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How does steinbeck portray George, hero or villian?

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"Of Mice and Men" is based on the major themes of hard reality, dreams, companionship and tragedy; particularly relevant to 1930's America, following the depression and economic poverty it caused. Steinbeck portrays George as a flawed character who doesn't display archetypal heroic qualities, however the reader empathizes with him. Steinbeck therefore ultimately presents him as a anti-hero within the context of the narrative. At the beginning of the novel, Steinbeck portrays George as a flawed character. George and lennie travel to a ranch , indicating the unsettled lifestyle of men during 1930's. Before arriving at the ranch, George loss his temper with lennie : "morosely" implying bad temper and unsociability, and perhaps …show more content…

Even though each character subconsciously knows the dreams a unrealistic goal, they are still "amazed". George spoke "reverently" conveys his deep respects and awe towards the dream, almost as if it was sacred. This could connect to his surname "Milton": reference to paradises lost a 1930's poem about the destruction of a perfect place. here, Steinbeck heightens his human attributes. perhaps another perspective could be that George allowed the character to dream falsely as he knew the dream wasn't achievable. in the context of 1930's economic situation, maybe he knew "they'd never do her" and he agreed as Lennie "usta like to hear about it". on the other hand, the dream may have been created for Georges benefit and selfishness. Therefore, through George’s dream Steinbeck highlights both heroic and potentially villainous attributes of his character. In the last scene, George murders lennie not through an evil intention but a mercy killing. Steinbeck creates a paradox as George intends to kill lennie however George portrays being cruel to be kind. Steinbeck's presentation of Georges internal conflict is finally resolved. The reader observes that the Curley will punish lennie brutally and slowly; "shoot for his guts". Therefore the reader empathises with George, as he makes a conflicted decision between two actions. In contrast to George, Steinbeck portrays Curley as an archetypal villain. Curley is described as "terrier".

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