Steinbeck's 'The Leader of the People' Analysis

Chapter one of Of Mice and Men began by introducing the relationship between the two main characters, George and Lennie. George and Lennie have a unique, brotherly, parental, and friendly dynamic that I believe will be interesting to continue to investigate over the course of reading this book. While reading chapter one, we were exposed to more of the parental side of their relationship, specifically in the scene where Lennie is guzzling down river water and George is warning him to slow down or risk feeling sick afterward. In this instance, George acts like a parent by predicting the consequences of Lennie’s actions as opposed to what a bother or a friend might do which is to allow him to drink the water and feel sick afterward. In addition,

“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.

During the Great Depression, many citizens faced an arduous lifestyle of unemployment. However, many people managed to entertain themselves by reading literature such as The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck witnessed an injustice towards farmers during the Great Depression, and this inspired Steinbeck to present his perspective of the maltreatment to the open through The Grapes of Wrath. The fictional novel describes how unfortunate conditions, during the Great Depression, force an Oklahoma farmer family to travel to California in search for an easy life, job opportunities, and a bright future. John Steinbeck represented and connected his tones through his trope, making it an excellent read. In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

The theme is reflected through the people in the book, and events that take place in the

1. Steinbeck has his characters use racially derogatory terms. Why do you think he uses this language? Given the context of the story, are these terms necessary? Is there any evidence to suggest that Steinbeck shares his characters’ bigoted views of minorities?

In chapter three, an older migrant worker called Candy explains to George how he lost his hand on the ranch and was compensated with a “swampin” job and two hundred and fifty dollars. Because of Candy’s older age, readers can infer that he has outlived many of his friends and family members; consequently, Candy

Have you ever dreamed of becoming someone important or doing something exciting and memorable? Would you give up or refuse to let go of your dream until you achieve it? Has that obsessive under-minded your success? Many people have dreams that they want to accomplish, but there are obstacles individuals have to cross over in order to achieve their goals, such as facing reality. In the book of Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, the story is a tale of two drifters working from farm to farm, trying to make a living, and save some money to have their own place someday, which is their dream during the Great Depression. The characters face the hardships

When George and Lennie get to the farm, the boss interviews the two. The boss is curious why George and Lennie are together, because usually migrant workers would travel alone. George lies and says that they are cousins and that Lennie was kicked in the head by a horse as a child. The boss of the ranch agrees and gives them the job. Later they meet a man named Candy. He is an old rancher that has lost one hand.

Understanding just how important security is to his own future, Candy hopes he can tempt George with his life’s savings and seal the deal when he mentions he had no living relatives to either help him or benefit from his death. Scared and embarrassed, Candy never comes straight out and admits how ageism has affected him, but he does express his feelings of fear and his desire to feel like he belongs when he comments to George, “They’ll can me purty soon. Just as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunkhouses…” (60). Without any family or friends, without a job or any money, Candy latches on to the idea of owning land together: “An’ it’d be our own, an’ nobody could can us” (58). Unfortunately, since Candy is much older than the other ranch workers, he often feels left out and lonely amongst a group of young, healthy men. Despite his insecurities, Candy still wants to contribute something to society to help provide him with a sense of purpose and to help make him feel like someone still needs him.

Billy Buck - Billy Buck is the single hired hand on Carl Tiflin's farm. An experienced middle-aged man, he is very good with horses, and Carl trusts him deeply. Billy often takes a keen interest in Jody, and tries not to disappoint him. Jody's grandfather thinks that Billy is one of the few of Billy's generation that has not gone soft.

    Steinbeck's political views are quite evident within The Grapes of Wrath. The subject of much controversy, The Grapes of Wrath serves as a social protest and commentary. Steinbeck's views as expressed through the novel tie directly into the Marxist ideals on communism.

The hot summer day in South Carolina made Lennie wake up, sweating through the cover sheets protecting his bed. Aunt Clara made Lennie bathe, who reeked of sweat and read the old dusty bible that she had lying around. As Lennie kept reading, he found a quote that read “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34), but Lennie could not solve its meaning. After several hours passed by, Lennie could not take the loud, playful noise from outside and looked desperately out the window, where all the kids were hanging around. The hot air of South Carolina made his body feel like a teapot on the stove. Lennie could not take it anymore and finally cracked open the window,

The last theme is the impossibility of dreams. Most of the characters dream of a

     In John Steinbeck’s “The Leader of the People,” a theme that is portrayed throughout the story is that of the contrast between dream and reality. In the story, Grandfather cannot come to grasp that his dreams of the West and moving across the plains are over and that reality has set in. Another story that contrasts dream and reality is Ambrose Pierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” In this story, Farquhar cannot tell the difference between dream and reality until the very last second, when he is hanged.

Theme is an integral part of this story and is mostly presented through the narrator. One of the major themes of the story is conscience, in which many of the conflicts in the