Mental Disorders In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Schizophrenia. They are all mental illnesses or disorders and most people know this, but what are they really? How do they affect people who deal with them on a daily basis? What is it like to be treated differently by society over something you cannot control? And most importantly why should we care? In John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella, Of Mice and Men he explores some of these thought-provoking questions through one of the most infamous characters in American Literature -- Lennie Small. Although Lennie does possess qualities from a plethora of mental disorders and illnesses -- the leading being Sotos syndrome …show more content…
His lack of control, child-like innocence, obsession with rabbits, and overbearing need to pet soft and or nice things are all related symptoms. Even though not every case is the same, several people who live with it have the same or similar characteristics as Lennie does. In a conversation with Curley’s wife, Lennie talks about the rabbits he wants to tend to in the future, yet it seems to be the only thing he really talks about for the majority of the conversation. Curley’s wife angrily addresses his obsession: “‘Don’t you think of nothing but rabbits?’”(Steinbeck 89). Within a short amount of time during her first true conversation with Lennie, Curley’s wife is easily able to pick up on Lennie’s obsession with rabbits. This obsession is a “lasting intense interest” that stems from Lennie’s …show more content…
Unfortunately, the mistreatment Lennie experiences is similar to the mistreatment of lots of other people with mental illnesses and disorders. George’s overbearing control that leads to Lennie’s demise is a direct call out to the fault of people who think they need to control people with mental health conditions lives’ to help them. In addition, Lennie’s mistreatment works to directly call out the faults of American society when they treat people with mental illnesses and disorders
How Does Lennie Small Present The Mental Disorder In Of Mice And Men
389 Words | 2 PagesTo begin, Lennie Small displays severe signs of a certain mental disorder throughout John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men. The audience can clearly understand there is an issue with Lennie’s ability to think and act. However, the question lies on the actual mental issue, and after research, it is indisputable that the character suffers from a dissociative disorder. For those who do not know, a person with a dissociative disorder experiences immense amounts of stress in uncomfortable situations. “These disorders usually are associated with overwhelming stress, which may be the result of traumatic events, accidents, or disasters that may be experienced or witnessed by the individual” (Marks 17).
How Does Steinbeck Present The Psychoanalytical Lens In Of Mice And Men
652 Words | 3 Pages“‘No, Lennie, I ain’t mad. I never been mad, an I ain’t now. That’s a thing I want you to know,’” were among the last words George Milton would utter to Lennie Small before breaking the bond that the two shared with a single bullet. All throughout the course of “Of Mice and Men,” the reader is able to learn of the two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, along with their exploits before arriving at the small Californian ranch, moreover they experience the relationship between the two new hires with the rest of the ranchers, and each other.
How Does Steinbeck Suffer The Most In Of Mice And Men
606 Words | 3 PagesIn Of Mice And Men, by John Steinbeck, many people suffer, but George suffers the most, more than anybody. Even though Candy suffers because his dog died and he has no more friends or family, I believe that George suffered the most in of mice and men because he had to kill his best friend and he gets punished for whatever Lennie does wrong since they are tied at the hip. George suffers more than anybody in the story, even candy. Even though Candy had his best friend killed he was not there to see the dog die.
How Did George Kill Lennie's American Dream
658 Words | 3 PagesDid you know in the 1950’s the people of the mentally disabled community were mistreated in our world? The people that were mentally disabled were isolated from the outside world, shocked several times, and locked up and let them starve to death. The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about the main characters George and Lennie, who migrate from one place to the other in search of a new job. The story took place during the Great Depression, and the story mostly took place in Soledad. George did the wrong thing by killing Lennie because he could of run away, let Curley find Lennie, or followed his and Lennie's American Dream.
How Should George Be Punished For Lennie's Death
781 Words | 4 PagesEven though killing another person is never the right thing to do, accidental or on purpose, Lennie’s mental disability creates a slight
John Steinbeck Dehumanize Lennie Small
1305 Words | 6 PagesIn John Steinbeck’s 1930’s classic novella, Of Mice and Men, we are introduced to one of the main characters, Lennie Small. Lennie is developed as a mentally handicapped, who doesn’t know his strengths and weaknesses, who forgets everything, and who acts like a child. By this development, Steinbeck dehumanizes Lennie in order to show the mentally handicapped population has no chance of achieving the American Dream. Lennie doesn’t know his strengths and weakness, and how to control his strengths. At the end of chapter five, Curley’s wife comes into the barn, where Lennie is alone.
The Sympathetic Character In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
667 Words | 3 PagesThe definition of a sympathetic character is one whom the writer expects the reader to identify with and care about, though not necessarily admire. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife, a main character in the book is blatantly portrayed as an unsympathetic character. This is because they only see her through the men's eyes, who only see her as a tiresome object, owned by her husband. Steinbeck’s portrayal of Curley’s wife is unfair and misogynistic because he only displays her as unintelligent and promiscuous, never has a character have a turning point where they realize she’s more than an object, and he never reveals her true name. The first reason that Steinbeck's portrayal of Curley’s wife is unfair is that he never gives Curley any redeeming personality traits, he only depicts her as unintelligent and promiscuous.
