Unit 3A The Good and Bad in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men characters
I am writing this essay to explain how John Steinbeck presents good and bad in the characters George and Curley from the novella “Of Mice and Men.” Also in this essay I will discuss Steinbeck’s uses of explicit language to help us understand character types for the characters Curley and George. The last thing that this essay will show is how Steinbeck engages us to show good and bad in characters. John Steinbeck wanted us to understand men, as “if you understand each other you will be kind to each other”.
In the beginning of the book we see George walk to the river with Lennie. We can see George as a master of Lennie. We know this by the line “Give it here said George” This
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George assures Lennie that he can tend the rabbits. This makes Lennie happy because George is telling a story that Lennie keeps forgetting on purpose. This makes George a good character, as he has patience with Lennie.
In the second chapter George and Lennie meet the boss to get a job. George describes Lennie to the boss as, “Strong as a bull” and “Hell of a good worker.” The phase “Strong as a bull” is a simile and this makes Lennie sounds beastlike.” This shows that George is being honest with the boss which makes him a good character and also this makes George smart.
Next, when George and Lennie are talking to the boss George lies to the boss to get a job. George lies to the boss by saying “He’s my ……….. cousin.” and “He got kicked in the head by a horse.” George lies to the boss so that his job is secure. George is a good character at this point because he wants to earn money so he and Lennie can do something with their money to make the dream farm become reality.
After the meeting with the boss George uses horrible language towards Lennie like, “Be a good damn thing if you was George said viciously.” The adverb viciously shows that Geroge is being horrible to Lennie and also shows that George has a short patience, this allows us to think that George is a bad character in this
Lennie starts having a conversation to Crooks, but he keeps babbling about the promises to keep their farm a secret. George is basically the brain of Lennie, without him he'll be in trouble.
And they want to get a house and have a job. In this book George acts like he does not like the way Lennie acts but he does still care about Lennie because in the book Lennie had a dead mouse in his pocket and he was holding it but George told Lennie that do not keep it and throw it away because George knew that if he had a dead mouse it will be bad because it might had a disease. For example this is when George addresses no matter what situation that they are in they will always have each other backs and talks about it in this quote. "But not us! An' why? Because... because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why." This quote tells us that they really care about each other and George is responsible for Lennie since Lennie forgets everything but unlike people forgetting about their friends George takes care of Lennie and makes sure that Lennie is safe.In conclusion, George and Lennie are true friends and they will care about each other since they have a future together and they have strong bond that is always there for each other and never
A character trait that Lennie shows throughout the book is loyalty. Lennie is a very loyal to George when he keeps the two of them out of trouble by letting George speak for him. In the text, the Boss asked George, “Then why don’t you let him answer?” Lennie’s loyalty to George helps his relationship with George. It helps George because George tells Lennie not to talk because Lennie might say something that could create danger within their jobs. Lennie’s loyalty to George does not help him personally because he is not able to talk for himself and George makes up false reasons for why Lennie is not able to speak. Nevertheless, it keeps George out of trouble.
Unlike Crooks, Lennie and George share a bond and a life filled with optimism which Crooks is never able to hold with anyone else. George’s only chance to live differently than the other men is to have a relationship with Lennie which will set him apart from others. George and Lennie, though opposites in their physical description care very much about each other which comes off as a surprise for the ranchers they work with. It merely appears to be a surprise because Lennie, a retarded man, and George, a smart man, look after each other. Even Slim is perplexed that “one guy would take so much trouble for another guy” and believes Lennie is crazy. George, a devoted friend stands up for Lennie and protests against Slim’s beliefs to inform him that “[Lennie] is not cuckoo, he’s dumb as hell, but he ain’t crazy.” George stands up for Lennie when anybody says anything bad about him. George has always been the first to make sure that Lennie is not subjected to pain. George also gives Lennie advice and helps him when terrifying forces such as Curley scare
To begin, Lennie is dependent on George based on his actions. Throughout the whole story,
The greater part of the novel's appeal, George and Lennie's 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. Steinbeck's narrator establishes and characterizes George's lording of power and control over Lennie early in the first chapter:
<br>A reader can understand very vividly from his actions and attitudes that George is sensible and able to think quickly in a situation. He seems to have a very good understanding of the nature of others, especially of their attitudes towards Lennie, for example, that if the boss hears Lennie talk and realises his handicapped, then it is unlikely they will get work. He also knows, to make Lennie repeat things two or three times over to himself, to help him remember, for example when he slowly repeats, "Hide in the brush till I come for you, can you remember that?" to Lennie. He also knows that Lennie is likely to do things and attempt to hide them, such as when Lennie appears from his walk in the woods, and is immediately suspected of smuggling a dead
Lennie is mentally challenging and has strength that he can’t control as much, so George takes care of him and himself. Lennie likes to feel soft things and holds on to them which led to them not being able to stay in Weeds because of Lennie actions. For this reason, George and Lennie came across a barn and started a new life with the same dream, to live on a farm and tend the rabbits. However, that dream is no longer coming true because of Lennie uncontrollable strength. Lennie kills Curleyś wife.
