ipl-logo

How Does Steinbeck Use Of The Allusions In Of Mice And Men

635 Words3 Pages

The novella Of Mice and Men is a novel by John Steinbeck about two migrant farmers in Salinas,California working on a ranch during the Great Depression era. In the novel Steinbeck explores and conveys many themes such as loneliness and the idea of achieving the American dream. He does this through the use of allusion to further develop the meaning of the text in Of Mice and Men. By using these allusions Steinbeck is also able to enhance the characters and their actions in the novel. Steinbeck makes several allusions to the biblical stories Garden of Eden,The Story of Cain and Abel,and The Fall of Man to develop the meaning Of Mice and Men. The use of these biblical allusions in Of Mice and Men allows readers to explore themes such as actions …show more content…

This draws a connection to the novella Of Mice and Men because Lennie is differently able and has the innocence of a child,George is tempted to pursue the dream both him and Lennie share of owning a farm which leads to consequences and prevents them from achieving their dream. The Garden of Eden and Of Mice and Men both demonstrate to readers how our decisions and actions can have serious repercussions. The consequences can stop the dreams we want to achieve from occurring. They also allow readers to see that innocence can be compromised by those who are tempted. In the biblical story The Fall of Man,Eve and Adam succumbed to temptation and ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of both good and evil which caused them to be expelled from the garden or paradise.God gave mankind consequences and hardships to live through as a result of the actions made by Adam and Eve. This draws a connection to the novella Of Mice and Men because Lennie loves to pet soft things because he finds comfort in doing so. This temptation of his causes him to accidentally kill Curley’s wife and leads to his own death. The Fall of Man and Of Mice and Men both show the readers the consequences of succumbing to temptation and those consequences causing those to not achieve their dreams or

Show More
Related
416 Words | 2 Pages

In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck uses other characters to foreshadows an event that's going to happen to Lennie and George under the same condition. George and Lennie wanted to fulfill their dreams by working at the ranch, but things do not go smoothly for them as the planned. Like what happened in Weed, meeting Curley’s wife, the unfortunate death of Candy’s dog, and how Lennie does not realize his strength which he might accidentally kill someone shows upcoming events. Many behaviors of Lennie lead to the downfall of George and Lennie’s dream because what happened in Weed, where Lennie scared a girl so like an animal he could not control his impulse to hold on to her dress. This foreshadows that with his uncontrollable strength he could hurt another person impulsively.

Read More
194 Words | 1 Pages

In the story Of Mice and Men, the author John Steinbeck uses figurative language, specifically similes and personification, and sentence structure to highlight the serenity and security of the poolside area. Steinbeck creates a new setting for each new scene of the book with vivid description, and describes the atmosphere as well. Steinbeck’s sentences in the opening of the passage describes how the sun has moved across the sky. “Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan Mountains.” Steinbeck directs the reader’s attention, not only to the sun moving across the mountains, but to the sun climbing the mountains, through the use of personification.

Read More
452 Words | 2 Pages

Imagery is a visually descriptive or figurative language,especially in a literary work. Imagery is a picture that develops in your head from a word or words that describe something. If you say the dog is black with white spots. The words that are gonna get that picture in your head from the previous sentence is black and white spots. Description words is what makes up most of books and stories without them everything you read would be plain.

Read More
1171 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout Of Mice and Men, they’re many allusions of the Bible. It is believed that John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men was influenced also by John Milton's Paradise Lost. Paradise Lost is about Adam and Eve and how they were created and how they came to lose their place in the Garden of Eden because of disobedience. In the Bible, God created the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve to live and tend to. God gave them instructions that they can eat from any tree except the tree of knowledge.

Read More
604 Words | 3 Pages

Written in 1937, Of Mice and Men has become one of the most read—and most debated—novellas of all time. The story begins with two friends, George and Lennie, who embark on a journey working towards their American Dream. George protects Lennie, a large, powerful but mentally disabled man, from the harassment and cruel teasing of those who are too ignorant to know better. George and Lennie’s dream is to find a place of their own, where they can live in peace and dignity, but this dream is shattered by Lennie’s innocent violence. The end of book involves George killing Lennie for a ‘mistake’ he made earlier.

Read More
435 Words | 2 Pages

John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men (1937), explores the complex relationship between dreams and aspirations during a period of immense hardship. Set in California during the Great Depression, the story unfolds amidst the Dust Bowl, where countless Americans, known as "Okies," migrated westward in search of work. Living in shantytowns on the outskirts of farms and ranches, these migrant workers toiled with the hope of a better life, a stark contrast to the harsh realities they faced. Steinbeck masterfully portrays the characters' dreams – a vision of owning their own land – and contrasts them with the stark limitations of their aspirations, ultimately revealing the crushing weight of circumstance on even the most fervent desires. Central to Steinbeck's exploration of this relationship is the enduring dream shared by George and Lennie, two migrant ranch workers.

