ipl-logo

Use Of Characterization In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1067 Words5 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. Along with these elements, imagery supports characterization throughout the novel. These elements help to support the theme that chaos can occur in even the most peaceful places. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses conflict, imagery, and characterization to strengthen the story, and develop the theme in the novel.

Steinbeck’s development of George and Lennie’s conflicts and even Candy’s help to advance the plot and develop the theme in the novel. George’s internal and external struggle is clear at the beginning of the …show more content…

By using characterization, conflict, and imagery to develop his characters Lennie and George, Steinbeck shows his readers that in any circumstance, good or bad, karma will appear and bring people the things they deserve. The touching and painful ending of Steinbeck's story shows chaos in a peaceful place in which Lennie is dying and yet still existing through all three devices: the characterization of both Lennie and George, the results of the conflicts they faced, and a vivid description of Lennie's death. Even after decades have passed since Steinbeck published this novel, Steinbeck's message to the reader stays the same, chaos can occur in even the most peaceful places. Never leaving people’s sides, always lurking in the shadows, waiting to

Show More
Related
1035 Words | 5 Pages

In John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men”, Lennie and George travel together to work. They discuss the trouble they experience with Lennie's touching things he shouldn't and how that forces them to run, hide, and constantly search for work. Throughout the book, Steinbeck gives just a small picture of all the trouble Lennie has caused and how George continues to guide him to get by. A problem with a girl leads us to chapter 1 and 6, and how they share in setting, but George and Lennie's interactions differ. The similarities and differences of chapter 1 and 6 show how Lennie and George's cohesive friendship with a bright future develops into a loving bond that had to end.

Read More
581 Words | 3 Pages

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, is a story about two close friends who are put through difficult times. This book was made into a movie. Throughout the story George and Lennie become inseparable friends, and face many situations together. The guys go into town without lennie. After Lennie does his bad thing he can’t find the “spot” he’s suppose to go to.

Read More
1317 Words | 6 Pages

He laughed delightedly” (14). In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men the author develops two main characters by the names of George Milton and Lennie Small, these characters share an unbreakable bond. Of Mice and Men takes place in the Salinas Valley, during the Great Depression, George and Lennie are on quest for job opportunities. George and Lennie end up getting a job on a ranch, where they meet many crucial characters. Lennie struggles with mental disabilities, making him slow and clueless, Lennie causes many small issues on the ranch which eventually lead to his death.

Read More
666 Words | 3 Pages

Knowing that Lennie has killed Curley’s wife and will be shot by Curley, George rushes to the river to get to Lennie first. The two men talk for a short while, then George silently brings the gun to Lennie’s head and shoots him. Steinbeck’s use of foreshadowing effective in this novel. Steinbeck

Read More
644 Words | 3 Pages

Many characters in the short story Of Mice and Men meet an untimely demise for reasons that were never expected. Characters in the story that met such a fate include Candy’s dog, Curley’s wife, Lennie’s puppy, and Lennie himself. These deaths and the events that lead up to them bear a certain resemblance to each other. Some of these deaths are not directly related to others, but instead use symbolism to convey the idea that many characters in the story have similar characteristics, so despite their obvious differences, the characters in the story often relate to one another in multiple ways. By using a metaphorical method of writing, John Steinbeck is able to show the reader that some characters, though physically opposite, can be very similar

Read More
1822 Words | 8 Pages

Of mice and men (final) Johns Steinbeck’s 1937 masterpiece “of mice and men” gives insight to the lives of ordinary people affected by the great depression in America, during the 1930s. In the novella the themes of loyalty and disloyalty are a key part of the plot. Steinbeck explores the seminal themes of loyalty and disloyalty by careful use of setting, structure and development of complex character constructs. Also the use of language and imagery in the novella depict the reality of the great depression for many people and the challenges they faced everyday. At the beginning of the novella author John Steinbeck opens with a description of the idyllic natural setting, where “the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green.

Read More
1630 Words | 7 Pages

The novella ‘of Mice and Men’ was written by John Steinbeck in the 1930s. It is set in a difficult period of time when America was sunk in deep depression. However, themes of loyalty shine brightly throughout the novella. He shows that even though Americas economy is in tatters, loyalty can still be as prominent. There were also distinct themes of disloyalty, mainly between characters.

Read More
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.

Read More
937 Words | 4 Pages

By giving Lennie these childish and animalistic qualities, Steinbeck is illustrating how his immaturity causes him to get into trouble and distances him from the other workers. Although, through all of Lennie’s mistakes, George stays with him because he needs his companionship as much as Lennie does as it brings them both hope and strength in their desperate situations as migrant workers during the

Read More
482 Words | 2 Pages

In John Steinbeck's story, Of Mice and Men, we follow two men, the mentally challenged Lennie and his caretaker George, as they try to achieve the “American Dream” of owning land and away from The Depression, which was the current event during the story’s time period of the 1930s. This story hits multiple points such as how Lennie’s childish nature causes problems for certain people, and how Curly’s Wife seems to be a walking troublemaker. But what’s the real story? What’s the true meaning of such themes? In this essay, such themes like Lennie’s mental instability, Curly’s Wife’s emotional abuse/loveless marriage, and the racism toward Crooks will be pointed out and how they relate to today’s times and human right’s issues.

Read More
945 Words | 4 Pages

f Mice and Men Essay - Essays and Analysis Critical Context and Evaluation print Print document PDF list Cite link Link Of Mice and Men is one of the most widely assigned modern novels in high schools because of both its form and the issues that it raises. John Steinbeck’s reliance on dialogue, as opposed to contextual description, makes the work accessible to young readers, as does his use of foreshadowing and recurrent images. Equally important is the way in which he intertwines the themes of loneliness and friendship and gives dignity to those characters, especially Lennie and Crooks, who are clearly different from their peers. By focusing on a group of lonely drifters, Steinbeck highlights the perceived isolation and sense of “otherness”

Read More
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.

Read More
1801 Words | 8 Pages

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.

Read More
550 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the main focus is about conflict between characters. Specifically, George and Lennie, the main characters of the storyline. This story is about how Lennie conflicts with George’s plans for the rest of his life. In this essay, the literary themes that will be discussed, and explained, are; characters and conflict, cause and effect, and problem and solution. First of all, “All conflict we experience in the world, is a conflict within our own selves” (Brenda Shoshanna, Google).

Read More
737 Words | 3 Pages

In this literary novella, Steinbeck digs into the idea of the nature of dreams and that each man must make sacrifices or battle some other outside force to make a dream come true. This follows with the theme that humans give meaning to their life and future by creating dreams. George and Lennie both have vast dreams that influence them in different

Read More

More about Use Of Characterization In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Related Topics

Open Document