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What was Steinbeck trying to expose culturally and socially by writing Of Mice and Men
Analysis of John Steinbeck
Analysis of John Steinbeck
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Many people strive to be kindhearted people, but everyone has their flaws. Steinbeck, author of the novella, Of Mice and Men, illustrates surprisingly real characters. Although he creates particularly authentic characters, he also creates one who seems to do no wrong. In John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, Slim is presented to the audience as a flat and static character. Steinbeck best represents Slim’s character where George decides to tell Slim what actually happened in Weed, where Slim is repeatedly shown and treated as a trusted adult-like figure to the men, therefore flat. Within the first few pages of the book, Slim is viewed as a trustworthy person. More specifically, when George reveals how Lennie gets “mixed up, and holds …show more content…
Not too far from the scene where George decides to reveal Lennie’s mental disability, we see Slim showing empathy for Candy, as he offers him “any one of them pups you[he] want[s]”(Steinbeck 48). Since Slim is aware of what Candy is going through and how he’s feeling, he offers Candy any puppy he wants. Slim is a caring person , and we see through a great deal of indirect characterization, mostly the way he acts towards people. Slim takes consideration of Candy’s feeling’s, offers him something that will get him into better spirt’s, and reassures Candy that it is the right decision. These same behaviors are seen again, at the end. In the aftermath of the chaos caused by Lennie, George kills Lennie. After George has killed Lennie automatically he seems to regret his decision, and questions himself. Within seconds, Slim shows up and offers to buy George a drink and reassures George, saying that it was the only way, and “You hadda, George”(Steinbeck 107). Slim knows that George doubts himself, so he attempts to put George’s mind at ease. Slim is using the same caring ways and attitude with George that he used with Candy. As a result, we see no change whatsoever in Slim. Since Slim is seen showing no change, he is without a doubt static. From the word go the audience sees Slim as a responsible, caring, parent-like figure whose
First, Steinbeck uses the character of Slim to describe that helping others makes that individual feel gratitude towards the individual who helped
As we journey through life, we must make difficult decisions, even when few options exist and the situation is grim. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the decision George faces after Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife is complicated, as none of his choices are good. The importance of his relationship with Lennie forces George to look at the big picture and act in Lennie’s best interests, even though the action he must finally take will result in a weight that he will carry forever.
Although Slim is indulgent, compassionate, receptive and is looked up to as the “ideal man.” He does hold a form of loneliness which is portrayed through solitariness. The reader can deduce Slim’s loneliness once George and Lennie found a job at the bunkhouse. Where, George and Lennie were given positions as migrant workers to be part of Slim’s team as they’ll soon be partners. Once George and Lennie have met Slim, they conversated and Slim asked them a few questions regarding their relationship, were Slim’s solitariness is illustrated. "Ain't many guys travel around together," he mused. "I don't know why. Maybe ever'body in the whole damn world is scared of each other"(35). At this moment George and Lennie’s friendship grant Slim’s
The book, Of Mice and Men is not just about the death of Lennie, as one might think, it’s also about power. Throughout the book, one can observe each character’s attempts to gain influence over the ranch crew, or at least to be accepted into a society. However, only one man can be on top, and that man became Slim, the ageless jerkline skinner. Unlike Curley, he lead with an understanding mind instead of abusing the power gained by achieving the American Dream.
Following the beginning, Lennie is seen as a bit on the softer side contrary to George who was a heavy-tempered individual. We later find out that Lennie has a mental illness implied by language, communication and actions towards George and others. Demonstration of his illness was implied by: "I’d pet ‘em, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead—because they was so little. I wish’t we’d get the rabbits pretty soon, George. They ain’t so little." (Steinbeck 4). Lennie’s childish personality and mistakes in the novel somewhat foreshadowed future events. George told Slim about the incident in Weed: “Well he seen this girl in a red dress...he just wants to touch everything he likes” (Steinbeck 41). George harshly remarked that his mistakes could get him in serious trouble, which was a vital, empowering statement within the novel that hinted at a dark
His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer.” (Steinbeck, 33-34) Slim is the noblest of the ranch as the only character who seems to be at peace with his circumstances and his life. The other characters view slim as wise and respectable man and often go to him for guidance, as the only person who has achieved what he wants in life.
