerful is the cycle of Lennie’s life, this is shown when the settings of the story started and ended at the same place. The cycle creates a feeling that the end has finally come. This is shown when Steinbeck writes “A few miles of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank…” (P.18) and “The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon.”(P.140) Steinbeck uses a repetition of imagery and also the
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Steinbeck shows this when he wrote “Following accusations of attempted rape” (P.8) by saying that Lennie was trying to rape a girl, this makes us think that he is a troublemaker. Tension starts to build up when he killed a small, innocent mouse, he wrote Lennie saying “Jus’ a dead mouse, George. I didn’t kill it.” (P.23) this quote created a picture in the readers’ minds of Lennie with a dead mouse in his hand, building up tension, also it is foreshadowing a severe accident that is going to happen. Tension then builds up even more when Lennie killed a puppy “I made like I was gonna smack him …an’ … an’ I done it. An’ then he was dead.” (P.123) by creating a scene that he killed the mice then a puppy makes readers think and predict that Lennie is going to do something worse than those things that he did. Tension is the strongest at the time when Steinbeck said that Lennie killed Curley’s wife “ ‘Don’t you go yellin’, he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish” (P.128) By using short sentences make readers feel like life could be ended easily, so fast. This is showing the vulnerability of a human’s life. The increasing tension also made the ending …show more content…
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
As we journey through life, we must make difficult decisions, even when few options exist and the situation is grim. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the decision George faces after Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife is complicated, as none of his choices are good. The importance of his relationship with Lennie forces George to look at the big picture and act in Lennie’s best interests, even though the action he must finally take will result in a weight that he will carry forever.
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.
Hence, I feel as if John Steinbeck wrote a piece of art when he created this novel. It possessed many great characteristics that gave a good idea of how they were then. I felt as though the novel told a wonderful of two men trying to chase their dreams although temptations, heart ache, and pain may get in your way you just keep striving. When I read the book and the articles on the novel, I felt that George was somehow the epic hero in the novel. He used his own selfishness to his friend out of the misery that was sure to keep coming to him. All in all I think the novel told an excellent story.
Foreshadowing plays a large role in indicating that Lennie isn't going to last long in this harsh world. The beginning introduces this world in such a great way, raising your emotions with a happy tone in a wonderful peaceful scene and then sends that scene plummeting over a cliff into a dark unhappy environment. The strong characters in this environment attack the weak and the weak attack the weaker. An example of the strong against the weak is when Carlson compels Candy, "I'll put the old devil out of his misery right now," (p.47) to let him shoot his dog. An example of the weak attacking the weaker is when Crooks teases Lennie, "jus' s'pose he don't come back," (p.72) Lennie is the weakest because of his mental disability and his lack of thinking for himself. He would either run away or be eliminated through death. Candy and his dog mirror the image of George and Lennie. Candy being George and his dog being Lennie. When the dog dies, it foreshadows his death because the dog represented him.
Overall, John Steinbeck uses the character of George to represent the harshness of 1930s society and how rare companionship was, even though his companionship with Lennie ended
The book, Of Mice and Men is not just about the death of Lennie, as one might think, it’s also about power. Throughout the book, one can observe each character’s attempts to gain influence over the ranch crew, or at least to be accepted into a society. However, only one man can be on top, and that man became Slim, the ageless jerkline skinner. Unlike Curley, he lead with an understanding mind instead of abusing the power gained by achieving the American Dream.
excited one. He now has hope of doing something and it came from the "dream
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.
John Steinbeck uses similes to build and create powerful characters that touch the hearts of readers. Throughout the story Lennie`s character grows to be stronger and stronger through Steinbeck`s use of similes. When George and Lennie arrive at the farm, George introduces himself and Lennie to the boss. George compliments on Lennie being a hell of a good worker and tells the boss Lennie was “Strong as a bull” (Steinbeck 22). Up till this quote, Lennie is thought to be a huge man, shapeless of face who walked very heavily until Steinbeck`s use of similes help uncover Lennie`s true character. John Steinbeck illustrates Lennie`s body and strength by comparing him to a large, heavy and physically powerful animal such as a bull. The use of similes helps in indirect characterization as well and adds to Lennie`s physical appearance and age. The use of similes in this quote helps to create a more powerful character and bring more ...
Strengths and Weaknesses play a huge roll within the story. Steinbeck explores different types of strength and weakness throughout the novel. As the novel begins, Steinbeck shows how Lennie possesses physical strength beyond his control, as when he cannot help killing the mouse. Great physical strength is valuable in George and Lennie's circumstances. Curley, as a symbol of authority on the ranch and a champion boxer, makes this clear immediately by using his brutish strength and violent temper to intimidate those who look down on him. Lennie means no harm at all. The reason why George and Lennie had to leave in the beginning of the novel was because it was believed that Lennie attempted to rape a woman there. Rape was not the case at all, when Lennie expressed his love for the touch of soft things, such as a dress or a mouse, this panicked the woman causing a chain reaction, and causing Lennie panic also. When Lennie accidentally kills the mouse, it foreshadows the future of Lennie and Curley's wife.
Lennie's greatest difficulty seems to be remembering; and it is the lack of the ability to remember that ultimately leads to his tragedy at the end of the book. In the novel, Steinbeck seems to reinforce Lennie's characteristics of strength, kindness, childlike manner, and somewhat animal-like personality. In this paper, I will focus on these characteristics. Strength Even though Lennie's last name is Small, he is, physically, just the opposite: a large man with great strength. This strength is represented numerous times throughout the novel.
Another way that death and loss is evidenced by this novel is when Lennie killed Curley’s wife. When Lennie is in the barn (after killing his new puppy) Curley’s wife came into the barn and came on to Lennie. Lennie not knowing what was happening let her lull him into touching her hair. To Lennie it was like petting any other animal. Curley’s wife became flustered when Lennie became scared and would not let go of her hair. She started to scream and Lennie tried to cup her mouth, which concluded in him killing her. Lennie was truly remorseful after this action. Soon after killing her Lennie can be heard saying to himself, “I done a bad thing. I done another bad thing (121).”
The novella comes full circle and ends like it begins in order to display a naturalist perspective. The setting in the beginning and the end of the novella are describing the same place, however, the setting is described differently. The description of the setting in the beginning of the novella is hopeful and serene while in the end of the novella the setting is hopeless and depressing. In the beginning of the novella Steinbeck describes the setting as “A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green...On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones”(1-2). In comparison to the end of the novella when Steinbeck states “The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon”(99), however there are no...
Lennie to take care of. The next day George convinces the farm boss to hire
The theme of power in prevalent in John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice And Men’ and is presented and developed in many different ways. Power is first established in the title, which introduces the recurring wrath of fate implying that men, like beast, are helplessly fated to live a disempowered and isolated life. Some however seek comfort in their powerful dreams, and companionship in their romanticised fraternal bonds, most notably that of Lennie and George, whose unconditional love for another leaves the reader with questions regarding their own morality. Steinbeck’s powerful prose, a strong single plot line over a short time span drives the tragic events forward, and his depiction of the foreshadowing natural world gives the novella a certain aspect of duality.