Comparison Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men to serve as a piece of social commentary; his characters serve as individual representations of typical members of Depression-era society. Similar to Mark Twain’s satirical novel on racism, Puddn’head Wilson, Steinbeck utilizes an unusual technique by representing the American minorities and their stance on the country’s epidemic. A black stable hand, Crooks, directs towards Lennie, “A guy needs somebody―to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick.” (Steinbeck 72). Lennie and George are two, average men running away from poverty. Their companionship is unconventional yet beneficial. Other workers on the ranch turn heads and comment on such an odd couple. Crooks is no

It is this same problem that essentially lead to George’s demise. Ultimately, Lennie’s death signifies defeat of aspiration and victory of realism. Once Lennie is eliminated, George's chances of achieving his lifelong dream alongside Crooks and Candy are phenomenal. Other characters such as Crooks and Candy have the physical and financial means to achieve said dream and skeptically admire the idea, but lack Lennie’s innocence. George shooting Lennie is the best possible outcome for all concerned. The action can be paralleled to the self-realization that one’s hopes are being set too high and adjusting to make goals more attainable. George and Lennie had completely contrasting characteristics. Such distinct differences contributed to failure. Furthermore, Spilka recognizes, “George himself invites the troubles ahead, makes things go astray, uses Lennie to provoke and settle his own quarrel with a hostile world…” (20). Here, George is introduced as a character that manipulates Lennie. George did have sole control over Lennie; Lennie pays for over-dependence with his own life. The two characters follow patterns that determine