How Steinbeck Sustains Interest in Of Mice and Men

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How Steinbeck Sustains Interest in Of Mice and Men In 1937 John Ernest Steinbeck wrote 'Of Mice and men' the tragic story of two itinerant farm labourers yearning for a small farm of their own. Steinbeck makes the novel extremely entertaining by sustaining the reader's interest throughout by using several factors. Firstly, Steinbeck's characters are a key point in sustaining the reader's interest in the novel. The description of the characters is brilliantly descriptive; it makes the reader almost feel as though they know the characters. Leading to the reader caring to what happens to them, therefore increasing the passion for wanting to read on and learn of their fate. Lennie is introduced to us as big and animal like 'dabbled his big paw in the water' 'dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws' but most importantly as extremely strong and equally unaware of it, 'I'd pet 'em, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and they was dead'. This is an important hint of what could happen as Lennie is so unaware of what he is doing he might do something a lot worse, therefore making the reader to want to find out what. George is an extremely quick-tempered man. He gets quite annoyed with Lennie forgetting things 'you're a crazy basterd' he is also quick tempered when he thinks Candy is listening to his conversation with Lennie. He is also quick to defend Lennie 'He ain't cuckoo' George's defensiveness and quick temper makes the reader feel worried of what he might get angry at and what he will do if he does. Candy is a friendly man, he is also extremely interesting he knows all the facts about everyone and loves to gossip. He gives the impression that he gossips to gain companionship from the over ranchhands. Because of Candy's knowledge of the other characters we get an insight into what they are like, even if it sometimes untrue. Candy describes curly's wife to George 'well, I think Curley's married…a tart' this

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