Candy, a one-handed ranch hand, eventually learns of George and Lennie's plans and offers to invest in the farm; Crooks, the black stable hand, is also made aware of George and Lennie's plans and wishes to become part of the dream. hile the men work the fields and contemplate their future, Curley's wife, interrupts their dream.
hile the men recognize the danger that Curley's wife poses to the group, and especially Lennie, there is little that they can do to avoid her. She, too, has had to give up her dreams and must make do with the hand she was dealt. Curley's wife tempts fate as she tries to strike up a friendship with Lennie, and knowing that he likes to pet soft things, offers Lennie the opportunity to pet her soft hair. Her reaction to his expected behavior tragically leads to her death as Lennie does not comprehend her…...
mla
Works Cited:
Burns, Robert. "To a Mouse." The World Burns Club. 2004. Web. 19 January 2011.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Penguin twentieth-century classics. New York, N.Y., U.S.A:
Mice and Men
Isolation in Steinbeck's of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men is a novelette by John Steinbeck that is filled with isolated characters desperate to latch onto the American dream. The dream of the protagonists, George and Lennie, is to have a place of their own in Depression-Era southern California. Things look promising as the itinerant workers get jobs on a farm, make friends, and devise a plan to make the dream possible. The problem, however, is that George and Lennie get in the way of themselves -- Lennie by being Lennie, and George by abandoning his role as "brother's keeper" for a night on the town. An accidental death suddenly has Lennie running for his life (which, George decides, he has no chance of saving). George, therefore, shoots and kills his friend before the mob can have at him. George is left to cope with the loss…...
mla
Works Cited
Baym, Nina, Ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 5th Ed., Vol. 2. New
York, NY W.W. Norton & Company, 1998.
Parini, Jay. "FILM; Of Bindlestiffs, Bad Times, Mice and Men." The New York Times,
Q6. Discuss what George's life would be like without Lennie, and Lennie's like without George.
Lennie would likely be institutionalized because of his large size and his lack of social inhibitions or self-monitoring. George would be a drifter, without a clear sense of purpose in life other than his dream of owning a ranch some day. Lennie gives him a sense of identity.
Q7. Discuss theme of morality
Steinbeck's novel constantly questions conventional morality by showing how society misinterprets Lennie's actions as immoral, although they are not intended that way. Lennie has no malice; he is a child trapped in a man's body.
Q8. Discuss George's motives for killing Lennie
George kills Lennie to give him a death with dignity, knowing that otherwise Lennie will be killed by a lynch mob.
Q9. Describe book as a response to the Great Depression of the 1930s
During the Great Depression, many small farmers lost their home in the 'Dust…...
Lennie and George, in comparison, are out of work and desperate for any kind of decent job. They have little money, nowhere to call home, and as the story progresses, less and less chances for happiness. George and Lennie are experiencing the Great Depression first hand, and it is not a good time for them or the nation. Meursault is experiencing a relatively prosperous period, and could make it even more so if he chose to. These juxtapositions point out the differences in the men, as well. It is doubtful Meursault, with his selfish and self-centered ways, could possibly survive the difficulties George and Lennie are experiencing; he simply does not have the personality and constitution for it. He would give up, while George and Lennie are strong enough to keep working and dreaming of the future.
In conclusion, these two characters seem to be very dissimilar, but in reality,…...
mla
References
Camus, Albert. The Stranger. New York: Vintage Books, 1946.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, 1994.
'Living off of the fat of the land -- together.' From the first chapter of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men onward, there is foreshadowing of the tragedy that will eventually take the life of Lenny, the simple-minded protagonist of the short novel through Steinbeck's underlining the themes of loneliness, friendship, and the inability of the main characters to ever enjoy the American Dream. The first chapter illustrates how the friends George and Lenny are bonded together in loneliness. Their dream of fulfilling the 'American Dream' of gaining their own farm someday seems futile, even when they are most hopeful. Although they are physical opposites, they wear the same clothes, and walk the same lonely road together until the end of the novel.
Loneliness is what bonds Lenny and George. That explains George's protective view of Lenny. George…...
