Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a story of an unlikely friendship between two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck is a story of an unlikely friendship between two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small. This story is set in the 1930’s, around the time of the Great Depression in which America entered a long period of economical depression from which it eventually came out of after World War II. During this period of poverty and bad business, many workers from all over America went to California to find work. Throughout this novella, Steinbeck portrays the thoughts and dreams of many of these workers which was to find a piece of land to settle down on. The story is also about the loneliness of most of these workers, and this is why the fact that George and Lennie travel together is strange to most of the ranch hands. The name of the novella comes from a famous poem by Robert Burns which is called, “To a Mouse” – “...the best laid schemes o’ Mice and Men, Gang aft agley”. This basically means that however much you plan something out and figure out in detail what you will do, the future is unpredictable and plans can easily go wrong. The main characters of the novella are people who face challenges in life. The major themes which are expressed throughout the novella are loneliness, friendship and racism. The characters which Steinbeck uses to portray these themes are seen as “outsiders”, such as Crooks, Candy, Lennie and Curley’s wife. Crooks is black and crippled and is disliked by the ranch hands due to his race; Candy is old and disabled and so excluded from the social life of the ranch-hands. Lennie is mentally challenged and Curley’s Wife is the only woman in the ranch and she is extremely misunderstood. These characters all illustrate the extreme circumstances under which people had to survive throughout the Great Depression and they do so by each having their own unique characteristics and qualities. Curley’s wife is the wife of the boss’s son, Curley. She has the hardship of being the only woman in a ranch full of men who have no understanding of her or women in general. Throughout the novella she is described in different ways – some, where one feels sorry for her and others where one feels utter hatred towards her. She is a character that is misunderstood because of her outward actions, but the truth is that she is actually very similar to many of the characters – lonely and sad.
The indians had created the birch-bark canoe. They had started a war against their enemies and Champlain had to settle the argument.
and bought dis lil piece uh land so you wouldn't have to stay in de white folk's
Curly and Lennie, two men that traveled together everywhere they went. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck describes friendship, dreams, and personality to describe Lennie and Curly adventures.
effort to unite and resist. The land that was occupied first was theirs, he believed. The land, he
land away from indigenous people and he did not think is was fair for them to
settlers, their religion, and their society. This is a book source it mentions ways the settler
explained that, by being forced to sell their lands, they could not survive. They would be thrust upon a land where they did not know the terrain, the people that had already occupied it, or even where to find shelter and food. He explained that they could not be expected to just give up their land and way of life for the advancing of the white people.
migrants moved North to escape from Jim Crow and the disgrace in economic opportunities in the South, going North was seen to bring about a better living for individuals and families....
to build the mill there, why he chose to build at time and why he
People in these Montana prairies had an isolated life where “Every generation relearns the rules its fathers have forgotten”, cursed nature when it threatens their livelihood, yet realized that “This land owes you nothing” [p. 60]. This was a time and region where the difference between what was expected of men and women was paramount. Children grew up working hard, knowing their place in their society and grew up quickly as a result. Being somewhat of a tomboy, Blunt could handle farm equipment and chores as well as her brother, yet was still expected to learn how to cook, clean and care for the men. As with previous generations, it was expected that she follow a planned path to becoming a rancher’s wife. But Judy Blunt always felt there was something more to this hard, bleak life and began a long journey towards breaking clean from the constraints of her upbringing.
Many white Americans can retell the story of Pilgrims setting sail on the Mayflower and landing at Plymouth Rock. This great story of Jamestown and European settlements along
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.
What is it that makes people want to scream, or snap at anyone who tries to talk to them when they are lonely? How can prolonged loneliness change a person? In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, several characters face this problem. The story is about two men, living in Salinas Valley during the Great Depression. The two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, travel from ranch to ranch as migrant workers looking for work, after having to leave their previous job due to Lennie getting in trouble with the law. George has made many sacrifices for Lennie, but anything is better than the loneliness they see in other ranch workers. Steinbeck argues that when people are lonely, they become mean, and act in desperation.
has the mental age of a child and does not see the reason why George
Of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck 1. How significant is the theme of loneliness in Of Mice and Men? 2. To what extent is it correct that The Great Gatsby, Death of a Salesman and Of Mice and Men explore important, but different aspects of ‘The American Dream’? 3.