Lennie looks up to George and never wants to disappoint him. For example, Lennie has hope of one day being able to tend the rabbits on the ranch that they will own, but he knows if George does not approve of his actions then his dream of tending the rabbits is gone. In addition, Lennie has a mindset of a child, and is a playful, go
(87, Steinback) At the beginning of the book, George screams at Lennie saying that he is worthless and that he would be better off without him. "When I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts. I never get no peace. " Anger like this does not come sporadically it builds up over years of
George and Lennie have very different physical traits and personal characteristics even though they were both migrant workers, dressed in similar clothing and grew up together in the same town. George is small, defined, short tempered, impatient and responsible. “The first man...a thin bony nose..” (Pg. 2 ). George makes sure that they have jobs, controls their money, makes the plans, and stays clear of any trouble that Lennie’s actions may cause. Lennie is the complete opposite and is a much bigger man who has broad shoulders, is a hard worker, with dragging feet, childlike innocence, and acts impulsively. “Behind him walked...but hung loosely.” (Pg. 2). Lennie has a mental impairment that makes him react in an obsessive manner. This often leads to poor decisions or even unintentional
I could also notice when I was reading through the first chapter that George has a sense of authority over Lennie, “you gonna get that wood”. This is like a parent telling a child to do his chores. On some occasions though George shows a bit of hatred towards Lennie, he thinks of what he could have if Lennie wasn’t around and contrasts that with George.
In the beginning, when Lennie and George meet the boss it says “The boss pointed a playful finger at Lennie. "He ain't much of a talker, is he?" "No, he ain't, but he's sure a hell of a good worker. Strong as a bull." Lennie smiled to himself. "Strong as a bull," he repeated. George scowled at him, and Lennie dropped his head in shame at having forgotten. The boss said suddenly, "Listen, Small!" Lennie raised his head. "What can you do?" In a panic, Lennie looked at George for help. "He can do anything you tell him," said George. "He's a good skinner. He can Rassel grain bags, drive a cultivator. He can do anything. Just give him a try." The boss turned on George. "Then why don't you let him answer? What are you trying to put over?" George
He would yell at Lennie and tell him if he didnt have him he could go and do as he pleased. When in reality George did not want these things. He was greatful to have a friend in Lennie, so he would not have to be alone. With Lennie's simple mind, he could not comprehend what George was talking about most of the time. He believed that George got upset over simple things such as ketchup. He too was very thankful to have George to go along with. Although he did not understand the complexity of things sometimes, he knew that he had a true friend who he trusted wouldnt leave him.
George’s good nature can be seen through the way he takes Lennie under his wing. For George, there is no benefits that come from taking care of Lennie, he just does it out of the goodness in his heart. An example of this can be seen when George helped Lennie escape out of the town of Weed, in which Lennie had been accused of rape for clutching onto a girl’s dress. Unlike Lennie, George does not have any mental disability and can perfectly function by himself. This is the aspect that makes him such a good person, because taking care of Lennie is just like dragging around a ball and chain. George could be living a much better life on his own without Lennie. To prove this, George even says it himself when talking to Lennie: “God you’re a lot of trouble. I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl” (OM&M 7). Despite these words, George still takes care of Lennie because George knows that without his guidance, Lennie would be left to be taken advantage of out in the dangerous world. From George’s devotion to Lennie, it is shown that one who is good will guide others, even if it means sacrificing something he could have