Mental Disabilities In John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice And Men'
644 Words | 3 PagesRobert Jenkins Mrs. Daquelente English 2 8 May 2023 Formal Outline: Cause-and-Effect Essay Thesis: Lennie, Curlys wife, and Crooks are characters from John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men whose struggles with mental disability, overly protective mother, and racism lead to broken dreams that negatively impacted their lives. Body Topic A: To begin, Lennie’s experience with his mental disability ruined his dream and drastically changed his future of owning a farm with George and taking care of bunnies. Direct Quote #1-Lennie explained that “I’d pet 'em, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead”(Steinbeck).
How Did George Make The Handicap In Of Mice And Men
901 Words | 4 PagesDo you know someone, or have you ever been around someone who is mentally handicap? Seeing a loved one, or a friend go through the struggles that mentally handicap have no choice in is very heartbreaking. If you do know someone or have been around a mentally handicapped person, then you would personally know the relationship between George Milton and Lennie Small in John Steinbeck's book, Of Mice and Men. It seems like quite a few little mishaps have happened leading up to the big mishap. When it comes down to it, I think George made the right decision in killing Lennie because Lennie never truly learned from his mistakes, he was with his best friend when he died, and Lennie’s death was not painful.
How Does Steinbeck Present The Mentally Ill In Of Mice And Men
566 Words | 3 PagesJohn Steinbeck shows how the mental ill are treated, and the issue is mirrored in
Examples Of Foreshadowing In Of Mice And Men
1678 Words | 7 PagesThis triggers Lennie to react harshly by “bouncing” the pup too hard and killing the puppy onsight. Lennie becomes troubled with the situation because he remember that George will not let him tend the rabbits in their dream ranch, so he proceeds to hide the puppy in the hay when Curley’s unnamed wife shows up to the barn where he is located. Lennie is first estranged to Curley’s wife,but as time passes on they become close and give up information to each other. Curley’s wife expresses the pain she has felt when
Mental Illness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
857 Words | 4 PagesOf Mice and Men: Lennie’s Mental Illness The novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, is a story about two men and their companionship. The story takes place in California during the Great Depression. The two men have a dream to one day own a farm of their own. This dream never comes true and they are forced to work for someone else on a ranch for the rest of their lives.
The Role Of Mental Disabilities In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
441 Words | 2 Pages“No matter how much sometimes you dare to dream, send happy thoughts into the universe, no matter what you do some of your dreams will never come true” (Unknown). In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, at the time of the Great Depression, two men, George and Lennie, venture to California in hopes to find work. Because Lennie is wanted for raping a woman, George and Lennie must escape the “law” by fleeing to the next town. Through the character of Lennie, Steinbeck shows that issues outside the control of an individual often limit the achievement of his dreams. “‘But he never hurt her.
Human Condition In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
573 Words | 3 PagesThe book Of Mice and Men is full of puzzling examples of the human condition, from Lennie and his mental disability to Curley only caring about his social appearance. With characters like these two, the book exploits the human condition that concerns circumstances life has given you. John Steinbeck brings to life what being a laborer in the American depression meant to the men and one woman who had enough personality to stand out. Steinbeck shows the human condition of men while they survive in the American depression.
Of Mice And Men Lennie To Blame Analysis
731 Words | 3 PagesPeople today with mental disabilities are often criticized for not being “up to par” with everyone else in the world. This is true especially in the 1920’s, in which the novel Of Mice and Men takes place. Take Lennie Small for example, a large and hefty man, who has a mental disability. He, as a character, is blamed for the heinous act of murdering the antagonist’s wife, whose name is never revealed. It is true that Lennie does fracture her neck, but he does so without knowing.
More about Mental Disorders In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
How Does Lennie Small Present The Mental Disorder In Of Mice And Men
389 Words | 2 PagesHow Does Steinbeck Present The Psychoanalytical Lens In Of Mice And Men
652 Words | 3 PagesHow Does Steinbeck Suffer The Most In Of Mice And Men
606 Words | 3 PagesHow Did George Kill Lennie's American Dream
658 Words | 3 PagesHow Should George Be Punished For Lennie's Death
781 Words | 4 PagesJohn Steinbeck Dehumanize Lennie Small
1305 Words | 6 PagesThe Sympathetic Character In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
667 Words | 3 PagesMental Disabilities In John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice And Men'
644 Words | 3 PagesHow Did George Make The Handicap In Of Mice And Men
901 Words | 4 PagesHow Does Steinbeck Present The Mentally Ill In Of Mice And Men
566 Words | 3 PagesExamples Of Foreshadowing In Of Mice And Men
1678 Words | 7 PagesMental Illness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
857 Words | 4 PagesThe Role Of Mental Disabilities In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
441 Words | 2 PagesHuman Condition In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
573 Words | 3 PagesOf Mice And Men Lennie To Blame Analysis
731 Words | 3 Pages