One of the greatest aspects of literature is its ability to represent the world. Dates, events, people, and objects can all be described and related through the use of written word. Authors use the tools of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics to convey information and meaning throughout their works. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is an excellent example of how the use of these elements can provide the reader with deeper backgrounds for the characters. Steinbeck artfully employs the absence of standard American English to aid readers in understanding the characters on a more significant level. With unique dialect among characters such as George and Crooks, he makes an important commentary about education in the period and the …show more content…
social stigma against people of color. Published in 1937, the work centers on two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, as they migrate across California during the Great Depression.
As a result of the difficult times facing the country and the overall time period, the characters in the story lack a true education. Schooling was not a priority, so it was easy for many to go without it. Steinbeck uses this historical situation to his advantage, using it to create the dialect of his characters. In order to examine this, it is valuable to look at the main characters. Near the beginning of the story, George says to Lennie, “Like the old guy says, Curley don’t take no chances. He always wins.” He thought for a moment. “If he tangles with you, Lennie, we’re gonna get the can. Don’t make no mistake about that. He’s the boss’s son. Look Lennie. You try to keep away from him, will you? Don’t never speak to him. If he comes in here you move clear to the other side of the room. Will you do that, Lennie?” …show more content…
(29) By examining this quote, the reader can easily make several inferences about George. The lack of an education is evident in the formation of several phrases. For example, George consistently uses double negatives throughout, an occurrence that is significantly frowned upon within English education. However, despite the double negations, George sufficiently formulates most sentences correctly. He follows the proper sentence structure and correct noun and verb phrase formation throughout, creating well-structured sentences. With this, Steinbeck creates an important narrative for George. It demonstrates that although George has failed to receive a formal education, he does not lack intelligence on a significant level. Steinbeck not only uses linguistic features to demonstrate education level in the work, but he also comments upon the stigma that existed against people of color.
By using the African-American dialect, Steinbeck diversifies the language within the work and provides an insight into the life of colored people during the time period. Crooks, a colored stable-hand, says, A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ books or thinkin’ or stuff like that. Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so. Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some other guy and ast him if he sees it too. He can’t tell. He got nothing to measure by.
(73) The key to identifying Crooks’s dialect lies in the phonological features within. African-American English is known to drop the last syllable of a word, known as consonant cluster simplification. Crooks does this to nearly every word ending in [-ing]. While simplification of consonant clusters is not unique to African-American English, it occurs more frequently and to a greater extent in this dialect, resulting in a common stereotype. In addition, it is important to note the change of the word “ask” into the pronunciation of “ast,” or /æsk/ into /æst/. This also helps distinguish Crooks’s speech as the identified dialect. With the inclusion of Crooks and the African American dialect, Steinbeck addresses the stigma that colored people are mentally less than those that are white. The speech comes across as uneducated. However, despite lack of education, Crooks does not lack wit in his conversations. Readers are forced to look past the surface of the words and ponder the meaning of what he is saying to find its value. As a result, Steinbeck demonstrates that one’s verbal speech is not always a direct reflection of one’s intellect, regardless of race. John Steinbeck’s use of dialect throughout the work provide readers with an important message: a person’s speech and grammar does not always directly represent his or her intelligence. While he could have chosen to write the work in perfect standard American English with perfect grammar and speech, his inclusion of differentiation between the way characters speak adds so much more to the work than just dialogue. It adds a new understanding of and insight into the lives of the characters he represents. Readers are able to see that because of the harsh times of the Great Depression, George was not able to receive a formal education. They can see that due to the social relationships of the time people of color, like Crooks, were stigmatized and outcast. Steinbeck’s choice to showcase dialect forces readers to see deeper into the story and truly see what the characters represent.
Would you be able to kill your lifelong companion? George Milton had to make that choice in John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men. After a whole bunch of misadventures with his mentally handicapped giant, Lennie Small. Lennie accidently murdered a woman out of innocence. While the ranch men search for Lennie, George made the decision to give Lennie a merciful death. I believe that George should have killed Lennie because he would have been put in an institution, Curley would have been cruel to him, and George had to give him a merciful death.
The sound of the gavel arose in the courtroom. Ranch hands of Tyler barn was sitting behind Candy. "Because you murder a human, according to Penal Code 189 you are sentenced three years in jail and 500 dollar fine." ordered Judge.
As Slim and George arrived at the bar, neither of them said a word. Slim looked at George but George avoided his attempt at making eye contact. They walked in and sat at a round wooden table that looked to be a decade old. George sat down at one end and Slim sat down on the other directly across.
Back in the 1930’s, in Salinas, California, there were ranches on which men from all over the country worked. There is a story about the life of two men on those fields, working, as the author describes what happens to them through literary devices that help the reader understand the moral of it. In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, masses of foreshadowing and symbols are used to higher the effect the story gives the reader.