John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men, the character of Curley's ife is a tragic figure. Both flaws within her own character and the lack of opportunities and roles for women in the early 1930s in America play a role in her tragic fate.
Of Mice and Men tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two illiterate men who travel together looking for work from ranch to ranch through American in the Great Depression. Lennie is a strong, slow-witted brute with a penchant for 'accidentally' smothering mice and small animals. The small George is Lennie's caretaker. The two search for their dream of owning land, but ultimately this dream dies when Lennie accidentally kill's the bosses' wife, known only as Curley's wife. George tells Lennie that everything will be OK, as Lennie dies as a result of his actions.
Innate Flaws
Innate flaws in her own character play an important…...
Loneliness and Isolation in Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
John Steinbeck was a man who understood the plight of the common man, and had a particular ability to portray it within a piece of literature. As a child, he " became an avid reader, especially of the Bible, Milton's Paradise Lost,...his favorite work was Malory's Morte d'Arthur." (French) His favorite books not only helped him to gain a unique understanding of the written word, but also an understanding of one of their prominently shared literary themes: loneliness. The cries of an abandoned and forsaken hrist, the mourning of the isolated and exiled Lucifer, and the pain of a father unwelcomed by his own son were all influential pieces in Steinbeck's education about the human emotion in written form. His work would later isolate Steinbeck himself, his "scientific outlook created many problems for him as an artist and contributed significantly to a…...
mla
Curley seems to only express himself through aggression and jealousy, keeping his wife as a possession rather than a lover. She continually comes to the bunkhouse where the workers sleep under the pretenses of looking for her husband, but they are thinly veiled calls for attention. "All these men are afraid of Curley's wife, afraid and aware that her innocent animal appeal may lead them into temptation and trouble. In self-protection they avoid her." (Scarseth) She is left with no companions whatsoever, because her jealous husband is neither willing to be one to her, nor to let her seek companionship in others. She laments, "Think I don't like to talk to somebody ever' once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?" (Steinbeck, 99) "I get lonely... I can't talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How'd you like not to talk to anybody?" (Steinbeck, 109) She realizes that she can talk to Lennie, who protests her advances in fear of being reprimanded by George. She reveals to him that she lives in a dream world, which is a further source of isolation. She believes that she could be a movie star if only she'd been given the opportunity, "The dream world that she lives in, the belief that she could have been a film star, only isolates her further: her real world is lonely and miserable whilst her dream is unattainable." (TeachIt) Steinbeck isolates her character from even the readers of the book, keeping her plight emotionally distant from the observer. With a racial slur, she threatens Crooks with a lynching if he doesn't keep his place, distant from her. "We cannot sympathize with the girl;" (French) "she appears as a purely menacing figure." (Attell) Although briefly Curley's Wife connects with Lennie, the isolation from each other which is inevitable due to their nature turns tragic. "Curley's wife, a naive Romantic, wants love and tenderness in a harsh crude Naturalistic world; Lennie, big and ignorant, tries to give love. But he is too weak in the mind, too strong in the body. His tenderness is too powerful for weaker, unsuspecting creatures." (Scarseth) They are both the victims of loneliness in this case. "George leaves Lennie alone and does not have control over him. So loneliness kills Curley's wife and later Lennie." (Dittmer)
Crooks, the stable hand, is segregated from the other workers because of his race and the overarching racial discrimination of the 1930's. "Crooks is black and he is not accepted by the others...He... stays most of the time alone in his own, isolated room." (Dittmer) Crooks is not included in the companionship which forms between the men in the bunkhouse; he is never permitted to play cards or join in the chat that the other men experience.
He is described as a "proud, aloof man" because he has no choice but to live that way.
Mice and Men is an excellent short novel by John Steinbeck which reflects the extraordinary bond of friendship that exists between George and Lennie, two migrant workers and physically contrasting personalities. This short novel gives a vivid account of the dangers that are in store for an innocent man like Lennie. Lennie has mild mental derangement which makes him vulnerable in the society and he depends on the constant guidance and protection of George. As a truly committed friend, George takes care of Lennie even though he feels life would have been much easier without this burden. He lies to his boss that Lennie is his cousin and tries to shield him as much as possible from the dangers of the world. Together they share the dream of owning a farm in the near future and being relived from the trouble of having to work for someone.
