Use Of Symbols In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Secondly, Of Mice and Men illustrates the honesty of living conditions within the American cultural society of his day. The honesty quality seen in Of Mice and Men goes back to Steinbeck himself. Three of Steinbeck’s novels were set in the Salina Valley. Steinbeck’s birthplace, and hometown, Salina Valley, California, is where this story is also set. He wrote this novel to express his personal perspective of life as he knew it in his era. As a very young man, he was a very hard worker and held a variety of jobs that led to his writing career (“John” 5).

In the first place, George shows how he cares for Lennie by bargaining with him by allowing Lennie to tend to the rabbits if he stays out of trouble. In chapter 1, George shows pride and encouragement toward Lennie by telling Lennie that he might be able to tend to the rabbits after all. ""Good Boy! That's fine, Lennie! Maybe you're getting' better. When we get that coupla acres I can let you tend the rabbits all right."" (Steinbeck 15) George exclaimed. With this selection you can see that George tries to encourage Lennie to keep remembering and listen to him. George and Lennie have been together for a while so their bond has strengthened over time, George shows compassion toward Lennie multiple times in the book.

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.

In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the author constructs the setting of the story in a way that it creates a deeper meaning to the overall sense of the story. The places associated with the novel are able to establish a connection to the characters, theme, and plot of the story. The introduction of the setting, which is Soledad, hints the novel’s theme of loneliness, as Soledad means solitude. Through his description of a river that “runs deep and green,” “yellow sands in the sunlight,” “golden foothill slopes,” and trees that are “fresh and green,” the author is trying to show the natural beauty of the setting. As a result, the author is able to create a contrast between the beauty of the background and the hardships of the

with George where he can take care of rabbits. One night, before arriving at the ranch, Lennie and George camp by the Salinas River and talk about their hopes for the future. Lennie says to George, “Tell about what we’re gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits,” (14). Later in the story, Lennie is in the barn with Sometimes dreams don’t come true

John Steinbeck uses many literary devices in Of Mice and Men to make the book more interesting and to keep the reader hooked. Steinbeck uses imagery to show “The flame of the sunset lifted from the mountain-tops and dusk came into the valley, and a half darkness came in among the willows and the sycamores” to demonstrate that sunset is taking place as well as the darkness is starting to take over(Steinbeck 11). In chapter 6 Steinbeck uses imagery again to set the scene, “Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan mountains” set the final scene of the book, also at the beginning of chapter 1 the scene is sunset and in chapter 6 the scene is sunset as well(Steinbeck 109).

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.

“And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head.” In the book, “ Of Mice and Men ,” by John Steinbeck (13), the author uses so many symbols in his characters and in the background throughout the story. In the book, everything represents symbolism whether it is the characters or the setting of the time and place they are in. The time period in “ OF Mice and Men “ is around the 1930s during the Great Depression. The men and women in the story aren’t very educated by how they talk and pronounce words. The setting is in Salinas Valley, California which is located in Northern California just south of San Francisco.

Lennie's dream was to live on a farm with George and attend his rabbits. Although, Steinbeck wrote how rabbits secretly equals freedom, so when George killed Lennie, he was trying to help him get his freedom from everything that happened during the Great Depression. On page 81 it says, “Now I won’t get to tend the rabbits.” Lennie says this when he gets into trouble because Lennie wants George to let him take care of the rabbits on the farm they want to own.

Knowing what will happen, George wants to make Lennie as happy as possible before he takes his life. He tells him the story of the farm and the rabbits and how they will arrive there soon. In George’s mind, if he Lennie thinks about rabbits then he will have them with him in

John Steinbeck wrote the book, Of Mice and Men, and incorporated detailed and descriptive settings, dreams, and character appearances for the book to be turned into a major motion picture like the one that was created in 1992. I think the book was written this way because the reader is taken to the place being described or sees the character being described. Steinbeck makes it easy for the reader to be put in George’s or Lennie’s shoes by using imagery and figurative language, such as similes and metaphors. “Both men glanced up, for the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off. A girl was standing there looking in. She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled

John Steinbeck’s 1949 novella entitled Of Mice and Men uses many significant symbols to convey meanings about the human condition. Such symbols include hands to represent labour, cards to signify chance and taking a risk, and finally, rabbits to suggest ideas about achieving one’s hopes and dreams. Symbols are a key central device in delivering meaning, as they consistently repeated throughout the narrative and are typically associated with the novella’s many characters.

George uses Lenny’s desire to tend the rabbits in order make him behave, telling Lennie“ You ain’t gonna get in no trouble, because if you do, I won’t let you tend the rabbits.” (Steinbeck, 16) Also, Lennie Uses this desire as a means to motivate himself to avoid trouble. Whenever he creates trouble he says, “George ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits now.” (Steinbeck, 87)

First, Lennie tries to behave so he could tend the rabbits. “George, how long’s it gonna be till we get that little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’--an’ rabbits?” (Steinbeck 56). Lennie wants so badly to own land and be able to take care of rabbits. He tries to behave and stay out of trouble because he thinks George won’t let him tend to the rabbits if he misbehaves. Another part of his dream is to own land and live with George. If he does something wrong and loses his job, they won’t be able to afford the house until they get new jobs. An example of how Lennie tries to get out of

John Steinbeck wrote ‘Of Mice and Men’ to show how hard life was for migrant ranch workers during the time of the Great Depression and how they were often exploited by their employers. In showing how George and Lennie’s dream of owning their own piece of land did not come true, Steinbeck explores a wider theme, criticising the idea of the American Dream. The American Dream tells people that there is ‘opportunity for each... regardless of the fortuitous circumstance of birth and position. Steinbeck criticises this as these ranch workers were given few opportunities. Settings play a very important part in the novel as they pinpoint clear times and places giving a sense of realism to the story, but they are also used to create atmosphere.