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How Does Steinbeck Use Symbols In Of Mice And Men

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In the book Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses powerful symbolism to convey the themes of the novella. George and his partner Lennie have worked on different farms throughout their lives. This story takes place in Salinas, California and covers their conflicts and friendships on the farm. Steinbeck uses symbols like: George and Lennie’s dream, Candy’s dog, and Lennie’s puppy. George and Lennie’s dream is one of the center themes in the novella. They both insist that they are different from other men who travel to different farms alone. "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place… With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us… Someday- we're gonna get the jack together and we're gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an' a cow and some pigs." (pg. 7) The dream they share symbolises their close family-like relationship they share. They are empowered by the fact that they are not alone in achieving their dream. Lennie and George believe that this advantage makes their dream more achievable. The farm …show more content…

"He's all stiff with rheumatism. He ain't no good to you, Candy. An' he ain't no good to himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Candy?" (pg. 2) They believe that Candy should put down his dog to end it’s suffering from its many ailments. Carlson and Slim decide for him that his dog’s life is no longer worth living. This establishes the theme of another person deciding if someone else should die. Later in the novel, George decides to kill Lennie before he gets lynched by Curley; George is in the same position as Candy previously was in Chapter 3. Candy regrets not shooting his dog himself and shows solidarity for George due to experiencing the same

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Page 49 paragraph 3 And this harsh conversation goes on until Candy says just take him, as if he has lost all hope. Now why would Candy want to live either he lost his only friend and now inside has a bubbling boil of lava that hurts him. So with Carlson put up with the dog he can’t take it anymore and kills the dog on the spot without Candy saying

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954 Words | 4 Pages

Of Mice and Men tells a story based in California during the 1930s; of two men who have very different characteristics, but share the same goal. The men, George and Lennie, are migrant workers. At their new job, they meet many individuals: Candy, who is very old and cleans the bunkhouse; Curley, who is the boss’s son; Curley's wife, Crooks, the stable hand; and Slim, who is known as the “prince of the ranch.” Though they recently started, their new job quickly goes downhill. John Steinbeck’s book is carefully written and often uses hints to foretell what will happen next.

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Candy admits to George that he wishes he had killed the dog himself rather than allowing Carlson to do it after Charlson kills it. Given that George is Lennie's closest friend, this statement predicts his choice to shoot Lennie. Carlson criticizes the existence of Candy's dog. He mentions Candy's dog's odor and gently offers to kill the old dog with his trusty Lunger. "I oughtta of shot that dog myself, George.

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743 Words | 3 Pages

The death of Curley’s wife and the death of Lennie. The death of Candy’s dog was very long and exaggerated. The killing of the old dog was brought up by Carlson because Carlson thought the dog smelled terrible. Carlson said to Candy, “Well, I can’t stand him [Candy’s dog] in here.” (Steinbeck 44).

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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.

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1269 Words | 6 Pages

The book “Of Mice And Men” was written in 1937 by John Steinbeck, the time is set during Great Depression. Steinbeck uses many major themes, to convey an interesting story. One of the major ideas that really tracks the reader, are the uses of symbols of by Steinbeck. First, there is Lennie.

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864 Words | 4 Pages

When Carlson shot Candy’s dog, Candy began to see himself in his dog. He began to see how alone he is, and started to believe that he was useless. Candy had a very hard time dealing with being lonesome after the passing of his dog. This created an idea in his head that in the near future he would be all on his own, with no job, and nowhere to go. Candy had been working on the ranch for a very long time, and during that time he had lost his hand.

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Of Mice and Men Dreams help motivate people to keep moving forward with a goal in their life. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie travel together as migrant workers through California looking for a job. Their dream is to own their own ranch after finding a job that pays well. But impossible from the challenges that they gain along the way. The dreams in the novel affects the characters lives on how they feel towards one another, and themselves.

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When George and Lennie are together, they enjoy discussing their ideas for achieving the American Dream. They believe they will "have a little house and a couple acres" and "a rabbit hutch and chickens" in the future. The quote showcases George and Lennie's profound devotion and dedication to their friendship. Their mutual aspiration to reside together in the future and assist each other in all circumstances reinforces their connection. It enables them to overcome challenging situations by providing a collective goal to look forward to; they serve a purpose in each other's lives.

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He wouldn’t even quiver’” (Steinbeck 45). Candy’s acquiescence to this act is not one of cruelty

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One of John Steinbeck most notable works, Of Mice and Men, a novella based on American life in the 1910s, tells the story of George and Lennie. Two ranch workers based in California who travel around the state trying to find work during the Great Depression. As George and Lennie are hired at a new farm, concepts such as friendship and violence appear in the novella. Steinbeck develops these ideas using elements such as imagery, syntax, and details. Towards the end of chapter one, Lennie and George had gotten into an argument, an argument bad enough for Lennie to suggest that he leaves.

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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.

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Of mice and men is a prominent book read by most high school students for a long time. Of mice and men is a book written by John Steinbeck. In the book George and Lennie had to run out of weed, so they looked for a ranch to work on. Lennie had issues with liking soft things that lead to him killing Curley's’ Wife and a puppy. To express that the american dream is impossible to achieve Steinbeck uses conversations, conflicts, and events.

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451 Words | 2 Pages

"You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn 't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody 'd shoot me..." - ( Steinbeck, 60. ) Candy, and his dog.

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Abortion has been an ongoing issue in America in recent years. Many protests stating that it is the human right whether a mother decides to keep her child or not. However, a big chunk of the people in the United States believes that abortions are cruel and label them as a murder. Back in the 18th century, abortions were allowed under the law and which many people practiced. The issue only became illegal when “quickening” occurs.

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