Mice and Men free essay sample

We are first introduced to the characters George and Lennie in chapter 1 Of Mice and Men our first meeting of the characters automatically give away key themes and ideas of what is to come later in the book. They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the opening one stayed behind the other. Even early on in the book we see that one follows the other, as even in the open, one leads the way and the other follows. Steinbeck then moves onto tells us of the two characters appearances, again this gives detail of the lives he characters live and the cultural context that the book has, Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders This is significant as during the time of the Depression, denim was only worn by men who worked with their hands, so instantly we can detriment that they are workers with hardly any possessions as they carry bindles which suggest that they are traveling to work on a ranch. We will write a custom essay sample on Mice and Men or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Both were dressed in denim trousers and Both wore black shapeless hats in order o make the contrasts of their personalities and physical appearances even more distinct. To further emphasize their differences Steinbeck Juxtaposes his illustration of George small and quick sharp strong features with Lennies shapeless face with sloping shoulders. The descriptions suggests while George is shrewd and quick Lennie is clumsy. Steinbeck creates animal imagery of Lennie by comparing him to a bear dragging his feet a little the way a bear drags his paws Steinbeck uses another animal comparison when he uses a simile to compare Lennie o a horse, Lennie drank with long gulps, snorting the water like a horse Lennie seems to be very childlike and constantly needs telling what to do by George. It is clear that Lennie has no sense at all and George has to watch over him constantly. He scolds him for drinking stagnant water and tells lennie off. The novel, Of Mice of Men portrays the deep relationship of George and Lennie. As the book progresses, the reader plunges deeper into their relationship. The curiosity of George and Lennie friendship is intriguing for the reader and is very thought- rovoking for the reader as it very complex and full of twists and turns. Undoubtedly, George has come to like Lennie and feels a sense of duty and responsibility towards him. Lennie needs George, but it is equally true that George needs Lennie as well. George was also a harsh, mean and derogatory to Lennie, however, it is also very evident that George never left Lennie despite his life would have mean much easier without him. Lennie is Georges hardship, but George loves him regardless. Since the death of Lennies Aunt Clara, George took it upon himself to take responsibility of him nd his special needs by finding him Jobs, feeding him, and making sure he is safe. Their mutual dependence on one another is what keeps George and Lennie In the novel Of Mice and Men, the part of the plot where George and Lennie run away from Weed is very important. This is because it shows the beginning or continuation of a behavioural pattern. It also shows that George is beginning to cotton on to that fact and that it is beginning to cause him anxiety. Indeed, the lines All the time something like that, all the time. are foreshadowing the events that are to come. George does his best to shelter himself and Lennie from the consequences of the unusual behaviour, but will soon realise that they are going to occur again and again, over and over, because learning-challenged Lennie has difficulty learning and remembering the lesson of past experiences. When the end finally comes, we may speculate that these thoughts are in his mind when he makes his tragic and terrible decision. George and lennie are two travelling farm hands; theyre camping beside a pool in a valley. The next day they are due to begin work on a ranch. It is clear that George small and quick witted is the one in charge. He looks after lennie who is huge and childlike. We learn that the two men had to leave the town of weed because lennie frightened a girl there. George gets angry because he always has to get lennie out of trouble. When lennie offers to leave him and go away George is sorry for being mean. We found out that lennie loves to pet soft things, especially small animals. He does not understand how great his strength and likes to play with them he often ends up accidentally killing them. Mice and men free essay sample Loneliness and companionship is imminent throughout the book. It starts from the beginning when George sets the tone by repeating to Lennie that life on a ranch is the loneliest life there is, for example Steinbeck states â€Å"Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world’. This shows us that men on a ranch rarely have any companionship or safety however George and Lennie have each other and this contradicts the idea that ranch men are always lonely. As the story develops we see that there are other characters that experience loneliness one point in the story like Candy, Crooks and Curley’s wife all confess to it. Crooks and Curley’s wife find a companion within Lennie and share their fears for example with Crooks, Steinbeck states ‘don’t make no difference who the guy is, longs hes with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick. We will write a custom essay sample on Mice and men or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This shows the effects that loneliness can have on a person and Crooks admits that he is extremely lonely and companionship of his kind is impossible. Also another lonely character is Curley’s wife, she is forbidden to talk to anyone but Curley however instead she approaches the ranch hands by looking for Curley as an excuse to talk to them. Only result of this is that she becomes more disliked and Curley gets more jealous. Unfortunately her loneliness leads to her untimely death by making the error of confiding in Lennie and teasing him. This all leads up to George’s decision to shoot Lennie as he knows that the hope of such companionship with Lennie dies as the cycle will be repeated and it seems that George’s original belief becomes true as he shall now walk through life alone.