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Of Mice And Men Lightness And Darkness Analysis

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Hope, Disaster and Everything in Between
In Of Mice and Men, author John Steinbeck tells the story of George and Lennie, two friends who encounter both good and evil forces during their work in 1935 California. Steinbeck illustrates these forces in his characters, motifs, and plot, pitting images of lightness and darkness against one another throughout the novel. In analyzing how Steinbeck manipulates light and dark imagery through the hopes and dreams of the men, the negative forces acting against George and Lennie, and the complex personalities of major characters, it becomes clear that everyone is a mixture of good and evil. Steinbeck uses light to illustrate the hopes and dreams characters have for the future. In the beginning of Of Mice …show more content…

The barn is seen as a lonely and desolate place, but also as a place where peace may at last take place. Steinbeck conveys to readers the tranquility of the barn and its seemingly peaceful appearance as a haven or refuge from other suffering in the novel. “The afternoon sun sliced in through the cracks of the barn walls and lay in the bright lines on the hay” (84). This quote not only describes the hay, but also demonstrates how quiet and aloof the farm is from everything else. Its isolation and serenity generates curiosity in readers and causes them to wonder what events might possibly take place in the barn. This later leads to the death of Curley's wife. “The sun streaks high on the wall by now, and the light was growing soft in the barn. Curley's wife lay on her back, and she was half covered with hay” (92). This quote explains how Steinbeck clears the negative vibe that she carried with her. The light is growing softer and so are the dreams of the men and the focus shifts from the woman’s death to an image of peace and rest. After foreshadowing the bad that Curley's wife brought, Steinbeck forgave her by giving her light after her death in the barn. The light shows how she might be dead but she was not as troubling as we might have originally been lead led to believe. He uses light to show the peacefulness

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Foreshadowing Steinbeck uses foreshadowing throughout the novel to predict what is going to happen to Curley's wife at the end of the novel. First, Lennie liked touching soft things. For example, he liked petting mice, getting angry at them, and then killing them. Second, Curley's wife and the color red. For example, she always had red clothes on which was a sign of danger.

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670 Words | 3 Pages

(Steinbeck 87). She was the only woman on the farm with a bunch of men. Including her very jealous and rude husband. A key to being cheerful is social interaction and that was something Curley’s wife did not have. However, it allows the person to feel like they have someone they trust and can count on.

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166 Words | 1 Pages

The first way Steinbeck shows that Curley’s wife is a victim is by showing her dislike for Curley. In the novel, a lot of information was given when Curley’s wife was speaking to Lennie. Steinbeck states, “Well, I ain’t told nobody this before. Maybe I ought’n to. I don’ like Curley.

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149 Words | 1 Pages

It doesn’t make it any better when she tells Crooks, Candy and Lennie that all she ever does is listen to Curley talk about how he is going to beat up another man. This will give the reader a little insight to the fact that Curley’s wife does not have anyone. Steinbeck also gives of the feeling of loneliness from her when she confesses to Lennie that Curley's doesn't treat her right, giving her the feeling that with Curley not giving her any attention nor treating her the right way, that she

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900 Words | 4 Pages

Directed by Gary Sinise and released in 1992, Of Mice and Men is a timeless film that manages to enchant audiences everywhere. It is a film that is quiet and subtle, yet it delivers a strong impact. Everyone can gather some sort of message from the film. The film is very versatile in that sense. It is open to interpretation.

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894 Words | 4 Pages

Steinbeck highlights the men’s disrespect and callousness as they refer to Curley’s wife without regard to her death. Not once does she get respect, not once does she feel love. Instead, she dies in hatred and is painted the perpetrator rather than the victim; her beauty kills her in the eyes of the

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1005 Words | 5 Pages

In the book Of MIce and Men, Steinbeck creates the character “Curley’s wife” to be a victim of loneliness. The author made this character the way that she is to show that there is loneliness happening in the Great Depression time period. Steinbeck also incorporated the theme loneliness and showed it a lot through Curley’s wife to show that George and Lennie’s friendship is very important. The other characters in the book Of Mice and Men do not have a friendship like that let alone Curley’s wife. Some of Curley’s wife's actions can now be better understood knowing that she is lonely and that Curley is not nice to her.

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917 Words | 4 Pages

As george and lennie are always on the run, George reaches the limit of how much responsibility he is willing to take. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a novel about the importance of companionship and devotion for one another. George and Lennie are on a journey to find a place where they can both be free, but as challenges come closer George has to take responsibility for Lennie's actions. George takes responsibility for Lennie at every step along the way, up until the very end of Lennie’s life.

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194 Words | 1 Pages

Not only does Steinbeck use Curley's wife, he uses George and Lennie's relationship give a sense of friendship and loneliness as well. A significant source of friendship comes directly from George and Lennie's relationship. "I wouldn't eat none, George. I'd leave it all for you, you could have your beans with it and I wouldn’t touch none of it" (Steinbeck 11). Exemplifying the relationship theme John has created in this book.

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1378 Words | 6 Pages

Curley’s wife is portrayed to be a “tart”, someone who is always flirting with other people. When she is first introduced, Steinbeck writes “ The rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off”, which gives the impression that Curley’s wife is ominous and perilous for Lennie and George. The imagery implies that Curley’s wife is the darkness in their lives and that she is the obstacle in the journey of accomplishing the American Dream. During the climax of Steinbeck’s novella, he writes “ The light was growing soft now” represents the slow release of her soul and that darkness slowly filling the barn and their lives. It also indicates the gradual discharge of hope and belief from the minds of Lennie, George and Candy.

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605 Words | 3 Pages

This scene shows that Curley’s wife never wanted to be on the farm, she wanted to go be a star and get out of her small town. This dream ended when she married Curley, who moved her to an even smaller town. In addition, during this time period it was practically impossible for women to divorce their husbands. This meant she couldn’t leave Curley, even in the name of the law.

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935 Words | 4 Pages

After she admits this to Lennie, she goes a step further, admitting, “...I couldn’t get nowhere or make something or myself… So I married Curley… I don’t like Curley” (Steinbeck 89). Curley’s wife’s American Dream comes to a halting stop, despite having what it takes, and being a Natural, she was still unable to succeed. She had to settle for unhappiness, as all people have to, due to the unattainability of the American Dream in this capitalist

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1153 Words | 5 Pages

"(Steinbeck 32) Curley's wife knows her beauty is her power over the man, and she uses it to flirt with the ranch hands and make her husband jealous. She is always alone on the ranch, and her husband has seen to it no friends and no one can will talk to her without fearing a

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764 Words | 4 Pages

Curley’s wife’s dream shows Steinbeck’s theme in that her American dream is very unrealistic and it is one of the dreams that don't come true. Curley’s wife has a very vain dream. She wants to become an actress and live in Hollywood. To always have the spotlight on her and live and extravagant lifestyle.

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1247 Words | 5 Pages

She walked around the men working, avoiding her husband at all costs. She used manipulation to get into the men's heads, especially Lennie’s. The author makes the reader assume that Curley's wife does not have any worth to anyone by not even revealing her name. Although throughout the novella, Curley’s wife is looked at as a bad person, Steinbeck tries to change the

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