How Does Steinbeck Present Strong Emotions In Of Mice And Men

A water snake gliding leisurely across a still pool is swallowed whole by a heron, lurking in the shadows. A mouse is thrown violently across a river. Two dogs are killed- one shot and one manhandled. A woman is strangled and hidden in a pile of hay. A man is shot in the head while speaking passionately of his dream. Any person would probably feel pity for the snake and the mouse, sadness for the dogs, horror for the woman and the man. However, back in the 1930s, showing strong emotions of sorrow as a working class man would have you pinned as sensitive and weak. Many men grew cold over time and didn’t show any strong emotion at all. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the disregard shown for death throughout the book illustrates how the difficult lives of ranch workers affects their

The only person who showed any emotion at Lennie’s death was George, and he was the one who shot him. The rest of the men showed no emotion besides Curley and Carlson, who were confused why George was so mellow, despite the fact that George just murdered his best friend to keep him safe from them, “Slim said, ‘You hadda, George. I swear you had-da. Come on with me.’ He led George into the entrance of the trail and up toward the highway. Curley and Carlson looked after them. And Carlson said, ‘Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?’”. George didn’t even cry, didn’t even shed a tear, and the only time he spoke was when Carlson was asking how George killed Lennie. None of the men were upset or sad at the sight of their coworker, slumped down, face in the sand with a bullet in the back of his skull. They probably walked back to the ranch to sleep or get a drink with a friend, not realizing the scar this will forever leave on George’s life, after he killed the man he promised to