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Theme of loss in of mice and men
Of mice and men symbolism
Of mice and men symbolism
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The novella ‘of Mice and Men’ was written by John Steinbeck in the 1930s. It is set in a difficult period of time when America was sunk in deep depression. However, themes of loyalty shine brightly throughout the novella. He shows that even though Americas economy is in tatters, loyalty can still be as prominent. There were also distinct themes of disloyalty, mainly between characters.
Of Mice and Men, a book written by John Steinback that focuses on 1930s California laboring, is placed on a work ranch in California. Candy, a ranch hand, had a dog that he had brought with him to the work ranch and had grown a strong bond with, this is unique because most people travel alone however, another ranch hand, Carlson, did not want the dog around. Carlson thought that the dog had an odor and a poor quality of life and should be euthanized. Candy is suffering with this decision because he knows that the dog is suffering but he also loves the dog and has grown a very strong bond with it. Candy should euthanize the dog because the dog is suffering and the dog is no longer useful to candy and the dog would have a painless death.
Throughout Steinbeck’s naturalistic novel, Of Mice and Men, He portrays two distinctively different men struggling to persevere and survive in an otherwise cruel world. Two migrant workers, George and Lennie thrive off the company of one another and the impossible dream that one day, they will acquire land and make a contented life for themselves. Through their friendship and constant hope for a better life, George and Lennie learn how to survive and cling to aspiration during the harsh Depression era. Steinbeck uses symbolism, irony, and characterization in his classic novel to illustrate the undying hope found in a desperate situation. Steinbeck uses symbolism to portray how people find hope in the direst situations.
Candy's dog eventually gets shot for no reason, other than the fact that the others do not like him. The dog was hated by the other men living on the farm. The sense of feeling that others do not like you is one of the main contributes to lonliness in the world today. Steinbeck attempts to allow readers to recognize this, and change their actions and words towards others to prevent this lonely state in
Steinbeck states in the novel, “You seen what they done to my dog tonight?”(60). An example of Candy telling George and Lennie his problems. Candy still feels upset over his dog death by Carlson. But by using that excuse he got George to agree with him, to let him live in the ranch once they earn enough money. With Candy’s help with George and Lennie’s dream, it is easier and now faster for the three of them to get their ranch.
After Carlson shot Candy’s dog, Candy began to regretted his decision when he says “I ought to of shot that dog myself, George.” (Steinbeck, 61). Candy understood that his dog had to be put down because it was getting old and was in constant pain. Candy believed that because it was his dog he should have been the one put his dog down instead of letting someone else do it for him because it was his responsibility to put him out of his suffering. Not only this but, when George shot Lennie.
There are striking similarities between the types of violence humans inflict in Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men and Robert Burns’ poem "To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough”. In the poem, Burns narrates a situation where, while plowing, accidentally destroys a mouse’s home for the winter. So even though he was unintentional in the causing of distress, it still happened. This situation draws parallels to Lennie inadvertently making George’s life hard and hurting those around him in Of Mice and Men.
Dreams are just conceptions of our mind for longing for more out of our selves. The problem of trying to process or make these dreams happen is the fact that we feel that these dreams will become burden upon not just our body, but our mind as well. For many this may be true, but in the case of George Smalls, this is not the case. George’s Dream or main goal is to be able to care of Lennie. This one dream has influenced most of his choices and has actual become a part of him.
In Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, many of the characters faced times of great disappointment. They are disappointed because dreams or plans didn’t go as they wanted them to. George, Lennie and Curley’s wife are disappointed with their current place in life due to many of their plans going awry. George is one of the “main characters”, and faces times of hardship and disappointment.
Although some critics argue that Of Mice and Men devalues life, the controversy over mercy killing enhances the novel's literary merit because Steinbeck uses literary elements such as foreshadowing, imagery, and complex characters to prompt the reader to discuss and look at the novel’s themes from different perspectives. First of all, the aspect of euthanasia in Of Mice and Men allows Steinbeck to use literary elements to artfully write the novel. For example, Candy, another worker at the farm, has a very sick dog. The other workers convince Candy to let them put it out of its misery, which is one of the first times Steinbeck introduces the theme of euthanasia in the novel.
Despair Among People During the Great Depression People who face great odds will hang on to hope, however, many will lose it to the cruel reality they live in. This is the story told in the novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck. In this novel, Lennie and George are traveling bindle stiffs who experience the losses that come with the Great Depression, and the hope of others that is dashed by the death of one person. This theme of hope and loss is shown through Curley's wife, Candy, and George.
In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie go through ups and downs within their relationship that changes what they thought their future would hold. From day to day Lennie and George encounter unfortunate plans that could’ve been stopped but were not due to Lennie’s incompetence. In his novel, Steinbeck uses motifs of death and characters’ hands as well as foreshadowing to convey that the best of plans can be overruled by the uncertainty of outside forces, ultimately suggesting that life is unpredictable. Steinbeck develops a motif of death through the many different animals that pass away within the novel as a metaphor for the the demise of Lennie and George’s plans. Lennie is never made out to be a killer, that is until
A lot of people have dreams, but do they all have the chance to achieve their dreams the author John Steinbeck. wrote the book of mice and men this book mostly talked about how the characters tried their to achieve their goals,and dream. The three characters that had a big dream, and they couldn’t achieve it were Lennie, George, and crooks. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck, this book talked about dreams, friendships, someone gets to their dream some people don’t get to their dream some people are lonely and the hate being lonely. And each chapter has a new character that a big dream, and new friendship that help each others in their dream.
The characters in Of Mice and Men all have original and unique characteristics inside of them, but no matter how different, they all have the same reactions of giving up when thinking about dreams. The main characters George and Lennie, recently unemployed migrant workers, move to a new ranch for work. Thrown into a cruel, misshapen life that doesn’t end well for the majority of characters, George and Lennie find themselves in a dilemma that seems all too familiar. John Steinbeck uses the characters in Of Mice and Men to show that dreams are fragile and they need friends to support them.
Their dreams give them purpose, hope and the passion to want to work hard. Their dreams become connected to save them from their loneliness, and give them all control over their own destiny, in a time when most people were at the mercy of happenstance and serendipity. Despite the mood in Of Mice and Men, which foreshadowed tragedy even in the most optimistic times, not one of the characters could have for seen that the loneliness of one person would to affect them all by being the demise of their dreams, both collective and