How Does Steinbeck Use Repetition In Of Mice And Men

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The craft choice of repetition in dialogue is used by John Steinbeck in the novel Of Mice and Men to convey the thoughts and feelings of two of his characters, Lennie and George. One instance of repetition being utilized to reveal Lennie’s inner feelings is in page 12, when Lennie says to his companion, “George, you want I should go away and leave you alone?... I could go off in the hills there. Some place I’d find a cave… If you don’t want me I can go off in the hills an’ find a cave. I can go away any time.” The quotation above demonstrates Lennie repeatedly stressing to George that he can leave at any time if he is bothering George. Lennie is clearly hurt deeply by George’s outburst to him, which is shown by Lennie saying the same things over and over. He …show more content…

Which is, can he stay with George? Or should he truly leave? Would George be happier without him to take under his wing? After this moment, in page 39, George is striving to convince Slim, the head skinner, how Lennie “ain’t no cuckoo… He’s dumb as hell, but he ain’t crazy.” George is undoubtedly trying to stand up for Lennie as best as he can, even though Slim can clearly see that Lennie has a mental disability and George could easily confirm it. This signifies how strongly George feels about Lennie and his well-being; George would rather give his disabled friend a shot at a job rather than leaving him and working on without him. As such, George’s repetition of Lennie not being “cuckoo” informs one of his feelings and thoughts towards Lennie. Because George is portrayed in Of Mice and Men as critical of Lennie’s mental disability, it is a key moment when George actually defends Lennie’s behavior and chances of a job. Lastly, page 85 tells of Lennie voicing out his worry about his dream of owning rabbits, - after accidentally causing his newborn puppy’s

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