Read More
666 Words | 3 Pages

Of Mice and Men is a novella by John Steinbeck. The book is about two farmers named George Milton and Lennie Small, who hope to gather enough money to buy an acre of land and work for themselves instead of working for someone on a farm. Lennie hopes that he will be able to own rabbits to pet. However, Lennie will end up killing someone’s wife, this will lead to his death as he is eventually found and killed by George. Steinbeck uses Lennie’s dreams and relationships to show different themes involving the American Dream and the nature of humans in a modern society.

Read More
980 Words | 4 Pages

John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men [1937] shows a glimpse into the harsh realities of American society in the 1930s on a ranch. Crook's experience of false hope, the economic hardships, and the inequalities and limitations Curley's wife faced were major situations to the main theme. Steinbeck used many literary devices such as symbolism, imagery and foreshadowing throughout the book to guide the reader on the emphasis and the emotion. Moreover, through these situations, the main characters serve as a powerful reflection of the hardships and inequalities that took place in America in the 1930s. Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men [1937] is an accurate reflection of American society in the 1930s using techniques such as symbolism with

Read More
1369 Words | 6 Pages

"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck is a remarkable short novel that delves into the lives of two itinerant ranch workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, as they navigate the challenges and dreams of the Great Depression era. Published in 1937, Steinbeck's book resonates with readers by addressing pressing issues in society, such as the pursuit of the American Dream, the pervasive loneliness and isolation experienced by individuals, the inherent human need for companionship, the destructive nature of prejudice, and the delicate and ephemeral nature of dreams and innocence. Steinbeck manages to carefully weave together these themes to create a powerful narrative that explores the complexities of American life as a whole. One of the central

Read More
1675 Words | 7 Pages

Robert Burns once said: “The best laid schemes of Mice and Men oft go awry, And leave us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy!” John Steinbeck titled his book after this poem, and created an allegory in doing so. An allegory is a work where the characters are symbols or ideas. An allegorical novel has a group of such characters interconnected to suggest a moral theme. Of Mice and Men is an allegorical novel because each character within the book suggests a different societal standpoint during the Great Depression era.

Read More
1002 Words | 5 Pages

The eternal quest of the individual human being is to shatter his loneliness. Of Mice and Men is a novella written by the author John Steinbeck. It tells a story of George Milton and Lennie Small; two displaced ranch workers, who are constantly searching for a new job during The Great Depression in California. John Steinbeck displays loneliness from the standpoint of average men living and working on a farm searching for friendship to escape their loneliness. In Of Mice and Men, other than the friendship, the story portrays people who are isolated and lonely like George, who has the responsibility of taking care of Lennie and keeping him out of trouble, Lennie, who is mentally disabled, and lastly, Curley’s wife, who desperately seeks for the

Read More
3538 Words | 15 Pages

The novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck was published in 1937. Steinbeck’s novel is the story of two best friends who are living and working together to reach their hopes and dreams. They find work around the Salinas Valley in California on a ranch there. While together, the two men face several conflicts due to one of them being mentally impaired. This results in a childish grown man who needs someone to look after him.

Read More
791 Words | 4 Pages

Of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck, is a literary novel set during the Great Depression. It’s about two migrant workers on a ranch in Soledad, California. The two, running from Weed fled to a new town with nothing good in store for them. Steinbeck illustrates the motif of loneliness in Of Mice and Men more evidently within Curley’s Wife, Crooks, and Candy with loss and detachment from society.

Read More
758 Words | 4 Pages

Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a wonderful novel. The story takes place during the Great Depression and is centered around the lives of men that work on a ranch in California. When protagonists George and Lennie come to the ranch, they realized how lucky they are to have each other. People on the ranch tell George and Lennie that they often feel lonely. Among those who represent loneliness are Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Curley.

Read More
573 Words | 3 Pages

The book Of Mice and Men is full of puzzling examples of the human condition, from Lennie and his mental disability to Curley only caring about his social appearance. With characters like these two, the book exploits the human condition that concerns circumstances life has given you. John Steinbeck brings to life what being a laborer in the American depression meant to the men and one woman who had enough personality to stand out. Steinbeck shows the human condition of men while they survive in the American depression.

Read More

More about How Does Steinbeck Use Of The Allusions In Of Mice And Men

Related Topics

Open Document