Poem Analysis Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The major themes identified by commentators in Of Mice and Men are friendship and isolation, hope and futility(Votteler 334). Through George and Lennie's friendship, the hope to achieve their dream is

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.

Poems which can be compared to the novella ‘Of Mice and Men’ is ‘The Farmers Bride’ written by Charlotte Mew. This once again explores the relationship between husband and wife without an element of honest affection towards each other leading to failed marriages. The poem begins ‘Three summers since I chose a maid’. Like Curleys wife the farmer’s bride also has no distinct identity and is merely a possession. This emphasizes the meagre status of a woman in a male dominated society. The way the poem is put is presented one could possibly suggest the farmer ‘chose’ a bride in a state of compulsion. This does resemble the scenario of Curley and his wife presented by Steinbeck in ‘Of Mice and men’ to a certain extent. The only difference is that Curley’s wife consented for marriage due to possible obstinacy as she always dreamed to be an actress but when that didn’t work she married Curley with a slight hope of things working out later. Despite being bonded together there is an element of separation and echoes of loneliness. Both Curley’s wife and the farmer’s bride are victims of loneliness and are kept apart from other as they are believed to not follow the norms of society. The farmer’s bride tried running away from the unknown imprisonment she was facing but they ‘caught her and turned the key upon her’. On the other hand Curley’s wife is also assumed to be contented with limited interaction with other as they believe ‘she don’t like to talk to anyone’. Despite these

‘Of Mice And Men' by John Steinbeck is a classic novel, tragedy, written in a social tone. The authorial attitude is idyllic, however, as the story develops it changes into skeptic. It is evident that Steinbeck knew the setting and places he is writing about.

George with forlorn shame shook his head and whispered … “ What the hell have ay done” looking down upon the dead corpse of his fellow good companion he’d known for years and who’s … Now dead from a gunshot wound right in the head.

Loyalty and friendship play key roles in the lives of those who acknowledge its worth. Living life with whom a person loves greatly increases happiness and trust between those in the relationship. But this unity may come at a cost; true friendship requires sacrifice. Friendship and loyalty in the novella, Of Mice and Men, by expression through John Steinbeck’s interpretation, brings greater understanding to their importance of each.

The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about two characters, George and Lennie, who are migrant farmers during the Great Depression. Lennie is extremely strong, but he is mentally disabled. George takes care of Lennie, but often looks at his companion more as a burden then a friend. In the book George and Lennie have just begun working on a farm and they are trying to make money to obtain their dream which is to own a farm. Thomas Scarseth wrote a review of the book, in his review he stated that the novel is a great piece of literature. He supported this with reasons such as Steinbeck's writing reveals that all men are created equal in their ability to suffer, which means it's not just kings and great people who suffer, everyone does. Another point Scarseth makes is that all characters are very complex, but not simple minded. One more idea Scarseth says makes the book great is that all pieces of literature don't end happily, but those that do are the ones that stick with us the most. Thomas Scarseth's analysis of the book Of Mice and Men is accurate that the book stands out from all others because of it's characters, theme, plot, and symbols

Steinbeck's ‘Of Mice and Men’ is a novel about people, their dreams, relationships and disappointments.  The characters are diverse and represent a cross section of society during the American Depression of the 1930's.  The novel is set in Steinbeck's birthplace of Salinas Valley, California, and it is at the ranch where he grew up that we meet the majority of characters.  There are three specific locations in the novel where most of the story unfolds, these are; the banks of the Salinas River, the bunkhouse and the barn.  ‘Of Mice and Men’ has a number of central themes evident in the novel such as loneliness; hope and the American Dream, and the strength and importance of

The novella, Of Mice and Men, is initiated by a heavenly description of a narrow, crystal pool. Inhabited solely by “yellow sands” and “willows fresh and green”, the tone used to describe the pool is blissful and poetic. Such a tone is only used when George and Lennie refer to their American Dream of prospering on their own land. The tone used in the novella’s opening, which mirrors George and Lennie’s unrealistic fantasy, contrasts with the honest, realistic tone that presides throughout most of the book. The spritely tone in the books opening achieves the effect of introducing an idealistic world in which the two men thrive. Ultimately, this fantasized version of reality will succumb to the harshness of the real world. Immediately, the diction of both George and

