The Role Of Sorrow In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the word sorrow is used to develop the complex personality of Lennie Small. The story is centered around two migrant farmers; Lennie, who has a mental disability, and George, who watches over and protects Lennie from getting into any trouble. With his illness, Lennie feels the constant need to feel soft things, so when he accidentally killed his puppy by petting him to rough, we became nothing short form an emotional wreck. After Lennie realized the horrible mistake he had made, he came to the shocking realization that George may not let him tend to the rabbits that they hope to own in the future. After a failed attempt to bury his puppy, Lennie “rocked himself back and forth in his sorrow” (Steinbeck 85). Through his actions,

The story is centered around two migrant farmers; Lennie, who has a mental disability, and George, who watches over and protects Lennie from getting into any trouble. One of the mens’ fellow workers, Curley, has a wife who is constantly ignored and discriminated against because of her gender. While attempting to reassure Lennie after the loss of his pup, Lennie repeatedly states that he must follow George’s orders and avoid talking to her. Frustrated, Curley’s wife begins to rant about her true feelings after stating “‘I get lonely’” (Steinbeck 87). She goes on to explain that she does not appreciate the way the men on the ranch treat her with disrespect. The fact that she can stand up for herself, even though she’s all alone, reveals just how strong and confident of a person Curley’s wife truly is. If she had continued bottling up all of her emotions, she would have never had the chance to express her true emotions. This why why “‘I get lonely’” is the most important phrase used in chapters five and six of the novella Of Mice and