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Social Barriers In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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John Steinbeck wrote the novella “Of Mice and Men” in the 1930s and featured hindering social barriers which were prevalent at that time. “Of Mice and Men” entails two migrant ranch workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, moving to their new work in Soledad. Their friendship was unique. George acted as Lennie’s guardian despite not having been educated. George felt the sense of responsibility towards Lennie because Lennie is mentally challenged. After being hired on the new ranch, they were confronted by the boss’s son, Curly thought he can pick on Lennie because of Lennie’s lack of understanding. Consequently, Curly reserved a crushed hand by Lennie. Curly judged Lennie by his mental capability rather than taking the time to learn that Lennie
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In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the author uses the motif of barriers to show that causes that lead into the failure of these character hopes and dreams. The ability to own your own land is the main dream held by four of the characters in the book. The idea of owning your own land is a simile for a life of happiness. There are two other unattainable dreams which are held by Curley's wife, and Crooks. Curley's wife once had an offer to become an actress in Hollywood, however the person never bequeathed the job to her.

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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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666 Words | 3 Pages

The novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck is a gripping tale of two men and their lives during the Great Depression. George Milton and Lennie Small are two migrant workers who travel together finding work. They take on a new job “bucking barley” at a ranch in central California for the ranch owner and his son. While working at the ranch they encounter Curley the ranch owner’s son and his wife, a flirtatious woman. The story reaches a climax when Lennie unintentionally kills Curley’s wife and runs back to the Salinas River just as George instructed.

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751 Words | 4 Pages

The fictional novel Of Mice And Men, by John Steinbeck depicts a tragic time during The Great Depression of two migrant ranch workers. George Milton and Lennie Small are the main characters, who have known each other since they were younger, and because of special circumstances George vowed to look after Lennie. The novel takes place near the Salinas River in California resulting in their shared dream of having a ranch of their own. As the two approach a ranch, they realize that it would be a felicitous place to stay in, as long as their plans go as planned. Despite the troubles they endure Lennie and George manage to stick by each others side.

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1455 Words | 6 Pages

John Steinbeck tells the story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, in his novel, Of Mice and Men. George and Lennie are two men who travel together and find themselves working on a ranch in Salinas Valley, California. On the ranch they meet Slim, Candy, Crooks, Carlson, and Curley who are all workers that live in the bunkhouse with George and Lennie. As they make new friends and work through their struggles they stick together. Throughout the book Steinbeck uses figurative language to compare Lennie to an animal.

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1369 Words | 6 Pages

In the story Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, it mainly takes place on a ranch where two migrant workers, Lennie and George travel around to find work. Throughout the story George helps Lennie throughout the whole story because Lennie is mentally handicapped and has trouble thinking. Lennie cannot be by himself and needs help with simple tasks. George has a large amount of responsibility for Lennie as he always has to care for him. There were events throughout the story where Lennie does some bad things that gets him and George in trouble and at risk of getting kicked out of the ranch.

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181 Words | 1 Pages

The Great Depression of 1930s, was the deepest and the longest-lasting economic downturn in history. About 273,000 families were homeless and had to live a nomadic life, working in ranches hunting for food and money. During this huge crisis of the world, prejudice and segregation was clearly noticeable in the ranches. Compared to the white people, the situation was much more worse for the African-Americans. They were treated with the least respect and dignity and were isolated from others.

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Nearly a million migrant workers had traveled to California looking for work due to The Great Depression. A rare percent of migrant workers had luckily found work but also faced tragic events. George, a small but quick fellow and his partner Lennie, a tall but with the mind of a juvenile kid were part of that rare percent of migrant workers in John Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men. They faced a horrendous choice that George had to make for Lennie. Either, to end his life, or to let him suffer.

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541 Words | 3 Pages

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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In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the era of the Great Depression in the 1930’s is revealed through a simple story of ranch workers who hope to improve their lives. Migrant workers, George and Lennie, have a friendship that is based on trust and protection. The other workers lack the companionship and bond that these two men have. In the novel, the absence and presence of friendship is the motivation for the characters’ actions.

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The initial paragraphs of John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men introduces Lennie and George, two men living on the road, in search of a job. Both men have dreams of their own and depend on each other in order to achieve them. George takes care of Lennie, who is mentally incapable, while Lennie provides company to George. These men wander around hoping to achieve the American Dream. They continue to go after it, without realizing that they will never be able to obtain it.

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1262 Words | 6 Pages

Of Mice and Men is John Steinbeck’s most successful early novel containing elements of social criticism shaped by this real life experience. Steinbeck drew his inspiration for the work from his experience living and working as a “bindlestiff” during the 1920’s. Instead of graduating from Stanford University, Steinbeck chose to support himself through manual labour whilst writing. His experience amongst the working classes in California lent authenticity to his depiction of the lives of the workers - who are the central characters of this novel; and the social issues that ensue. To further emphasize the loneliness of the itinerant worker Steinbeck then decides to set the novel near Soledad, California, a town name that means “Solitude” in Spanish.

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1067 Words | 5 Pages

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a short novel that packs a punch and really looks back at America’s past and mistakes. Steinbeck paints a picture of the late 1920s and early 1930s through two men, George and Lennie. George looks after the mentally challenged Lennie and must take action by soon ending Lennie’s life. The characters in the novel all struggle with heartbreaking conflicts but, no one else suffers more than Lennie and George. These conflicts are often supported imagery in the text.

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719 Words | 3 Pages

Ancient myths are stories that we hear as stories but for the inhabitants of the ancient world, they were fact. The people in those times depended on the stories much like religions today depend on their own stories that they each regard as fact. The ancient myths started as songs and spoken stories until they were written down either in stone or script. We have been able to dig them up and study them to learn about the culture and politics of ancient civilizations. The authors of the myths were often close to or patrons of those in positions of power.

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605 Words | 3 Pages

George and Lennie, prominent characters in the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, are migrant workers—men who move from place to place to do seasonal work— who end up in California and are faced with numerous problems. Set in the era of the great depression, the story of Lennie and George, two very different men who have formed a family-like union, takes place on a farm where Lennie struggles to stay out of trouble. Having committed an unintentional, harmful act, Lennie is faces severe consequences; and George must decide to make a necessary decision which changes the mood of the entire novel. By the comparison and contrast of George and Lennie, unique characters who are very different from each other, the reader can better acquaint himself

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