Of Mice and Men is an indirect reference of Robert Burns’s poem “To a Mouse”. And of the reference of “To a Mouse” it states “The best laid schemes o’ mice and men often go astray. And lea’v us nought but grief and pain, for promised joy”. George and Lennie's plans fell apart just like the poem “To a Mouse” said “schemes o’ mice and men often go astray”. The fact that even the best plans often fall apart and sometimes it just leaves us with pain and grief, because at the end once George had to shoot Lennie you could tell that George is not going to continue the plans he made with Lennie without him, and with that he was left with pain and grief for his friend. Of Mice and Men it is an indirect reference of Robert Burns’s poem “To a Mouse”,

He transitions the tone of the poem from one of despair and hopelessness to one of encouragement which adds a realistic effect to the poem while still encouraging the reader. There is a thin line between being completely discouraging and being realistic; the speaker in the story seems to keep the perfect balance between these two lines. With the skillfully organized tone, the author helps the reader better understand the mood of the story as well as the difficult

John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men follows the journey of two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, who struggle through the navigation of working on a ranch in California and fulfilling their dreams together during a time of financial depression. The novel begins with George and Lennie traveling through the California wilderness to get to a new ranch just south of Soledad where they are going to begin new work. They had to leave their previous jobs in a town called Weed because Lennie had caused trouble with a girl by holding on to her red dress because he wanted to feel it, and this incident spiraled into rape allegations against Lennie. As George and Lennie make their way to the new ranch, Lennie; who is a large, but simple minded man; found a dead mouse and wanted to keep it to pet because he likes soft things. George, who is more serious and protects Lennie, takes the mouse away from him because even though it’s dead, he should not be messing with it. Lennie often does not realize his strength because of his mental incapabilities and as a result, he causes a lot of trouble and harm. George finds taking care of Lennie to be taxing, but he knows that their friendship is an important bond that he does not want to be without. In order to comfort Lennie in the wilderness, George tells the story of their shared dream to own their own ranch where they can follow their own rules and live as they please. When they finally arrive at the ranch the next day, George and Lennie

The lines in the poem all connect to George and Lennie’s dream, and how it lived in them through different points in the book.

In all of his works, John Steinbeck focuses on the hardships of economically and socially challenged communities. He wrote around the Great Depression era of the 1930s, which would influence the situations of all of the characters he creates. He uses settings which are close in proximity to where he was born, the town of Salinas, California. Of Mice and Men, one of Steinbeck’s most well-known works, is set in Soledad, a small town in a valley adjacent to the Salinas River. Another one of his works, Cannery Row, takes place on Monterey Bay just west of the town of Salinas. Steinbeck’s portrayal of the struggles of the characters he creates are so realistic because of his true experiences. For example, Doc in Cannery Row is based on his lifelong friend Ed Ricketts, and the ranch he describes in Of Mice and Men is based off of one owned by Speckrels Sugar where he worked when he was younger. Steinbeck uses setting to critique society during the Great Depression. Though one novel is set in a coastal community and the other rural, their outcomes are extremely similar. The characters in each novel find it difficult to gain a job and keep one while living in poor conditions. No character turns out successful and instead fail to fulfill any dream they may have, such as Lennie’s dream of owning a farm with George and being able to own and care for rabbits. The West was seen by lower class farmers as opportunity and a new beginning throughout the late nineteenth and twentieth

“Wha’s the matter with me?’ she cried. ‘Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways?” (Steinbeck 87) In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife is discriminated against because she is a woman living in the 1930s when few females could live economically independent of men. By choosing not to name her, Steinbeck reinforces her insignificance on the ranch and her dependence on Curley. While a misfortunate victim of isolation, Curley’s wife exerts unexpected power attempting to mask her pain.