Throughout the novel…...
com). Although basic trackball mice are still commercially available, they have been largely overshadowed by newer versions of the computer mouse based on optical and laser technologies. All computer mice allow the user to control the position of a cursor on the screen (or alternatively, a player position in a game) as the trackball, optical or laser sensors detect user movements and translate those into digital input. The mouse devices installed on the latest versions of laptop computers work differently from trackball and optical mice that are external to the computer but the underlying input principles are the same for laptop track pads and click buttons as they are for external mice. External mice may be wireless as well as wired, allowing users increased ergonomic flexibility.
Like most computer-related inventions, the mouse has had a positive effect on social change. Making computers more accessible to a greater number of people, making…...
John Steinbeck's Morose Preoccupation
John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is a somewhat strange, surprising read. The author selects a very unlikely setting, a farm populated predominantly by hired hands, for a tale that is largely predicated on the conception of friendship and its myriad interpretations -- and applications. However, there is a definite undercurrent that some readers might find disturbing that is present in some of the most poignant notions of this tale. That undercurrent is one of death, the virtue that Western civilization seemingly extols above most other ones. An analysis of some of the more pivotal moments in this novel reveal that ultimately it is a morbid one in which death is seen as the ultimate expression of friendship: which is more than a little morose, to say the least.
Thematically, it is difficult to distinguish the motifs of friendship and death that are tightly intertwined in this particular…...
mla
References
Steinbeck, J. (1993). Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books.
There are costs to bearing and believing in such a secret.
These costs are manifested in many ways. There are the psychosomatic costs Jesse endures, his impotence, his weakness around the black boy in the jail, his tremors at the thought of Otis, "Now the thought of Otis made him sick. He began to shiver." There are also the psychological costs that Jesse is plagued by, the self-delusion associated with believing racism is moral, the mental anguish, and the constant struggle over whether he can trust his coconspirators, "They were forced to depend on each other more and, at the same time, to trust each other less" (Baldwin). What Baldwin is underscoring with these psychological and psychosomatic burdens is that the path Jesse has followed, a path of racism and discrimination, has led him to a very troubled existence.
Baldwin wants the reader to understand that proponents for a Jim Crow…...
It takes an encounter with madness to appreciate the finer things in life and through successful characterization, Kesey brings this issue to the forefront. The struggle between man and those wishing to control him is not new because it is intrinsically human to desire freedom. hen we are caged, we rebel, even if that rebellion comes with a high price. McMurphy emerges triumphant because he demonstrates to the other men that they can be free and they do not have to let the system crush them. Bromden is heroic as well, because he discovers himself after a long separation from who he actually is. He would have never taken the steps he did without McMurphy and his antics. They are modern-day heroes fighting the age-old war of man vs. authority.
orks Cited
Fick, Thomas. "The Hipster, the Hero, and the Psychic Frontier in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.'" Rocky Mountain…...
mla
Works Cited
Fick, Thomas. "The Hipster, the Hero, and the Psychic Frontier in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.'" Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature. 1989. JSTOR Resource Database. Information Retrieved December 01, 2008. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1347186
Faggen, Robert. Introduction: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. New York: Penguin Classics. 2003.
Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. New York: Signet Books. 1962.
Ware, Elaine. "The Vanishing American: Identity Crisis in Ken Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest." MELUS. 1986. JSTOR Resource Database. Information Retrieved December 01, 2008. http://www.jstor.org/stable/467185
This responsibility -- using knowledge to actualize others, is a predominant theme in much of Plato's works that resonates directly with contemporary pedagogical theory.
