Mice of Men Dreams of Commitment - 2273 Words

Of Mice and Mein The Dream of Commitment. Louis Owens The Eden myth looms large in Of Mice and Men (1937), the playnovella set along the Salinas River a few miles south of Soledad (Of Mice and Men, p. 1). And, as in all of Steinbecks Califomia fiction, setting plays a central role in determining the major themes of this work. The fact that the setting for OfMice and Men is a Califomia valley dictates, according to the symbolism of Steinbecks landscapes, that this story will take place in a fallen world and that the quest for the illusive and illusory American Eden will be of central thematic significance. In no other work does Steinbeck demonstrate greater skill in merging the real setting of his native country with the thematic†¦show more content†¦146 Critical Insights George and Lennie achieve all of this dream that is possible in the real world: they are their brothers keeper. Unlike the solitary Cain and the solitary men who inhabit the novel, they have someone who cares. The dream ofthe farm merely symbolizes their deep mutual commitment, a commitment that is immediately sensed by the other characters in the novel. The ranch owner is suspicious ofthe relationship, protesting, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. Slim, the godlike jerkline skinner, admires the relationship and says, Aint many guys travel around together I dont know why. Maybe everybody in the whole damn world is scared of each other. Candy, the onehanded swamper, and Crooks, the deformed black stablehand, also sense the unique commitment between the two laborers, and in their moment of unity Candy and Crooks tum as one to defend Lennie from the threat posed by Curleys wife. The influence of George and Lennies mutual commitment, and of their dream, has for a n instant made these crippled sons of Cain their brothers keepers and broken the grip of loneliness and solitude in which they exist. Lennies yeaming for the rabbits and for all soft, living things symbolizes the yeaming all men have for warm, living contact. It is this yeaming, described by Steinbeck as the inarticulate and powerftjl yeaming of allShow MoreRelated John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay976 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Steinbecks â€Å"Of mice and men† Of Mice and Men is set along the Salinas River a few miles south of Soledad in the fallen world of the Salinas Valley, which Steinbeck places east of Eden the Promised Land is only a painful and illusory dream. This land is populated by sons of Cain, men doomed to walk alone. One of the major themes that comes from this is loneliness, or fear of apartness. One of the themes of Of Mice and Men is that men fear loneliness, that they need someone to beRead MoreEssay on Theme of Loneliness in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men1136 Words   |  5 PagesThe Theme of Loneliness in Of Mice and Men      Ã‚  Ã‚   In the novel, Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck used George and Lennies relationship and the theme of hope to point out the loneliness in the novel. The novel starts off and is set in Soledad which means lonely. At the beginning they get a job working on a farm together. Lennie is a little retarded and has great physical strength that isnt too controllable. As they work from ranch to ranch, Lennie relies on George for guidance and help. RatherRead MoreOf Mice and Men2269 Words   |  10 PagesOf Mice and Men John Steinbeck World Literature Mrs. Finke December 7, 2012 Of Mice and Men: A Classic for the Ages Thesis: Despite some impurity Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck should be considered as a classic due to its honesty, truth, loveliness, justice and of good report. I. Introduction II. Impurity A. Swearing B. Violence C. Economic poverty D. Psychological corruption III. Honesty A. Steinbeck’sRead More Truths Exposed in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay1045 Words   |  5 PagesTruths Exposed in Of Mice and Men  Ã‚        Ã‚   John Steinbecks timeless novel Of Mice and Men is a somewhat controversial story of the hardships of life. To illustrate these hardships, Steinbeck takes the reader back to an era of bankruptcies, migrant workers, and drifters. Today, this time, the 1930s, is branded the Great Depression. The quest of George and Lennie, two migrant workers, is an example of the dilemma of thousands of homeless and unemployed men in America during the Great DepressionRead Morehow are characters presented in of mice and men832 Words   |  4 PagesLennie Although Lennie is among the principal characters in Of Mice and Men, he is perhaps the least dynamic. He undergoes no significant changes, development, or growth throughout the story and remains exactly as the reader encounters him in the opening pages. Simply put, he loves to pet soft things, is blindly devoted to George and their vision of the farm, and possesses incredible physical strength. Nearly every scene in which Lennie appears confirms these and only these characteristics. AlthoughRead MoreEssay on Social Outcasts in John Stienbeck ´s Of Mice and Men731 Words   |  3 PagesIn the novel, Of Mice and Men, Candy, Lennie, Crooks, and Curlys wife are all seen as four social outcasts as they each relate to a specific group in American Society. After reading Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and looking at these characters you can see that they are all social outcasts in someway. In Of Mice and Men the character Candy is an old ranch worker. Candy has been working on otheres farms for years, while working on one of these farms he lost one of his hands in a farm accidentRead MoreThe Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, War Dance, And The Book Of Mice And Men1146 Words   |  5 Pagesthe movies The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, War Dance, and the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the characters find encouragement to go after their dreams. [C] Those characters were inspired to surpass expectations people had for them and achieve the great. [D] Encouragement brought those characters to achieve their hopes, dreams, and goals because it pushed them out of their comfortzones, made them develop commitment to their goals, and create a plan for the future. [E] Walter MittyRead MoreThe Pursuit of the American Dream in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men1967 Words   |  8 PagesOf Mice and Men is a short novel about the story of two migrant workers who are best friends during the Great Depression (Goldhurst 49). The setting is the Salinas Valley in California, and the majority of the characters are unskilled migratory workers who do what their name implies. They travel from towns and ranches and farms looking for work and eventually move on to find another job. John Steinbeck puts the spotlight on two migratory workers who dream to finally settle down by saving money toRead MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men 1367 Words   |  6 Pagesacknowledge its worth. Living life with whom a person loves greatly increases happiness and trust between those in the relationship. But this unity may come at a cost; true friendship requires sacrifice. Friendship and loyalty in the novella, Of Mice and Men, by expression through John Stei nbeck’s interpretation, brings greater understanding to their importance of each. Loyalty, protecting and standing by someone who a person respects or loves, as Lennie and George illustrate. Loyalty does involveRead MoreSummary Of Of Mice And Men Essay2240 Words   |  9 PagesQueenie Lau Mrs. Moskovitz English IH- Period 5 20 May 2016 Of Mice and Men Ap Book Report 1. Title of Work: Of Mice and Men 2. Author and Date Written: The book â€Å"Of Mice and Men† was written in 1937 by John Steinbeck, which was during the Great Depression in the 1930s. The Great Depression caused many to lose their jobs and their homes in a short period of time. Few were rich during this time and those who had no money starved. Approximately 25% of people during the Great Depression had no jobs