Of Mice and Men Alienation

Lennie: Lennie has his mind set on one thing. That is getting out of the barn and getting his own piece of land with George. This dream motivates Lennie to always listen and follow what George says. There he can finally tend the rabbits he has always wanted. Lennie loves petting things such as small animals and dresses which usually leads him to trouble.

Imagine living in the 1930s during the great depression and having to constantly move around the country just to find a job that can provide you to have money to survive? In Steinbeck’s book,  Of Mice and Men , two friends wandered the Salinas Valley to find a job on

Lennie is upset when he kills the puppy, which shows that he doesn’t want trouble and actually wants to get the dream ranch so that he can tend to the rabbits. When he kills the puppy, Lennie talks about George, “He’ll say, ‘You done it. Don’t try to put nothing over on me.’ An’ he’ll say, ‘Now jus’ for that you don’t get to tend no rabbits!’” (Chapter 5, p.85). Lennie then goes on to say, “Now I won’t get to tend the rabbits. Now he won’t let me.” (Chapter 5, p.85). Lennie also shows anger and remorse for killing the puppy, just because he won’t be able to tend to the animals at the dream ranch. Therefore, he does believe they can get the dream ranch, because of his behavior after killing the puppy.

The author, Steinbeck, uses his own personal experience to “serve as an inspiration…” (Johnson 1) when writing this particular story. His past experiences also helped him for the future. Lennie, of all characters, is the least dynamic. He undergoes a significant amount of change and develops throughout the story. He has been isolated with George throughout his life. His sole purpose in life is to make George happy and to own a farm with George and take care of the soft rabbits. Lennie is the most innocent and defenseless. He also is the largest and strongest, which does not help in certain situations. Lennie is the protagonist in the story. He gains the readers sympathy by his intellectual disability and helplessness. Lennie murders things by accident such as the mouse in his pocket, the puppy and Curley’s wife. He enjoys the touch of and somehow uses those murders and experiences to scare him from doing it again. George’s opinion means the most to him.

George is one of people in the ranch that had big goals to achieve, but he couldn’t accomplish any of them because of Lennie. George taking care of Lennie affects his dreams in a big way because every time George gets closer to his dreams Lennie completely ruins it. In the story it states George saying “ dumb bastard likes to touch everything he likes”(steinbeck 41). This is very important because this shows how childish lennie acts. The most important thing to him was to have dreams to have a farm and his own place with Lennie. This quote “ we got a future “ (Pg . 14) shows that he had a dream worth living for. Another way George had gotten his dreams taken away was when Lennie killed their boss’s wife. I know that George was a very lonely person because in the story he talks about guys like him in the ranch . “ guys like us , that work on a ranch are the loneliest guys in the world” (Pg . 13). This is very important because it shows his feelings towards being lonely.

Lonliness and Friendship in 'Of Mice And Men'      In terms of emotional stability, there is one thing in life that is really needed, and that is friends. Without friends, people would suffer from lonliness and solitude. Lonliness leads to low self-esteem and deprivation. In the novel, Of Mice And Men,

The Effects of the American Dream A twenty-five percent unemployment rate. People desperate for lodging and food. Families stretching every penny to support themselves. Government trying to solve these problems through reforms and programs. This is what the world

Their dream also sets George apart from the others because it means he and Lennie have a future and something to anticipate. Unlike Lennie, George does not see their dream in terms of rabbits; instead, he sees it in a practical way. Their farm will be one where they can be independent and safe and where he will not have to worry about keeping track of Lennie 's mistakes. They can be secure and in charge of their own lives. However, Lennie is the one who adds the enthusiasm because George never really believed they could swing this farm of their own. He mostly uses the story to give Lennie something to believe in for their future. Only when Candy offers

When Lennie reminds George of the “little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs…” on page 14, Lennie is reminding George of the distant dream and what they will achieve. Without Lennie, George would probably waste all of his money on alcohol and other fun things. Although this dream seems very far away, if Lennie wasn’t reminding George of that dream, then it would be nonexistent. The way Lennie talks about the dream is very encouraging and shows the innocence of him. Even though for most people in that time period achieving that dream would be very hard, he still reminds George and allows George to work towards that goal and save money. Lennie also contributes to that dream by being the main workforce of the pair and gains most of the money. George tries to make sure they keep the job and teaches Lennie how to function as a normal person. This dream is the main driving force of the pair and without it, they would be lost in

Lennie had a goal of getting to see the rabbits and petting them. “I wish we’d get the rabbits pretty soon, George. They ain’t so little” (pg.10). All he ever wanted to do was get to the rabbits and so that’s all Lennie did. Getting into some trouble on the way and he kept going.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS George George is the second main character and one of the protagonist after Lennie in Of Mice and Men. When Lennie gets into trouble, He always helps him find a solution or get away, though Lennie’s size combined with his mental handicap caused problems frequently. He is also a planner, telling Lennie where he should go if there is trouble on the ranch. To make the dream which is owing a ten-acre farm becomes a reality, He’s competent to work hard. Unlike the other ranch hands that squander their money on women and drink, George refuses to spend a dime in vain, saving everything to make the dream happen. He wants to buy the farm so that he and Lennie can live there, free from problems and constraints

If a person with a disability grew up during the great depression, how were they treated? In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, takes place during the Great Depression, when people had to look for jobs. Another thing that is in this book is there are two

George cares deeply about Lennie, and he always looks out for him even though Lennie agitates George sometimes. George ensures Lennie he is not mad at him for killing Curley’s wife, and George tells Lennie that they will live the American Dream together. George says, “Ever’body gonna be nice to you,” and he tells Lennie that there will be “no more trouble,” (Steinbeck 106). Lennie is very happy to hear that he can tend the rabbits, therefore, when Lennie dies, he is dreaming about rabbits. Lennie dreaming is far more peaceful than him being tortured until his death. Also, George makes Lennie feel safe. George does not let on to the fact that he is about to kill Lennie. When Lennie asks George if he is mad, George simply states, “I never been mad, an’ I ain’t now,” (Steinbeck 106). Lennie feels a source of happiness and hope when he knows George is not mad, and he becomes excited about having a farm. In contrast, Lennie could be locked up and bullied for the rest of his life by

Everyone has an ultimate goal they wish to achieve in their life time. Many of these goals are realistic while others aren’t so feasible. In Of Mice and Men, characters have their own versions of the American Dream. Throughout the book, several characters speak of their dreams for the future;

Even after many years, themes in books can remain relevant with the time. The theme of alienation is one that will never cease to be found in literature. Whether the novel be a bug-man or two polar opposite friends, the theme of alienation is ongoing. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka