Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a tragedy, based during the 1930s, in Western United States of America. The novel revolves around two ranchmen, George and his “opposite” (Steinbeck, 1937, p.1), Lennie who travel to the “south of Soledad” (Steinbeck, 1937, p.1) to find work, in the midst of the Great Depression. Their efforts to earn enough money and “live off the fatta the lan’” (Steinbeck, 1937, p.15) are greatly ruined due to the repercussions of Lennie’s intellectual disability. The highlights of this novel were undeniably the ingeniously established themes embedded in the novel.

For instance, the novel gives the reader a clear insight into the negative portrayal of the disabled when Lennie is introduced as a figure with “large, pale eyes with wide sloping shoulders” (Steinbeck, 1937, p.2), in comparison to George’s “slim, sharp and strong features”. The juxtaposition of the two phrases uses the difference between the two characters to highlight how unusual Lennie is, even though this is due to his psychological health. The use of “pale”, subtly connotes to Lennie being an antagonist, even though the reader is fooled to think that Lennie is nothing but an innocent “baby”, even though he possesses hidden abilities such as his physical strength and the ability to see the least obvious flaws in people. Steinbeck does this to show that the disabled are always blamed for their transgressions, and that people fail to see the illness is a cause of this and not a premeditated intent to do harm to others. Therefore, Steinbeck explicitly conveys the moral corruption that is present in our modern society, as well that in the 1930s in America.

Furthermore, the use of figurative imagery and symbolism to foreshadow events, establishe...

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...d his character to become more dynamic, as opposed to be viewed by the reader as just another minor character in the novel.

Unfortunately, the only character that is not developed in this way or at all is Curley’s Wife, who is portrayed brilliantly by Steinbeck, but is shadowed by the clarity of other more important themes in the novel. For example, she is introduced by Curley asking George if he had seen “a girl”, which generalises her as a representation of all women in 1930s America, something which is additionally highlighted by the fact that she is the only female character in the novel. In some ways this could be Steinbeck’s overall view of women at the time, especially as she is reflected as some sort of voluptuous symbol in “her rouged lips” and “sausage-curled hairs”. These also represents how fake and again, how dynamic she could become as a character