Analysis Of To A Mouse, By Raymond Barrio

In the poem, “To a Mouse” by Raymond Barrio, it is apparent that even the best made plans can ultimately fail. There is a small mouse who is preparing himself for the terrible storm that is coming. He is collecting twigs, leaves, and branches to make a home to protect himself, but in the end, the plan fails. All the mouse knows is that a storm is coming and he must do something to keep himself out of harm 's way. He does all that he can to make the best shelter possible, but the mouse’s shelter not only gets destroyed by the storm, but by the farmer running his plow over the creation. The mouse had no hope in fixing his home, and his plan withered away. The destruction of one’s ambitions is also evident in “Clothe the Naked”, “The Scarlet Ibis”,

The main characters, George Milton and Lennie Small, are migrant workers who have a big dream. They want to own their own farm, with their own animals, and their own income. They want the big life, but they have to work hard to get there. George is the leader of the two men. He is smart, short-witted, and willing to work hard for his pay. Lennie is the complete opposite. He is large, slow, and has no concept of moral sense. George tells Lennie, frequently, not to speak because he might blow things for the two of them. They need the money to buy their farm, or else they will be working this way for the rest of their lives. Lennie tended to mess things up. He could not control himself, and would force the men to run away to work somewhere else. He had a fascination with soft things, especially mice. He would keep them in his pocket and stroke their fur, but he would always end up snapping their necks because he had no control over his own strength. Lennie did not know the power he had. Lennie’s mistakes lead him to make the biggest mistake of them all. He killed his boss’s wife. Her hair was too soft for him not to touch, and he could not let go. The boss’s wife was screaming and crying, but the only way Lennie knew how to shut her up was by killing her. “‘George is gonna say I done a bad thing. He ain’t gonna let me tend the rabbits.’ He moved his hand a little and a hoarse cry came out,” (Steinbeck 91). Lennie wanted the rabbits badly, but he unknowingly ruined any chance at his future ranch. There was an underlying conflict that would not go away. Lennie was fighting with himself, trying to let go and do the right thing, but he just could not do it. There was no way for him to stop, and there was nothing that could be done about it. Of course Lennie’s internal conflict lead to an even bigger external conflict between the men on the ranch. Steinbeck used