One chapter in Of Mice and Men showed George talking to Slim about how him and Lennie were not actually cousins. During the time that the novella is set in, it was very hard for people to trust each other. Slim was loyal to others because he wanted others to be loyal to him, which they were. Pete was not loyal to Sucker and made it very difficult for them to create a bond. Nearing the end of the story he commented on how he missed the short period of time where they had bonded. He realized that he should have kept that in mind when he was mistreating someone
He doesn’t want Lennie to die horribly that’s why George killed Lennie by shooting him back of his head. Curley was so mad at Lennie that he could have killed him in a horrible way. And Curley was also looking for a way to take a revenge for Lennie crushing his hand, so George doesn’t want Lennie to get killed in cruel way so he just gave him easy death. “Slim nodded. "We might," he said. "If we could keep Curley in, we might, But Curley's gonna want to shoot 'im. Curley's still mad about his hand. An' s'pose they lock him up an' strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain't no good, George." (Steinbeck 97). Slim sighed."Well, I guess we got to get him…" (Steinbeck 93).
In the great work, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck makes clear that George is faced with many struggles. Steinbeck writes of a character that has many internal and external conflicts. Yet, through those conflicts, the reader learns the purpose of the novel; what the true meaning of friendship
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.
This could be for many reasons, but the most probable might be that Steinbeck wants us to delve deeper in the story, and make our own inferences. Because of this concept, the character might be a bit “fuzzy”, meaning that because he is not described directly, there can be many interpretations to just one common character. This indirect characterization of Slim is on page 46, where it reads, “A young laboring man came in. His sloping shoulders were bent forward and he walked heavily on his heels, as though he carried an invisible grain bag” (Steinbeck 46). We know that Slim is a young man, however from the quote above, some might be led to think that he his a bit elderly because of the “weight he carries”, infering that he has a laborious life. Nonetheless, from the information we know and the quote above, it is probably safe to assume that in the short life Slim has had so far, he has worked during most of it, but is a kind
...so uses a generous amount of figurative language to portray Slim. Slim is depicted using a metaphor as, “a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch”. Slim is also said to have hands that are, “large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer.” Which is expressed through the practice of a simile. George also describes Lennie, using a simile, as, “jes’ like a kid”. Steinbeck also practices dialect familiar with the area and time through a metaphor by having George say, “Me an’ Lennie gonna roll up a stake.” This means to save up some money. The puppy that dies because of Lennie petting it is a symbol of Curley’s wife who also dies subsequently of Lennie petting her hair. The water snake at the end of the story is representational in nature as it glides “smoothly up the pool” by foreshadowing the evil that is impending upon Lennie’s fate.
Slim befriends Lennie and George, and makes them feel welcome. Lennie and George are quite the opposite to the rest of the characters, as they don't have a family, and they finish off physically fighting for work, because they need it so badly. In the second chapter all the other characters sound like commoners
John Steinbeck, the author of the novel Of Mice and Men uses many stylistic devices and description in chapter one to give the reader a deeper understanding of what may occur throughout the novel. Firstly, the name of the city the two protagonists, Lennie and George, are heading to is called “Soledad,” which means loneliness in Spanish; this is symbolism and foreshadowing because it can mean that as they get closer to the city, their relationship as friends may deteriorate and they may end up alone towards the end. Furthermore, this could also mean that there can be major problems in further chapters because of Lennie’s unpredictable behaviour due to his mental disabilities. In relation to Robert Burns’s poem, “To a Mouse,” the author may be
Men, Steinbeck’s character’s life is dependent on the assumptions made about him. Of Mice and Men tells the story of two men with opposite character who face the hardships and reality of