Comparing Of Mice and Men and John Steinbeck's Life Essay

John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men follows the journey of two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, who struggle through the navigation of working on a ranch in California and fulfilling their dreams together during a time of financial depression. The novel begins with George and Lennie traveling through the California wilderness to get to a new ranch just south of Soledad where they are going to begin new work. They had to leave their previous jobs in a town called Weed because Lennie had caused trouble with a girl by holding on to her red dress because he wanted to feel it, and this incident spiraled into rape allegations against Lennie. As George and Lennie make their way to the new ranch, Lennie; who is a large, but simple minded man; found a dead mouse and wanted to keep it to pet because he likes soft things. George, who is more serious and protects Lennie, takes the mouse away from him because even though it’s dead, he should not be messing with it. Lennie often does not realize his strength because of his mental incapabilities and as a result, he causes a lot of trouble and harm. George finds taking care of Lennie to be taxing, but he knows that their friendship is an important bond that he does not want to be without. In order to comfort Lennie in the wilderness, George tells the story of their shared dream to own their own ranch where they can follow their own rules and live as they please. When they finally arrive at the ranch the next day, George and Lennie

“Look, George. Look what I done” (Steinbeck, Pg. 3). Here Steinbeck gives us the idea that Lennie looks up to George in everything he does like a child does to his parents. Lennie can’t take of himself since he is mentally handicapped so we get an idea that even though they are just friends, George is like a father figure to Lennie. Also by the word choice in the dialogue we can see that Lennie communicates in a particular way like if he just learn to speak, therefore he could be compared as a child. “I wasn’t doin’ nothing bad with it, George. Jus’ strokin’ it.” Steinbeck uses dialogue to give us an idea of George’s strong personality. “Don’t let him pull you in-but- if the son of a bitch” This quote gives us the idea that George’s personality is very strong and defensive by the explicit language which shows us anger. Also it gives us a idea that even though he is strong and aggressive he cares about what happens to Lennie. This can relate to the link that he treats him like he is his

In the beginning of the book, the two characters are sitting at the edge of a small creek. Lennie asks George to talk about what living on their own little piece of land will be like. George explains all of the things they’ll have and then stops abruptly and says, “I ain’t got time for no more.” (Doc C) George believes that they’ll never get the land some way or another and that the idea is so far fetched. This is foreshadowing that they won't get the land later in the book. Later in the story, one of their bunk mates named Crooks doesn't believe they'll get the land. He says, “ Hundreds of them. They come, an’ go on; an’ every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it….” (Doc c) Crooks thinks that Lennie and George are one of those hundred men who had a dream of living on their own piece of land, but never getting it. What crooks said foreshadows the loss of the farm dream at the end of the book. John Steinbeck foreshadows the loss of the farm dream by George's and Crooks

In the beginning of the novel, George has little faith in their dream becoming a reality. Although, when George, Lennie, and Candy come up with a plan to purchase the ranch, George, and even the reader, gets their hopes up! Steinbeck foreshadows the loss of the farm dream when George tells Lennie a story about buying the ranch and what will be on it. “Lennie pleaded, ‘Come on, George. Tell me…. Like you done before….’ George’s voice became deeper… He repeated his words rhythmically…’We’re gonna… have a little house and a couple of acres… Nuts!... I ain’t got time for no more….’” ( John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Chapter 1, Doc C). George says this because he has told this story many times before, and the more he repeats the story, the less he believes it. Another example of foreshadowing used to hint they won't get the ranch is when Lennie is in Crooks’ room. Lennie tells him about the farm they are getting, but Crooks’ doesn’t believe they will actually buy it.”’.... You’re nuts,’ Crooks was scornful. ‘I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads… every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it… You guys is just kiddin’ yourself. You’ll talk about it a hell of a lot, but you won’t get no land….’” (John Steinbeck, Of

Living during the Great Depression was very challenging for many people. There was a definite difference in how people lived. Some were struggling to survive during the difficult time of hardship in their lives. Others were forced to survive on their own and often separated from others with feelings of loneliness. In addition many others were afraid of the unknown circumstances revolving around the economic during the depression.

