Analyse how Steinbeck uses one literary technique constantly throughout the text to develop the reader’s understanding of key ideas and/or characters in Of Mice and Men. Introduction The literary technique, foreshadowing, is used constantly throughout John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men to inform readers about future events that will happen in the novel. This foreshadowing allows his audience to interpret key ideas, and in particular about protagonist Lennie and his lack of understanding regarding his own strength. Foreshadowing provides insight to the main protagonists; George and Lennie, assisting readers to gain a deeper understanding of their character traits and qualities. Key events that foreshadow the death of Lennie in the lives …show more content…
Since Lennie likes patting soft things he stroked the puppy. He was playing with the puppy and “he made like he’s gonna bite me… an’ I made like I was gonna smack him…an’…an’ I done it. An’ then he was dead.” (pg. 86). This shows the reader that Lennie has the tendency of killing things accidentally because of the unawareness of his strength and foreshadows what the consequences of this might be; that he is capable of killing an animal. Carlson, another ranch worker, pressures Candy to shoot his old dog. Eventually, Candy gives in and agrees to Carlson killing the old dog. Candy later tells George that he “ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.” (pg. 61). He regretted not killing the dog himself since he believed that the dog was his responsibility; since Candy was the dog’s owner. This gives us insight into the character of Candy. He had a feeling of ownership. This foreshadows that George with be faced with a similar decision. But this time George puts Lennie “down” himself, rather than for a stranger to do so. This is what lead George to shoot Lennie himself; the feeling of responsibility and ownership over Lennie. While Curley’s wife was in the ranch talking to