The Allegory itself is written as a fictional dialog between Plato's teacher Socrates and Plato's brother Glaucon. In the allegory of the cave, the reader, whom Plato assumes is also a philosopher on a path towards enlightenment, is treated to a play within a play. There is a dark cave, cavernous and damp. Individuals (prisoners) have been chained in this chasm since birth so that they are able to move in a way that they can only look at the wall in front of them; otherwise they are immobile. "Conceive them as having their legs and necks fettered from childhood, so that they remain in the same spot, able to look forward only, and prevented by the fetters from turning their heads" (vii: 515). There is…...
It is critical to remember that the jury is composed of 12 white men and that the defendant is a member of a minority. As a result, the groupthink is revealed in alarmingly prejudiced ways, with one of the jurors dismissing the defendant as a "slum kid," a sentiment that appears to be shared by many of the other jurors. It becomes clear that one of the reasons that they are willing to believe in the defendant's guilt is that he is different from them. This is an example of devindividuation. First, rather than acting as individuals, the eleven jurors are acting as a group. This causes them to lose some of their social constraints and act in ways that are considered deviant. Although racism was more acceptable during that time period, there was still some social taboo against suggesting that the defendant was guilty simply because he was…...
Communication Processes in the Film 12 Angry Men
The movie 12 Angry Men is known for its portrayal of group dynamics and its demonstration of how a single dissenter has the power to change group opinion. In the film, 12 white men are in a jury, asked to determine whether the accused, a young Hispanic male, is guilty of killing his father. However, while it is tempting to view the film as a group study, it is critical to consider that the group of jurors is actually composed of several different individuals, who all bring their own attributes, including communication styles to the group dynamic. One juror whose communication style is interesting is Juror 2, also known as the Mouse or Mouse. He is characterized as a meek man with no opinions of his own, and throughout the movie one sees him vacillate in his beliefs about the defendant's guilt, seemingly…...
mla
References
Lumet, S. (1957). 12 Angry Men. New York: MGM Studios.
In John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, the author's structural choices effectively depict the harsh realities of the American Dream, its hopeful pursuit, and the tragic consequences of shattered dreams.
One way to formulate a unique thesis statement for your novel could be to focus on Steinbeck's use of symbolism and imagery to convey the themes of friendship, loneliness, and the struggle for independence in a society marked by economic hardship and prejudice. By analyzing how these literary devices contribute to the overall message of the novel, you can craft a strong thesis statement that highlights the depth and complexity....
Structural Analysis of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men": Interplay of Time, Isolation, and the American Dream
Thesis Statement:
John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" is a meticulously structured novel that employs a dynamic interplay of time, isolation, and the American Dream to explore the complexities of human existence and the fragility of hope. Through the novel's unique structural framework, Steinbeck illuminates the profound impact of these elements on the characters' relationships, choices, and ultimate fates.
Part I: Temporal Flux and the Illusion of Control
Non-Linear Narrative: The novel's unconventional structure juxtaposes past and present, fragmenting the narrative into disjointed memories and flashbacks.....
Metaphors: Captivating and Memorable Title Creation Metaphors, figurative devices that compare two unlike things without using "like" or "as," hold immense power in crafting captivating and unforgettable titles. They transcend literal meaning, evoking emotions, creating vivid imagery, and leaving a lasting impression on the reader's mind. 1. Establishing Intrigue and Enchantment: Metaphors evoke curiosity by hinting at deeper meanings. Titles like "The Great Gatsby" (F. Scott Fitzgerald) or "Gone with the Wind" (Margaret Mitchell) intrigue readers with their metaphorical undertones of unattainable dreams and the transience of time, respectively. 2. Creating Emotional Resonance: Metaphors tap into human emotions. "The Catcher in the Rye" (J.D. Salinger)....
The Evolving Nature of Hamlet: Trace the psychological and emotional journey of Hamlet throughout the play, examining how his character develops in response to his circumstances. The Complexities of Macbeth's Ambition: Analyze the motivations and consequences of Macbeth's ambition, exploring the psychological effects of his actions and the tragic arc of his character. The Resilience of Jane Eyre: A Study of Female Empowerment: Examine Jane Eyre's journey of self-discovery and resilience, highlighting her strength and determination in the face of adversity. The Inner Conflict of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye: Discuss the psychological turmoil experienced....
Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library
of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