Steinbeck develops the theme by showing George trying his best to reach his goal of helping his mentally inapt companion, Lennie, who constantly gets in trouble. At times, George provides rules for Lennie to follow: “‘What you gonna say tomorrow when the boss asks you questions?’ [...] ‘I… I ain’t gonna … say a word’” (15). He even gives Lennie directions on what to do if he gets in trouble again: “If you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush” (15). After meeting a flirtatious woman, Curley’s wife, George precautions Lennie by giving another rule:

Barack Obama and George Miller from Of Mice and Men exemplify the aspect of Hope and plans for the future within the american dream.

Americans often try to seek happiness through their success. In Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men, and Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby both stories express the characters admiration of achieving the American dream. Both stories explain with example how setting, relationships, and Cause and effect all play a role in the destiny of each character’s American dream.

In 1920 women got the right to vote. In 1948 President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. Jeannette Rankin was the first woman to be elected to congress. Women’s rights have come a long way, nowadays women are CEO’sCeo’s of companies and doing great things. Although it wasn’t always like this, in Of Mice and Men, and in Sojourner Truth’s Ain’t I a Woman speech women weren’t treated right. Men thought that women weren’t as strong as them, and couldn’t do a man’s job.

In Chapter 25, Jack completes actions that are due to him finding Babette’s bottle of the tablet Dylar. Jack takes a tablet out of the bottle and brings it to Winnie, the neurochemist at the university. “What can you tell me about it?” Jack said to Winnie. The reason why Jack decides to bring the single tablet of Dylar to Winnie is because he is eager to know what the tablets actually do to his wife. Whenever Jack tries to confront Babette about the tablets, she always avoids the question and moves onto a different subject, which makes Jack even more eager to find out the reason on why she takes Dylar and constantly avoids the topic. Jack is very motivated to find out what Dylar is and goes out of his way to search for Winnie, who frequently moves her way across

Life’s friendships are an integral aspect of everyone’s daily routines. Some are waning, some lasting and others, the chance meeting of two strangers, like ships passing in the night. Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men were written about fifty years apart, nonetheless, the two friendships expressed by the two have components that make for strong friendships. The character pairs of Huck and Jim, and George and Lennie, have the qualities that make long lasting friendships. By comparing and contrasting their friendships, the pair which shared the strongest bonds can be determined.

We see the interview with the boss, George becomes protective toward Lennie, “I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy.”(P43) and when Curley’s wife enters into the attention George is seriously apprehensive about Lennie, “Listen to me… you leave her be.”(P54). Later on, when George finds Lennie in Crook’s, the stable buck’s, room, he looks disapprovingly at Lennie, “George stood framed in the door, and he looked disapprovingly.”(P115), this is very parent like. Steinbeck reinforces the contrast between them and everybody else. Slims says “Ain’t many guys travel around together”(P57)

The general quality of John Steinbeck’s novels are to show the true side of human nature, whether that be how we treat others or our basic survival instincts. His books are still popular today because they express the realistic side of the human spirit, we are animals who want to belong and thrive among others. He was able to capture what actually happened in American life during the Great Depression and show that even the most powerful nations have struggling internal problems. In Steinbeck’s books he created sensible characters that lived in harsh worlds where they were exposed to discrimination, oppression, loneliness, and the fact that no matter how much they made an effort they wouldn’t amount to anything in the end. His novels were also seen as an influential standard for social and political issues across the United States.

George says that he and Lennie is cousins even though he knows it's not true. He also says that Lennie was kicked in the head, by a horse. He explains this because when there were having a conversation with the boss, Lennie didn't answer any questions that the boss ask. Infinitely George decided to answer for him because Lennie seems frightened of the boss. Then after he notice he wasn't going to talk and that the boss notice that something wasn't right. He decided to say that Lennie wasn't very bright and that he got kicked in the head by a horse so that the boss wouldn't be suspicious of them

The drama of Mice and Men takes place in a rural time period set in the years of the Great Depression. Lennie and George were two men going from farm to farm, town to town looking for work. The two find themselves in Salinas Valley, California when a tragic accident puts them on the run and George to protect his best friend and partner in crime. Lennie has a mental disorder that makes him slower than others. He loves small, fluffy, soft animals.