John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men: An Analysis

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"In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck has shown us something about the pain of living in a complex human world and created something beautiful from it" (Scarseth 4). Thomas Scarseth strongly believes that John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is a book that is worth teaching. He clearly proves this point in the text, "A Teachable Good Book: Of Mice and Men." In the excerpt we read, Scarseth provides several points as to why Of Mice and Men is a teachable book; this story has objectionable yet necessary traits, provides a theme about a limited world, and clearly displays all of this with an uncomplicated structure. Like Scarseth, I also believe that Of Mice and Men is a story that offers well-developed lessons. Firstly, Scarseth writes that although some people may be opposed to certain traits of the story, these traits are necessary to portray the realistic theme. These features are necessary because they present the reality of particular settings and the complex turmoil of life. Examples of these traits include low class characters and vulgar language. For instance, on page 81 of Of Mice and Men, Curley's wife uses vulgar language towards Crooks, the black stable buck: "Well you keep your place then, nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny." Although this moment is not pleasant, it is …show more content…

Tragedies like Of Mice and Men are meant to show that "even in the blackest of disappointments, a human can achieve individual greatness." George and Lennie, the main characters, are an example of this as they have achieved a close friendship despite going through many hardships. On page 104 of the book, Lennie says to George, "An' I got you. We got each other, that's what, that gives a hoot in hell about us." This particular theme is a fairly inspirational one and is a good example of the nicer components of the