John Steinbeck 's book Of Mice and Men is a piece of literature that everyone is familiar with in one form or another. There have been countless stage productions of the book and three film adaptations. The most recent film version was in 1992, and it starred Gary Sinise and John Malkovich. While the film version remains mainly true to the original book, there are a few differences that are noticeable. While many think that a film can actually enhance a story by adding a visual to the text, it often times falls short. In dealing with the loneliness of the characters of the story, the book does a much better job of conveying not only their loneliness, but also the despair and desperation that each character feels when confronted with loneliness.
These devices are incorporated into the journey of two companions working their way towards a dream. Steinbeck uses symbolism to complement his words to depict a higher meaning. As experienced readers will discover, the relationship between the intelligent, but small and weaker George Milton and the mentally handicapped, but large and stronger Lennie Small is symbolic. Even Lennie expresses this relationship “because I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you, and that's why” (14) .This suggests that they are not alone-they have each other. While George complains in the first chapter that he does not know why he keeps Lennie around, George argues "I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn't have you on my tail"(11), he later explains the importance of Lennie's friendship -:“I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't' have no fun. After a long time, they get mean. They get wantin' to fight all the time” (41). Although he is often irritated with Lennie, The reader can infer George stays with Lennie out of his promise to Lennie's aunt or the reader could look deeper and understand George cares about Lennie and that, meaning in life depends on upon sharing. This idea is central to Steinbeck's theme of brotherhood and how men are better if they are not alienated because, if alienated, they become mean and cruel out of their fear of vulnerability. The strength to oppress others originates of weakness, Steinbeck tells his readers. Most importantly for both George and Lennie, Lennie is the keeper of the dream. Without the child-like Lennie there is no dream of a ranch and rabbits and "livin' off the fat of the land." It is for Lennie's sake that George repeats the dream of them owning land. At first George does not really believe that this dream will come to fruition. But, with his childlike friend's
excited one. He now has hope of doing something and it came from the "dream
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck centennial ed. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.
There is only one way an author can get their readers to cry, laugh, and love or just enjoy their master pieces. That one way is through the uses of literary devices such as similes, metaphors and personification. These are the small things that brings the author`s thoughts and ideas alive. The author`s ability to use literary devices through the book helps in direct characterization and lets readers get a better understanding of Lennie and George, the two main characters Of Mice and Men. It also helps in keeping readers thinking on their feet and constantly questioning George and Lennie`s next move while in Salinas, California. John Steinbeck, in his novel Of Mice and Men, makes use of similes and foreshadowing to keep readers in touch with the characters and at the edge of their seats throughout the story.
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.
George’s relationship with Lennie has made him selfless; his conversations, with and with out Lennie, are generally revolving around Lennie, although in the case of their dream-ranch George seems to find fulfilment for himself as well. Due to these altruistic tendencies that he shows throughout the novel, a danger is bestowed upon George; he tends to care for Lennie far too much, and too little for himself. In occasional moments, he escapes his sympathy and compassion for Lennie, and realises the burden that he causes. This usually results in George taking his frustration out on Lennie, which can often harm his simple mind, leaving Lennie upset and forced to confess to his own uselessness, and George feeling guilty for what he has caused. We can learn very little about George through his actual conversations, which made it necessary for Steinbeck to focus the novel on him in particular, and let the reader gain an closer insight on him through his actions. Generally, he seems to be caring, intelligent and sensible, but is greatly worn by the constant attention Lennie requires. This illustrates a major theme in Of Mice and Men, the dangers that arise when one becomes involved in a dedicated relationship.
Cambodian Genocide Rough Draft The Cambodian Genocide occurred between 1975 and 1979. Pol Pot began isolating Cambodia, and deporting all of the foreigners. The Cambodian Genocide was not only an attack on the people, but Cambodia’s pride, because there was no valid reason for doing this, the amount of people who were killed is ghastly, and how Cambodia looked after the genocide is horrendous. The Khmer Rouge was a murderous group, and their plan was to change the Cambodian society.
Written in 1937, Of Mice and Men, by John Adolf Steinbeck Jr., American author and Pulitzer Prize winner, follows the lives of downtrodden farmhands, George and Lennie. As with many of Steinbeck's books, the themes in Of Mice and Men include his favored themes of class warfare and oppression of the working class. Steinbeck also focuses his literature on the power of friendship and the corrupt nature of mankind. In 1993, Professor Thomas Scarseth wrote a critical analysis of the novella analyzing many aspects of Steinbeck’s work including the presentation, themes, and writing style. In his essay, Scarseth explains the key themes of the Novella. He noted that the corrupted nature of man, the injustice of life, and the power of friendship were three important themes of the book. Much of Scarseth’s analysis contained numerous thoughtful insights. Were his insights and opinions valid, or were his, and Steinbeck’s, perspectives on these issues flawed?
Steinbeck's Choice of Language in Of Mice and Men Introduction = == == == ==
Lennie to take care of. The next day George convinces the farm boss to hire