Mice And Men Social Hierarchy

John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. was an American author wrote many novels including one of his most famous, Of Mice and Men. Of Mice and Men teaches many lessons about the nature of human existence. Each relationship grows throughout this short story and end with a dramatic experience. All of the characters, including Lennie, George, Crooks, and Curley’s wife, admit, at one time or another, to having a profound sense of isolation, seclusion and loneliness.

“In each family a story is playing itself out, and each family's story embodies its hope and despair.” - Auguste Napier. This quote shows great meaning throughout the story Of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck. The story is about two “bindlestiffs” that travel together in search of work, their names are George Milton and Lennie Small from the Salinas Mountain region of California. Lennie is a “slow” person and couldn’t possibly function correctly with George. George became Lennies caretaker when Lennies Aunt Clara passed away when he was younger, although they had always “been friends” (George would pick on Lennie for being mentally challenged). Because of Lennies disabilities, he is always

In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Lennie and George are traveling and looking for work. However, Lennie is slower than most people, and has had some rough encounters. In the city of Weed, he got in trouble for

The novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck is set in America in the 1930’s and it describes the lives of migrant farmers as they go from farm to farm looking for jobs. It also shows the loneliness of the characters and the hard work that they put in. The main characters of the book are Lennie, a man-child, and George, a small man but very powerful character that takes care of Lennie in their journey. Also when they get to the farm they meet the bosses wife who is very lonely and looks for company in the workers. Steinbeck uses characterization to bring his characters to life using various techniques.

What do you think Steinbeck says about the theme of friendship in Of Mice and Men?

In the novella Of Mice and Men, the author John Steinbeck argues that earned power is more respected than inherited power. Throughout the story, a power hierarchy is established among the characters. The top of the hierarchy is mostly made up of characters with inherited power, like Curley. Curley is the boss’s son, and gets his power because his father owns the ranch: “Don’t tell Curley I said none of this. He’d slough me. He just don’t give a dam. Won’t ever get canned ‘cause his old man’s the boss” (27). Since Curley has direct power from the most important figure on the ranch, he has the ability to boss around the workers with no consequences. He takes advantage of this power, and the workers cannot retaliate otherwise, they will get

In chapter one of “Of Mice and Men”, we are introduced to the characters Lennie and George. The book starts with describing a serene scene of a valley with a river running through it. The book then focuses on the two characters that emerge out of the forest. One with sharp features and strong stance and the other looking as though he is still in his pubescent years. As the chapter progresses, the author, John Steinbeck, allows readers to catch a glimpse of the characters’ relationship with each other and see the inner workings of their symbiotic partnership.

In the beginning of Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie are on the bank the Salinas River. They talk about what Lennie did in Weed, a town they were run out of where Lennie was accused of rape after touching a girl’s dress because of its softness, “‘Jus’ wanted to feel that girl’s dress―jus’ wanted to pet it like it was a mouse― Well, how the hell did she know you jus’ wanted to feel her dress? She jerks back and we gotta hide in an irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin’ for us, and we got to sneak out in the dark and get outta the country. All the time somethin’ like that― all the time’” (11). Also, they spoke of their dream farm where they both get to relax and Lennie gets to tend rabbits. “‘Well,’ said George, ‘we 'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we 'll just

One of the first events the readers hear about explains how George and Lennie end up walking amidst the trees. “Jus’ wanted to feel that girl’s dress—jus’ wanted to pet it like it was a mouse—Well, how the hell did she know you jus’ wanted to feel her dress? She jerks back and you hold on like it was a mouse” (11). George and Lennie run away from Weed because Lennie becomes troublesome when he immaturely handles situations that arise. The reader may pick up on the many hints and clues that Steinbeck give about the fact that Lennie may possess some mental disability that inhibits his ability to know right from wrong until horrific events occur. “He just scared her. I’d be scared too if he grabbed me. But he never hurt her. He jus’ wanted to touch that red dress, like he wants to pet them pups all the time” (42). Lennie’s initial reaction to panic creates uncomfortable situations when he freezes up, but if he

During the interview Steinbeck told his personal experiences that permitted him to write and construct the novel Of Mice and Men.

--An archetypal analysis of the multiple shadow archetypes Lennie Smalls expresses when confronted by other characters.--

John Steinbeck, an American novelist, is well-known for his familiar themes of depression and loneliness. He uses these themes throughout a majority of his novels. These themes come from his childhood and growing up during the stock market crash. A reader can see his depiction of his childhood era. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows the prominent themes of loneliness, the need for relationships, and the loss of dreams in the 1930s through the novels’ character.

To begin, Lennie’s choices are very reckless throughout the story. During chapter three George tells Slim about the incident that occurred with the girl in the town called Weed. George says, ‘"He wants to touch everything he likes."’(Steinbeck 41) In Weed, Lennie grabs a woman's red dress and she begins to scream. The woman

How does John Steinbeck portray loneliness and isolation in the novel “Of Mice and Men”?

“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley. an’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, for promis’d joy!” These famous words from Robert Burns’ poem “To a Mouse” inspired John Steinbeck’s title for Of Mice and Men. Just as it is useless for a mouse to try and protect its home from the blade of a plow, so are the human efforts and dreams for the unattainable in the face of natural and economic calamities. In the midst of the Great Depression, a man like Lennie who is incapable of thinking logically for himself renders it nearly impossible to survive without causing any trouble. George knew of this and tried to prolong the inevitable, but eventually had to face the ultimate price of taking away the life of the only friend he’s ever known and had. Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. Although mercy is the ideal side to choose, some readers think that George chose to kill Lennie because Lennie because Lennie is constantly in trouble and George was sick of solving all of Lennie’ problem. From murdering Lennie out of selfishness and murdering Lennie out of mercy, the basis of the debate on the intent of