Comparing Steinbeck's 'Of Mice And Men'

Hanna Mann

7 October, 2015

Period 3

Inevitable Melancholy Humans and mice have more in common than what society think. The two are so alike that both mice and men share almost 99% of the same genes. In Robert Burns’ poem “To a Mouse” and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men all the characters have a goal. The quote in Robert Burns’ poem, “The best laid schemes of mice and men go aft astray, and leave us naught but pain and sorrow for promised joy” can connect to both stories and how each character wants to strive to achieve their goal. In life, there will be plans that aspire both mice and men, yet many times those schemes backfire and dreams will become pain and sorrow instead of joy. Curley’s wife and Lennie hope that their aspirations will become a reality, yet not knowing that their joy will never come.

While in the barn with Lennie, Curley’s wife gloats, “‘He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural’” (88). Curley’s wife needs endless attention and a luxury life to keep her satisfied. The thought for her to be famous and have others love her is just what Curley’s wife wants. She continues her story by stating, “‘I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella’” (89). Curley’s wife was so desperate for attention that she marries a man who handles her as if she were property. Instead, she should have tried harder to make her dream come true than giving her life up to Curley who treats her like she is worthless. Curley’s wife’s outcome for her aspiration did not end happily, but Lennie’s joy however is tantamount to Curley’s