Comparing Of Mice and Men and John Steinbecks Life Essay

John Steinbecks agricultural upbringing in the California area vibrantly shines through in the settings and story lines of the majority of his works. Steinbecks novel, Of Mice and Men, takes place in the Salinas Valley of California. The drama is centered around two itinerant farm workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, with a dream of someday owning a place of their own. Lennie Small is a simple-minded, slow moving, shapeless hulk with pale eyes whose enormous physical strength often causes him to get into trouble. George Milton on the other hand is small in stature, clever, dark of face and eyes, and acts as Lennies guardian and calming force. Early in the story the prospect of their ever realizing their dream seems remote,†¦show more content†¦The plan is doomed virtually from the beginning not only because human fellowship cannot survive, but also because the image of the farm, as conceived by George, Lennie, and Candy, is overly idealized. The probability being that life, even if they obtained the farm, would not be as they envision. The fruits and vegetables in abundance, the livestock and domestic animals, and the community of people involved are unreasonable expectations. The greater part of the novels appeal, George and Lennies relationship, although far from what one could call a reciprocal friendship, intrigues the reader in the same way many comic duos intrigue. It is easy to identify with the smart guy who helplessly tries to cope with and control his irrational, dumb and, yet, spontaneous, child-like partner as they lurch from one self-inflicted crisis to another. Steinbeck uses that classic comic routine so that the reader warmly identifies and recognizes the relationship. Steinbecks narrator establishes and characterizes Georges lording of power and control over Lennie early in the first chapter: Georges hand remained outstretched imperiously. Slowly, like a terrier who doesnt want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again. George snapped his fingers sharply, and at the sound Lennie laid the mouse in his hand (Steinbeck 9). Unlike the typical Disney ending, Steinbeck delivers a harsh, butShow MoreRelated Comparing the Novel and Movie of Steinbecks Of Mice and Men1297 Words   |  6 PagesComparing the Novel and Movie of Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Who doesnt know of John Steinbecks classic novel Of Mice and Men? It is a novel that almost everyone educated in the United States has either read it or pretended to read it. But how many have seen the 1992 film Of Mice and Men? The relative obscurity of 1992 screen version of this timeless drama does not mean that it was poorly done. Just the contrary is true, it is one of the best film adaptations of a novel that I haveRead MoreOf Mice And Men : Friendship And Loneliness1274 Words   |  6 Pages Of Mice and Men: Friendship and Loneliness Peyton Willett Period 1 In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men a man and his mentally slow best friend embark on the journey of life together. Their friendship is very strong and this is unusual due to the other characters in the book being very lonely. Every time the two men get a job Lennie makes a mistake and they are forced to leave. After all of their intense work they hope they can finally have their dream and get a place theyRead MoreSteinbeck and His Techniques for Success in Of Mice and Men924 Words   |  4 Pagesget a better understanding of Lennie and George, the two main characters Of Mice and Men. It also helps in keeping readers thinking on their feet and constantly questioning George and Lennie`s next move while in Salinas, California. John Steinbeck, in his novel Of Mice and Men, makes use of similes and foreshadowing to keep readers in touch with the characters and at the edge of their seats throughout the story. John Steinbeck uses similes to build and create powerful characters that touch theRead MoreComparing John Steinbeck s Mice And Men And The Grapes Of Wrath1126 Words   |  5 PagesComparing and Contrasting Steinbeck John Steinbeck is a famous author known for many of his short stories, as well as the books Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. His works have been studied and analyzed often because of his unique ability to create symbolism from small amounts of text. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† is a short story written by John Steinbeck, and was first published in 1939. It tells the story of a woman who feels she is capable of completing any task a man can, but is set back byRead MoreAnalysis Of The Sphinx And Of Mice And Men 1493 Words   |  6 Pagesin the city the Sphinx was guarding. 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Although George and Lennie differentiate inRead MoreAre Women Destructive Forces?1674 Words   |  7 Pageslady is not calculated through the sufferings her adversities in life had given her, but through the degree of her refusal to permit those adversities to direct her and decide who she ends up to be. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter in the early 1800’s about a disgraced woman who emerged from the shadows to alter the precise definition of the disgraceful letter â€Å"A† on her chest. Later, John Steinbeck composed Of Mice and Men in the 1930’s that depicted Curleys spouse as determined but alsoRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1312 Words   |  6 PagesHinton’s The Outsiders, there are three major deaths occurring in the novel: Bob, Johnny, and Dally. Similarly, in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, there are also three major deaths of Candy’s dog, Curley’s wife, and Lennie. The Outsiders is a story depicting the life of Ponyboy Curtis, who is struggling to find his place in the world while battling the rival gang, the Socs. Of Mice and Men is a story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, who are bound together and share the dream of one day owningRead MoreIsolation And The American Dream1022 Words   |   5 Pagesof separating something from other things. Some may relate isolation to a disease or as to just being a â€Å"loner†. To feel isolated and lonely you feel like there is no hope, no future, no dreams or goals in store for you. Which in John Steinbeck’s novel Of The Mice and Men, shows all throughout in the characters. The novel takes place in Soledad, which Steinbeck describes as a very depressing environment, especially since the characters and migrant workers are being faced with dealing with The DustRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1485 Words   |  6 PagesHinton’s The Outsiders, there are three major deaths occurring in the novel: Bob, Johnny, and Dally. Similarly, in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, there are also three major deaths: Candy’s dog, Curley’s wife, and Lennie. The Outsiders is a story depicting the life of Ponyboy Curtis, who is struggling to find his place in the world while battling the rival group, the S ocs. Of Mice and Men is a story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, who are bound together and share the dream of one day owning