In his book ‘Of Mice and Men’, Steinbeck’s use of language and structure in his description of the bunkhouse in Chapter Two establishes a bleak, prison-like setting that is not very homey. The description of the bunkhouse reflects the overall theme of the book. It could even be said that the bunkhouse itself is a metaphor for the Great Depression.
Using words with desolate connotations, Steinbeck forms a very stark and grim setting that is more like a prison than a home. The bunkhouse is described as ‘rectangular’ with ‘square windows’. Both are plain, geometric shapes which are associated with being lifeless and impersonal. The door is a ‘solid door’ with a ‘wooden latch’. The presence of the latch and the door being described as solid, along
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with ‘small, square windows’, makes one think of a prison cell. It sounds as if the room is trying to trap something, containing it inside. All of this links back to Steinbeck giving the bunkhouse the imagery of a prison cell instead of a home. The prison-like description of the bunkhouse could reflects on how the characters in this book are prisoners of the Great Depression, unable to escape their low social class or move up the social ladder, therefore trapping them in an endless cycle of poverty. The way the author writes the description also gives the idea of the bunkhouse being temporary and impersonal, adding to the ideas brought up in Chapter One that the characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are constantly moving with nothing being certain.
Steinbeck says that there are ‘eight bunks’ in the bunkhouse, with three ‘showing their burlap ticking’. With three beds being uninhabited, it is clear that the bunkhouse is not full. This implies that three workers were fired, and no one has returned to take their place. It makes it even clearer that the bunkhouse is a temporary residence instead of a permanent home. Above each bunk is ‘an apple box’ with neckties hanging from ‘nails on the box’. Around a table in the middle of the room, there are ‘boxes for players to sit on’. Clearly, none of the bunkhouse residents are willing or able to pay for more permanent furniture. Since the bunkhouse residents are all migrant workers, it strengthens the idea of them not staying them for long. The floor of the bunkhouse is ‘unpainted’, no one bothering to try adding something to the floor, adding to the effect of the bunkhouse being very temporary and not a real home. These phrases all strengthen the idea that the bunkhouse is very temporary and
impersonal.
John Steinbeck does not portray migrant farm worker life accurately in Of Mice and Men. Housing, daily wages, and social interaction were very different in reality. This paper will demonstrate those differences by comparing the fictional work of Steinbeck to his non-fictional account of the time, The Harvest Gypsies.
As John Steinbeck publishes “Cannery Row” in 1945, the same year when World War II ends, some scholars claim that his book somehow relates to the war. The novel is one of the most admirable modern-American narratives of the 20th and 21st century. It is set during the Great Depression in Monterey, California. The entire story is attached to a sensitively complex ecosystem that creates different approaches for the reader. The system is so fragile that one’s mistake can be the town’s last. Steinbeck depicts unique characters like Mack and the boys (who will stand as one character and/or group), Doc, and Lee Chong. Although there are many themes that can be extracted from these characters, the theme that arises the most is the isolation of the individual as it can be split into two different categories, the psychological and the physical.
Novels that exhibit what the life is like for the people at ranch can help readers reflect on how they might react in comparable situation. George and Lennie who struggle to transcend the plight of inerrant farmworkers are followed by the novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck. Readers are positioned to respond to themes through Steinbeck’s use of conventions that are dispirit. Themes such as Freedom and confinement, loneliness, and racism are pivotal in the novel and draw out a range of responses from the readers.
In Of Mice and Men, the author attempts to portray the hardships that a man attempts to face yet fails to withstand. Set in the post-depression era, the book depicts the harsh truth of the
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.
All in all, through the use of the characters in Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck is able to highlight how isolation that is forced on individuals by society ultimately leads to one’s suffering. The overall message of the novel is that no single individual should be mistreated because of a mental issue, his or her race, his or her gender, or the fact that one may have a physical injury. It is everyone’s human right to be treated equally and respectfully. No one should ever feel alienated from his or her surroundings. Loneliness is something that no one can avoid. As the story comes to an end, the story brings to light different causes of isolation, particularly discrimination and preconceptions.
Steinbeck uses the novella ’Of Mice and Men’ and the workers on the ranch to show the microcosm of the 1930s American Society and culture. He especially portrays Crooks in a particular way to show how Black Americans were treated in this time that the novella was set.
Steinbeck does not use huge amounts of description, however, the way that he does describe the events is. sufficient to make it seem as though you are actually there or allow you understand what it would be like.
During a time of hardship or of economic difficulties, each person draws back into their personal space and takes no notice of others. Ignorance often leads to misunderstandings. In John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men, two men went go a new farm in search of new opportunities and a chance to fulfill their dream. Of Mice and Men is also a heartbreaking story of how such misunderstandings can lead to unfortunate events. John Steinbeck uses a disapproving voice to criticize the mistreatment of social rejects and show that misunderstanding can lead to adverse outcomes.
Of mice and men is a novella written by Steinbeck in the 1930’s at the time of the American great depression. Two migrant workers George and Lennie are the protagonists; through these characters Steinbeck highlights many themes. The themes presented in this novel can be compared with those in the ‘Moon on the Tides’ Anthology poems for example ‘Brothers’, ‘Farmer’s Bride’ and ‘In Paris with You’.
I have been analysing the novella ‘Of Mice and men’ by John Steinbeck, which was published in 1937. Steinbeck wrote the novel based on his own experiences as a bindle stiff in the 1920’s, around the same time when the great Wall Street crash happened, causing an immense depression in America. Throughout the novel he uses a recurring theme of loneliness in his writing, which may have reflected his own experiences at this time. This is evident in his writing by the way he describes the characters, setting and language in the novel.
A difficult struggle lied ahead for the people. They left with everything they owned. There was so little, they strapped it onto, usually to a rundown old pick-up truck. With Steinbeck trying to show the real life issues intermitanly introduced all the political aspects and outlooks of the depression. He would, in odd chapters, show the aspects that lay for everyone, not just the Joads. Stein beck often showed the prejudice and hatred for the migrants. Somewhere around the middle of the book an ³okie² family stops at a roadside 66 truck stop. They are hoping to buy some bread with the mere money they have rationed. The waitress is very bitter and tries to get rid of the man. She turns down his needs for a half a loaf of bread. her boss turns and reprimands her. The man is sold a small amount of bread for his money. The man turns to see his little boys gazing at the candy case.
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?
The men’s recognition of the benefits and strengths of the Weedpatch camp helps establish the theme of Socialism by contrasting this ideal camp with the new camp the Joads are moving to. Steinbeck shows the real difference between the two camps in the quote, “The guard grunted contemptuously. ‘Hot water, for Christ’s sake. Be wantin’ tubs next.’ He stared glumly after the four Joads” (377). Steinbeck illustrates the many differences in the atmosphere and the resources of the two camps. This establishes the Socialist theme because Steinbeck shows that the socialist society benefits the majority of the people. In the Weedpatch camp, the people were apart of a community of people who looked out for each other. Everyone was seen as equal and when
"In the novel, how does Steinbeck present the lives of ranch workers at that time?"