Animal Imagery In John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice And Men'

John Steinbeck’s “Flight” was published in 1938. John Steinbeck was also known for his other works such as “Tortilla Flats”, “Of Mice and Men”, and “The Grapes of Wrath” which has been Steinbeck’s masterpiece. In many of Steinbeck’s works Steinbeck keeps the same general themes, ideals, and methods throughout most of his literary works. For example, in his work “Of Mice and Men” the character Lennie is often described with animal imagery. For example, Lennie would often be described as strong as a bull. In the case of “Flight” Steinbeck is more often seen using animal imagery to describe the character of Pepe. Pepe is often described as having his hand flick a like a snake when Pepe throws his knife. Steinbeck also introduced themes into his

The author, Steinbeck, uses his own personal experience to “serve as an inspiration…” (Johnson 1) when writing this particular story. His past experiences also helped him for the future. Lennie, of all characters, is the least dynamic. He undergoes a significant amount of change and develops throughout the story. He has been isolated with George throughout his life. His sole purpose in life is to make George happy and to own a farm with George and take care of the soft rabbits. Lennie is the most innocent and defenseless. He also is the largest and strongest, which does not help in certain situations. Lennie is the protagonist in the story. He gains the readers sympathy by his intellectual disability and helplessness. Lennie murders things by accident such as the mouse in his pocket, the puppy and Curley’s wife. He enjoys the touch of and somehow uses those murders and experiences to scare him from doing it again. George’s opinion means the most to him.

Lennie is a big and a powerful man. Steinbeck makes it clear that he is a very good worker and should not be made mad at all. But he also is not that smart, which makes him dumb to act when he is supposed to fight or not fight. On page 39 in “Of Mice and Men” Steinbeck wrote, “There ain’t nobody can keep up with him. God awmighty I never seen such a strong guy.” Lennie is a very strong guy that nearly killed one of the other workers bucking barley because he was too fast. Later in the novel Lennie breaks all of the bones in Curly's hand. This shows how Lennie is a very strong person that can kill people very easily.

In his writing, Steinbeck literally compares Lennie to animals. For example, the author associates Lennie's strength to that of a horse. Furthermore, in the scene when after killing Curley's wife Lennie flees to the grove near the river, as George has told him to, Steinbeck describes Lennie moving "as silently as a creeping bear" and drinking like a weary animal.

In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses the symbolism of mice to strengthen the idea that Lennie does not understand his own strength. Lennie is not aware of how physically strong he is due to his mental disability. Lennie likes petting soft things hence why he likes to have pet mice and dreams of tending rabbits. Lennie doesn’t realize the major difference between his strength and the mouse’s strength when he says, “‘they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead―because they was so little’” (10). This quote illustrates the innocence of the mice, but also the inability of the mice to protect themselves against Lennie’s physical strength. Prior to Lennie saying this, Steinbeck shows Lennie’s innocence as well

In this novel John Steinbeck used a lot of allusions to help develop characters. The allusion being used to develop Lennie’s character is when Curley and he are fighting. Lennie and Curley are being described as David and Goliath. Lennie is strong and big like Goliath. Curley is small like David. In the end Curley defeats Lennie, just like David defeats Goliath. This allusion showed the character trait of strong and big. Another literary device used in this novel is a simile. “ Slowly, like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again”(Steinbeck 9). This shows that Lennie is very unsure and nervous.

Lennie is rejected by everyone at the ranch, except George, because of his mental disability (“Of Mice and Men” 248). People with a mental disability are often looked down upon in society. Lennie is a very large, strong man, however, people on the ranch don't believe he is a good worker because of his disability. Although Lennie has a mental disability, he has the strength to do a lot of the ranch work and is a very good worker. The men on the ranch do not realize the strength that Lennie has until he breaks Curley’s hand and ends up killing Curley’s wife. Having a disability does not imply that the individuals aren’t skilled in different areas. Handicapped by his lack of adult intelligence, Lennie is doomed in the world of a migrant worker (“Of Mice and Men” 246). He is not able to think as highly as an average adult and often times does not make the best decisions. In the novel, we are able to see the strength that Lennie has and how he is not able to control it when Steinbeck talks about how Lennie killed the mouse, the puppy, Curley’s wife and crushed Curley’s hand. Curley is a small man who tends to pick fights with the bigger men to show his strength. Curley knows about Lennie's lack of intelligence and decides to start hitting him. Lennie doesn’t do anything back until George tells him to fight back. The next punch Curley threw, Lennie caught it and squeezed Curley's hand

