Of Mice And Men Animal Imagery Analysis

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Animal imagery shows to represent valuable meaning to Steinbeck’s work through brutality, foreshadowing of death, and misery. Of Mice and Men is a novel published by John Steinbeck in 1937. Animal imagery goes on to play a key role in small town in California, as Lennie Smalls and George Milton dive into the hardest times of the great depression. Moments will be hard, but animal imagery will facilitate the reader’s views about the life. Brutality can be defined as a state of acting or being compared to an animal or beast, consequently acting with little intelligence and a high altitude of violence. Animal imagery is seen throughout the book in a high manner, specifically with Lennie as George often scowls Lennie about behaving well. In the beginning of the book, Lennie is introduced firmly in the first pages as both men get close to a water stream. Lennie 's brain never seemed to function properly as having fun meant the world to Lennie, “Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his finger so the water arose" (3). The instincts of bear signify brutality and little intelligence as Steinbeck 's imagery about Lennie portray …show more content…

Misery and friendship represent the animal imagery used by Steinbeck through Candy 's dog. Carey’s dog portrays the misery during the 30 's when the Great Depression took part around the world. Carey’s dog compared to Candy himself as both characters are old and suffer from many injuries. Uninspiring, Candy 's dog suffers throughout the book from standing still to moving around with Candy. Friendship and misery take part as Candy 's dog follows Candy around but suffers all around, “his ancient dog lifted his head … peered … and then painfully got his feet” (28). Candy 's dog symbolizes the misery of life, and its nature brings from the pleasure of the early days to the desolation of the last remaining days. Misery is seen through Candy’s dog as everyone suffers, from Candy’s broken hand, to Curley’s wife isolation from the men