Lennie's Struggles In Of Mice And Men
343 Words | 1 Pages
John Steinbeck wrote a story about two men that only had each to depend on. Many of George and Lennie's struggles come from things they cannot control such as Lennie's mental issues. George and Lennie are very poor and they work on farms together, but they have to move a lot because Lennie always does something stupid. The greatest tragedy in Mice and Men was when Lennie was left alone with Curley's wife. She was the reason why Lennie ended up being killed. She knew of to manipulate others to get her way and that is what she relies on most of the time.
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Compare And Contrast In Cold Men And Of Mice And Men
1122 Words | 3 Pages
It is very apparent that each of the four characters in the two friendships feed off of each other. In Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie are very different, yet they need one other. George is a very independent, loyal, and caring person who takes care of Lennie because Lennie is unable to take care of himself. Although George makes it seem like he would be better off without Lennie, George makes it clear that without him he would be better off. This is evident because of this conversation h regularly had with Lennie” I could go get a job an’
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Theme of Loneliness in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men
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In the novel, Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck used George and Lennie's relationship and the theme of hope to point out the loneliness in the novel. The novel starts off and is set in Soledad which means lonely. At the beginning they get a job working on a farm together. Lennie is a little retarded and has great physical strength that isn't too controllable. As they work from ranch to ranch, Lennie relies on George for guidance and help. Rather than wasting their earnings, they try to save it in the hope of buying a place of their own. While working at one ranch they meet a worker named Candy who tries to help them financially. Before their dream can be fulfilled, Lennie kills the wife of the boss's son. As the novel concludes George must kill Lennie for his own benefit. Later Lennie goes into town and abandons his dream by spending his money.
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Of Mice And Men Quotes About Friendship
1088 Words | 3 Pages
“Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.” The quote said by Euripides emphasizes how friends should be loyal to each other even when times are rough.. This need of friendship is present in Of Mice and Men through characters such as George Milton and Lennie Smalls. Lennie has a mental disability which makes him slow and childish. George and Lennie are both farmhand workers who are struggling achieve their dream together. Their dream is to buy some land with a house and buy a farm where Lennie can tend the rabbits. Due to Lennie’s mental disability and ignorant behaviors, he is accused for raping a woman in the town of Weed and causes George and Lennie to escape and look for a job on a ranch. The presence of friendship
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The Futility of Dreams in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men
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The major themes identified by commentators in Of Mice and Men are friendship and isolation, hope and futility(Votteler 334). Through George and Lennie's friendship, the hope to achieve their dream is kept alive. "George, little and clever, feels that Lennie has been given into his keeping"(Moore 341). "Simpleminded and gentle, Lennie possesses great physical strength and becomes unwittingly destructive when startled"(Votteler 334). Although Lennie is very strong, he is also very timid and has trouble remembering things, but under George's control, Lennie is calm and docile since he just does what George tells him to(Moore 341).
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John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men
1096 Words | 3 Pages
This is a novella written by John Steinbeck in 1937, about two men that lived during the depression. They were migrant workers, who wanted to buy a farm. ()
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Analysis Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
2021 Words | 5 Pages
When asked about John Steinbeck’s career, people often refer to Steinbeck as a playwright, journalist, and a well-known novelist. The book Of Mice and Men is a popular novel by John Steinbeck and a required read for most high school students. Most of Steinbeck 's novels have a central theme focusing on the relationship between man and his environment. The American dream for George and Lennie, two of the main characters in Of Mice and Men, is to have a place of their own, to be respected, and to work hard for everything they earn and deserve. In Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, the land and a hope of a better life becomes the talisman of an American dream for Lennie and George that is left unfulfilled.
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Sympathy In Of Mice And Men
1007 Words | 3 Pages
“There is no greater loan than a sympathetic ear (Frank Tyger).” It’s always very important to have someone to confide in and vent to otherwise life just feels empty. You feel lonely without anyone. That’s what the characters in Of Mice and Men experienced. Loneliness. This book demonstrates what they viewed a friendship as. Most of them don’t even know what it’s like to have a friend. In this book Lennie, George, and Carlson deserve the most sympathy because each one of them has gone through some tough phases from being treated like crap to not having anyone who understands them and who sympathizes why the things they've been through reflect who they are as a person.
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John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men
678 Words | 2 Pages
Man needs companionship and has difficulty maintaining it because no humans think the exact same or have the exact same beliefs. To maintain a companion you must have things in common, you must be able to disagree with a sort of respectful understanding, and finally you must care legitimately about that person. These three requirements to preserve a companionship are at times arduous to keep true. Some people do not have the time, concern, or the ability to sustain a veritable friendship with a companion or companions.
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How Does Steinbeck Use Power In Of Mice And Men
685 Words | 2 Pages
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.
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Disrupted Dreams in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men
711 Words | 2 Pages
The novel of mice and men by John Steinbeck is a heartwarming story about two men George and Lennie. George is a small stocky man who prides himself on his ability to be independent, and often taunts Lennie by saying "God a'mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an' work, an' no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want.” (pg12). Lennie on the other hand is a very large childlike man who is very dependent of George. These two have stuck together for a long time and over that time have developed a dream of owning their own ranch. Steinbeck uses a variety of techniques to display the theme “even the best laid themes can go wrong”
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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
1044 Words | 3 Pages
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Life is an array of emotions and experiences. At times it blesses us with experiences that instill feelings of happiness and joy, in which we are able to celebrate life and all it can offer us. Other times life hits us in the face, letting us endure hardships, sadness, depression and loss. Most may argue that Of Mice and Men is either intended to celebrate the joys of life or meant to be a depressing book.
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An Analysis Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
863 Words | 2 Pages
John Steinbeck was inspired by the line "The best schemes o' mice an' men [often go awry]" by Robert Burns in one of his poems. This line refers to ambitions that went off track during the process. There are multiple examples in the novel that refers to the line in the poem, that inspired John Steinbeck. Those examples are Curley's boxing career coming to an end, Curley's wife not becoming a actress, and Lennie's plans of tending the rabbits, but messed everything up.
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Of Mice and Men
1198 Words | 3 Pages
Scarseth argues that “Readers may object to the book’s presentation of low class characters, vulgar language, scenes suggestive of improper sexual conduct, and an implied criticism of the social system. . . Furthermore, these features are necessary in the book.” Scarseth continues to argue that they are “accurate, precise reporting,” because they represented the time, place and environment of the era in which the novella was penned. Written in 1937, Of Mice and Men is the story of two migrant workers who came to California to fulfill their dreams. While the intentions of these two men seemed noble, they were unable to achieve the goal of purchasing land for a myriad of reasons. The first and most difficult challenge they faced was the effect of The Great Depression. Like many of...
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The Importance of Lennie and George’s Friendship in Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck
658 Words | 2 Pages
The famed nurses study from Harvard found “Not having a close friend is as detrimental to your health as smoking.” Lennie and George’s friendship is necessary to keep the better for each other. Throughout the story, Lennie and George need each other and look out for one another no matter what. Lennie and George’s friendship and journey throughout the story symbolizes the struggles to achieve the American dream. Steinbeck, in the story Of Mice and Men, combines characterization and symbolism to prove friends do whats best for eachother.
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John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men: An Analysis

Lennie's Struggles In Of Mice And Men

Compare And Contrast In Cold Men And Of Mice And Men

Theme of Loneliness in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

Of Mice And Men Quotes About Friendship

The Futility of Dreams in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men