Steinbeck introduces Lennie by physical description and it gives us an idea of how powerful he is compared to George. “a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders” (Steinbeck, Pg. 2) In this quote, the author is trying to make the reader

The idea that George uses Lennie’s retardedness for amusement relates back to ableism. Instead of helping Lennie and build him up, George sinks him down with harsh words and cruel pranks. Society does not help people with disabilities, they mock, like George would mock Lennie. Steinbeck uses symbolism as well to explain ableism in society, in specific Candy’s dog. This point is further shown in the novella, Of Mice and Men, when Steinbeck writes, “Well--hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him,’ he said proudly,’ You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen.’ … Carlson insisted. “And he stinks to beat hell. Tell you what. I’ll shoot him for you.’” (44-45). Candy’s dog sees no mercy in the eyes of Carlson. Carlson insists on the dog’s death, so far as to murder the animal himself. This shows the cold, harsh reality of those with disabilities in society. Though the mutt was once great, one of “greatest” sheep dogs Candy has ever seen, has been beaten down by age. Carlson coldly decides the dog’s fate, the old greatness

The idyllic nature of one’s dream compels them forward, albeit an almost impossible one. The continual use of vivid imagery greatly immerses the reader; the reader could see George and Lennie’s “little house and a couple of acres” (14) and smell “the bacon and the hams” (57). Steinbeck appeals to the senses to show the alluring qualities of their dream. George’s repetitive depictions of their own land shows the importance of their dreams; without it, there would be no plot, no story, no desire to progress. It would be a story of two nondescript men, wandering aimlessly across the vast American west. Steinbeck chooses to incorporate imagery throughout the story to emphasize what the fruits of one’s labor will result in. The dreamlike setting of George and Lennie’s farm shows the impossibility of it, as a place that perfect would not be in the mortal world.

In relation to the poem, Steinbeck’s character Lennie represents both mouse and man. He is the man in terms of his physical strength and characteristics but the mouse in terms of his mental capabilities, simple desires and simple understanding of the world.

John Steinbeck is an author that creates an illusion of life in animalistic terms. Throughout the course of the novella, animal characteristics are given to the character Lennie. The author compares the character to an animal along with explaining the physicality and interactive movement of the character. “These are made acceptable and indeed moving because of the genuine sweetness on feels in Steinbeck’s nature and because he sees these human beings as being at least as dignified as animals” (Allen 325). Human beings have instincts and behaviors that are similar to animals. Steinbeck’s personal interest of humans portray under the living qualities of animals. “Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water…” (Steinbeck 3). Steinbeck compares

John Steinbeck’s 1949 novella entitled Of Mice and Men uses many significant symbols to convey meanings about the human condition. Such symbols include hands to represent labour, cards to signify chance and taking a risk, and finally, rabbits to suggest ideas about achieving one’s hopes and dreams. Symbols are a key central device in delivering meaning, as they consistently repeated throughout the narrative and are typically associated with the novella’s many characters.

In the novella Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, the relationship between Lennie Small and George Milton is complex. Lennie and George are two companions who look for work and brave the hardships of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression together. Although Lennie and George are both grown men, their relationship resembles more of a child and a single parent, or a boy and his dog. Lennie is portrayed as animalistic and childish through his behavior and Steinbeck’s comparisons. This reveals the crucial power dynamic in George and Lennie’s relationship.

Steinbeck explores different types of strength and weakness throughout the novel. The first, and most obvious, is physical strength. As the novel opens, Steinbeck shows how Lennie possesses physical strength beyond his control, when he cannot help killing mice. Physical strength is very important for men like George and Lennie. Curley, as a symbol