“The remedy [for the Great Depression] is to give workers the access to the means of production, and let them produce for themselves, not for others,..the American way.”
-Upton Sinclair Jr., author of The Jungle and other works.
America in the 1930s is a haunting reminder of one of the most desperate times Americans faced in our country’s history. Both Sinclair and John Steinbeck, author of Of Mice and Men, give their consumers a reality check about the Depression as well as showing what lengths people would go to to survive. Steinbeck reveals many truths about the Great Depression as well as emphasizes on the rarity of true friendship by using the basic needs of man and the duality between characters in Of Mice and Men and amongst these
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George, at one point, dwells upon an account in which he abused, horribly so, his authority over Lennie and decided, in his retrospect, to never do so again due to him realizing just how much authority he has. Steinbeck emphasizes on George and Lennie’s relationship with each other being more complex than just George being the brains and Lennie being the brawn, “I was feelin’ pretty smart. I turns to Lennie and says, ‘Jump in.’... He damn near drowned before we could get him, An’ he was so nice to me for pullin’ him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in. Well I ain’t done nothing like that no more(Steinbeck 40).” The duality between George and Lennie is a very distinct part of their personalities as well as giving their relationship a sense of irony. George, a small lithe man who is as smart as a whip, and Lennie, a tall stocky giant with a terrible memory. Some might have thought that the gentle giant would have been the caretaker but it s really George, who has been doing it almost their entire lives. Their friendship is also rare do to it being uncommon within the 30s of
In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Lennie and George have both similarities and differences that are revealed throughout the storyline. These comparisons and contrasts are used to explain their unique friendship and dependency on one another. The story begins with the description of their physical and intellectual differences and establishes their roles of who is the dominant one. The story shares the obstacles that have stood in the way of them obtaining their “American Dream” to own land, even if they if they have different motivations. The story concludes with the difficult choice that George makes to end Lennie’s life himself, out of his love for his friend.
George does not make a wise decision in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. George chooses to kill Lennie because of Lennie’s uncontrollable killing. Lennie does not mean to kill anyone but he is unaware of his strength. George thinks he is doing the right thing by killing Lennie, but really he is making a huge mistake. He believes that he is doing this for the sake of others but his decision if immoral. George was wrong for doing this, he does this for his benefit, and he is guilty.
A good friendship is needed to survive through tough times. Lennie respects George because George gives him comfort. George cares for Lennie so much that he considers him to be part of his family: “George said, he’s my cousin. I told his old lady id take care of him. He got kicked in the head by a horse when he was a kid” (Steinbeck 22). Aside from comfort and advice, Lennie also needs George because when he gets in trouble, George always manages to find a way to help him get out of it. When Lennie had got in trouble in Weed, George stays by his side and gives him advice that helps remain safe and calm. George has many opportunities to leave Lennie and change his lifestyle, but he needs Lennie just as much in order to help him through his own hardships. Lennie looks
“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
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.
John Steinbeck shows that George and Lennie have a true friendship be them taking care of each other by stating, “If you don’ want me I can go off in the hills an’ find a cave. I can go away any time. No – look! I was jus’ foolin’” (Steinbeck 12). This quote shows that George and Lennie share the true meaning of friendship by taking care of each other. George tells Lennie to stay with him and not to run of because Lennie can’t care for himself. Another quote that shows George and Lennie support one another is when the narrator states, “… I musta lost it… You never had none you crazy bastard” (Steinbeck 5). This quote shows the true meaning of friendship
In 1929, tears swept the nation and gloom bestowed itself upon a once happy place. The Great Depression had started. People lost everything ,so many became migrant workers. Of Mice and Men, a classic novel written by John Steinbeck, emphasizes many sad themes, but gives us a good insight on what life was like in the 1940’s for many people. Although there are other themes, rootlessness, loneliness, and poverty are extremely prominent throughout the novel in many characters.
The Great Depression had a huge impact on society and many economic causes to go along with it. But, what mattered the most was how they got through it. Upton Sinclair once stated, “The remedy [the Great Depression] is to give the workers access to the means of production, and let them produce for themselves, not for others… the American Way.”
What does relationship really mean? Relationship mean the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected. The meaning of a good relationship is presented In the Book Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck. There are two characters named George and Lennie these characters both have a strong relationship with each other, George and Lennie are best friends and have been traveling with each other their entire life. Both George and Lennie have to rely on each other to get through anything in their way to keep their relationship strong. Yet this type of relationship could also be found in the Novel Romeo And Juliet. Romeo And Juliet is a novel about two teenagers that have a deep love for each
The personality of George and Lennie are demonstrated by the use of different verbs and adverbs. Typically, the descriptive words used towards Lennie demonstrate his absence of maturity. For example, when Steinbeck mentions “dabbled,” “shapeless,” and “timidly,” he is trying to display Lennie’s indecision and hesitation when it comes to dealing with struggles, conflicts, or anything. On the other hand, Steinbeck uses adverbs such as, “sharply” and “gently,” which suggests the fact that George thinks deeply before he speaks or takes action. Overall, the reader is able to surmise, that Lennie still has state of mind where he requires the care of an adult, in this case, George. In addition, Lennie looks up to George as a role model because he believes if he emulates what George does, he will not land in
Lennie and George have an unusual friendship from the start. George is sort of a guardian of Lennie, and always is looking out for him. With Lennie’s mental illness, sometimes the friendship proves to be challenging. This frienship is definitely not mutual, because they both have each others backs. In the book, George says, “If them other guys gets in jail they can root for all anybody gives a damn… Lennie responds, “But not us! An’ why? Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why” (14). Ironically, Lennie isn’t the one looking out for George. George is always helping Lennie out of his “mistakes”, and endures the hardship of traveling during the 1930s.
The Great Depression broke down security and belief in American society during the early 20th century and brought out hidden prejudices. The once optimistic mood during the Roaring 20’s turned to pain. The dire economic situation caused Americans to return to past social stigmas where certain groups of people were seen as inferior; as a result, the American Dream, where everyone could seek their ideal of success, was reduced to merely a dream. John Steinbeck observed these changes in social behavior and witnessed the plight of many Americans during the Great Depression. Like in his later work, The Grapes of Wrath, he was inspired by his environment to expose the lives of people during the Great Depression using Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck observed these changes in social behavior and witnessed the plight of many Americans during the Great Depression. Steinbeck demonstrates in Of Mice and Men through the characters that the American Dream was naturally discriminatory towards certain groups of people because of common perceptions held during that period.
John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men is an extraordinary novel with unique characteristics. The novel is about an uncommon friendship between two extremely different individuals who are living and working together. This story belong to the genres tragic realistic fiction, historical fiction and drama. The linking between the novel and The Great Depression emphasizes throughout the story, which makes the novel very realistic and down to earth. The author touches on several themes such as: the unreachable American dream, the economic injustices, loneliness, friendship and people’s propensity for cruelty. In this book review, we will get into a deeper understanding of what the actual story means.
" Of Mice and Men " by John Steinbeck is a novel involving two extremely different main characters. George is a reasonably intelligent, hardworking ranchman. Lennie on the other hand always manages to find trouble. He is equally as hardworking and honest as George but his simple childlike mind always finds him trouble wherever he goes. However they have one thing that unites the two of them as close as any bond can. This is that they both share the same dream of owning their own ranch and after many hard working years, moving from ranch to ranch, living in complete poverty and working for next to nothing they finally try to achieve this life long dream.
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: