‘Of Mice and Men’ is a story written by John Steinbeck. Set during the Great Depression, two men, George, a fairly intelligent man, and Lenny, a big man with the mind of a child, arrive at a ranch near Soledad. Lennie is a lot to deal with, he loves touching soft small things but his strength causes him to accidentally kill small animals. Though the men must go their own ways when Lennie pays for the bad things he’s done. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is a film about this young man, Jamal, answers questions on the Indian version of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’. As he answers each of the questions it shows flashbacks of how he got there. After their mother dies, Jamal and his brother, Salim, fight to survive on their own on the streets. Salim finds the life of being a criminal fine but Jamal gets by with small jobs until getting a spot on the game show. Both the novel and the film show injustice in multiple ways like the poverty they live in and that getting in the way of their dreams.
Everyone needs a companion or someone to be there with them through tough times in their life, someone who will stick by them through everything. In both ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ examples of this are shown. ‘Of Mice and Men’ shows this in George and Lennie’s friendship. George is always there for Lennie even when he had done some terrible things. They went with each other from town to town, working together always. For example, “With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go”. Jamal and Salim in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, however, have a different kind of relationship as brothers. Together they watched their mum die and had to go off and look after themselves. Living in the slums isn’t easy, but when you got a friend with you it’s that little bit easier.
Poverty is an international problem/situation which includes not having enough material possessions or income for a person’s needs Steinbeck uses his personal experience to form the story of ‘Of Mice and Men’. Living in poverty caused George and Lennie to become uneducated and unskilled meaning it was hard to find a job they could do. Having this set in the Great Depression also means it’d be hard to make much money. In ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, Jamal and Salim grew up in the slums of India, a place where a large amount of people in poverty live. When you’re born in the slums you usually die there, it’s a hard place to get out of. An example of this is early on in the film when you see the boys getting chased by police men through the slums. Injustice is shown by how all these characters are disadvantaged in money and resources.
Hopes and dreams are one of the most important things in one’s life. Dreams can motivate people like nothing else can. Steinbeck shows this in George and Lennie dream to own their own farm. They have always been motivated to work hard to reach this dream. They’ve gone from ranch to ranch just to somehow get what they’ve wanted all this time. Salim and Jamal’s dream is just simply for a better life. Even as kids they worked, begged and did everything they could just to get out of the slums. It’s extremely hard to just get a job to get money as they are disadvantaged by not getting the education and skills you need to become successful. An example of Jamal’s dream is how Jamal goes on the game show to win money to finally leave the slums. The power of injustice is demonstrated by George, Lennie, Salim and Jamal not getting an education and good skills needed like majority of people do.
All in all, the power of injustice is linked with companionship by giving the characters someone to either look after or help look after them. Poverty shows injustice in showing you how tough these characters lives were which also connects to hopes and dreams living in poverty gave these characters more to look forward to or achieve, something to live for. In short, these characters having companionship and dreams made living in poverty a bit easier which links to injustice by because of injustice they now use this to cope with how bad things are for them.
Throughout the novel “Of Mice and Men,” Steinbeck uses the character, Crooks to mirror the racial discrimination in the 1930s in America. During this time Black Americans went through a horrible time. Despite Steinbeck’s beliefs, he does not write for or against racism but rather writes about the harsh reality that they had to live through. As a reader we begin to see the impact that it has on Crooks especially after we realize his ‘dream’ could never come true because he has seen too many other people like him with the same dream fail.
During the 1930s for most white Americans, racism was ‘normal’. Blacks were belittled at the time. Steinbeck copies the way the ranch hands spoke giving us insight into the context of the novel. Throughout the novel, Crooks is referred to by a derogatory term and/or slur known as the n-word multiple times. When Candy mentions Crooks for the first time, he says “Ya see the stable buck’s a nig****.” However, Candy quickly says that Crooks is a “Nice fella too.” Candy does not have a problem with Crooks and does not use the word “nigg**” as an offensive slur (as it is seen in the 21st century today). While reading the novel, we learn that Crook’s is not his real name it is rather a nickname he got because of his crooked back. However, Crooks is most often identified by his skin color and job and referred to as the “stable buck” and “nigg**”
In chapter four, we learn more about racial prejudice. Steinbeck gives us an insight into Crooks as a character. “Bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the barn” The way Crooks’ room is described shows us the few rights he has as a black man. Steinbeck writes that his room was separated from the white men which tells us that black people were being treated like animals, Crooks even shares some of his things with animals – there is a “range of medicines, both for himself and the horses”.
Crooks has been greatly affected by discrimination, which is what makes him miserable and angry at the society he is living in. He is ‘trapped’, he has been lonely for so long that he almost can’t deal with someone trying to be nice to him. He has no hope of ever seeing a better life we all realize after Curelys wife and Lennie’s death.
Since the mid-20th century, there has been a big shift in attitudes towards black people. However, in this world today, it is not yet equal. Black people are still treated very poorly. We might think racism is over, but we are blindsided simply by our skin color and where we live. In some areas of the world black people have to work 3 times as hard just to get on the same level as white people, we also don’t have to continuously struggle about bills from a young age and worry about the disadvantages we will face throughout day by doing a simple day to day activities.
The story is set during the Great Depression (Gradesaver; Enotes), and it starts in the Salinas River, somewhere “a few miles south of Soledad” (Par 1) with two men walking the same disgruntled path while seeing the world in extremely different views. Meet George Milton and Lennie Small, two migrant workers who have become the unlikeliest partners in life – George is a small and quick man, “with restless eyes and sharp, strong features,” while Lennie is “a huge man…with large, pale eyes” (Par 4). In the beginning of chapter one it would already be established that George is Lennie’s leader (Par 5) and in the latter parts, he is Lennie’s keeper, given that Lennie is helpless without him (Par 7; Par 135). Their relationship is amusing at times, what with two grown men threatening to leave each other with empty words (Par 105; Par 106; Par 112), as well as heartbreaking, for their closeness was sweet and gentle (Par 111), and yet also very plausible (Par 113), thus making their exchanges more real.
Notable is the fact that Steinbeck was able to introduce three minor yet important figures at the start of his novel: Aunt Clara, the dead woman who presumably raised Lennie (Par 84); the woman back in their hometown, Weed, who was the reason why they had to escape and begin anew for themselves in the first place (Par 97), and the rodents, particularly the mice and rabbits, with the mice establishing Lennie’s mental condition as well as his tendency to break lives accidentally (Par 84) while the rabbits displaying his fragile, child-like nature (Par 42) and innermost simplistic desires (Par 132). Steinbeck makes sure his theme on nature and his comparison between mice and men never goes unnoticed as he likens Lennie to animals in many of his paragraphs, from the description of how he moves (Par 4; Par 5; Par 72; Par 76; Par 80) to the way George always praises him with “Good boy!” (Par 53; Par 137) and even to his desire to live an idyllic life (Par 110).
Throughout chapter one, Steinbeck uses recurring symbols and imagery that would repeat itself during the last chapter of the book, though that is not the focus of this analysis; what this paper will focus on is how the author foreshadows the main events of the plot (CliffNotes), and how he scattered subtle yet foreboding clues as to the direction of the story while casting vivid imagery upon the reader’s imagination.
The exposition came in the middle of the story, as George talks to himself about the misfortunes Lennie has bestowed upon him through time (Par 97), and how despite that, they will still strive to brave their odds so long as they did so together, because that’s what set them apart from the other guys (Par 125). The plot twist also came early, as it was shown that Lennie liked stroking soft things, and that he did not believe it to be a bad thing (Par 120). And Steinbeck offered his audience a clean view of the end when George made Lennie promise “to hide in the brush” (Par 141) if he gets in trouble again, as if it was an absolute fact to be expected.
The most subtle and yet possibly most vivid symbolic device used by Steinbeck has to be that of the Sycamore tree; he utilized it to depict the time of day (Par 1), the atmosphere and tone of the upcoming scenario (Par 65), and finally, the foreboding mood which clues the reader that something will happen in the latter parts of the book, particularly because of the afterimage it leaves behind (Par 157).
Works Cited
“Of Mice and Men.” CliffNotes. Web.
“Of Mice and Men Summary and Analysis.” Gradeserver.com. Web.
“Of Mice and Men Summary.” Enotes. Web.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Viking Penguin, Penguin Books USA, Inc. 1937.
The film Of Mice and Men based on novel of John Steinbeck depicts the story of two migrant workers Lennie Small and George Milton. Describing the period of Great Depression, the author wants to show the striving of men to find their place in California, to find a job and to improve their life of outsiders.
However, the main idea of this film consists not in the description of the social problems; it is a story about the way how people build the relationships, about friendship. The novel Billy Budd by Herman Melville describes a life of a young sailor who works aboard warship during the 18th century in England. In spite of Of Mice and Men, Billy Budd is focused more on the ideas of justice, morality, religion and other social issues.
This story can be considered as an allegory with a complex use of symbols. Although, at the first glance, two stories seem different, one can find the similarities between the characters of Lennie Small and Billy Budd, as both men are workers who demonstrate the courage, strong temper and will to improve their life and to change the world they live in.
Of Mice and Men is a story about the American Dream, where characters who are aspired by the will to improve their live try to use the fortune and luck. On the other hand, the audience can be a witness how the will to get money can destroy the relationships between friends. Two friends have to move from their city because one of them is accused of rape of young women. In fact, this accusation is groundless. However, the heroes suppose that it is better to escape from the city than try to apologize and to justify this action.
Lennie and George have to find the place where to live and work and they find it on Tyler Ranch (Of Mice and Men 2003). Lennie and George lose their companionship due to the ambitions and indefatigable striving to get the capital and become more independent and self-sufficient. The taglines of this film are: “We have a dream. Someday, we’ll have a little house and a couple of acres. A place to call home” (“Of Mice and Men”).
Perhaps, such desire can be understandable, as the workers have a poor life, although they work hard. However, they forget what the real value of this life is. It is not money. Obviously, such way of behavior and priorities may lead to success; however, in case of the heroes of Of Mice and Men, this idea crushes.
Billy Budd, the novel written by Herman Melville in 19th century, describes story of young sailor who works abroad the warship. This story has a spirit of the French Revolution with a will of the justice, freedom and human rights. “Handsome sailor” (Melville 928) works aboard the merchant vessel; however, he dreams about the work aboard the warship Indomitable. Billy is a typical good character who is respected by the crew.
Perhaps, he has a good heart because he is an orphaned and knows how difficult and complicated the life can be. Obviously, the story should have both good and bad sides.
The antagonist of a good and kind Billy is the Master-at-arms of the ship John Claggart. Billy is falsely accused of mutiny and unable to protect himself when Captain Vere tries to find the truth; as the result, he accidentally kills his enemy. The end of this story provides three reports and the readers can see that the Captain Vere is dead due to the battle, journalists write about Billy’s execution and the crew remembers about this young brave sailor. Melville’s novel has the multiply mythological and biblical allusions.
Moreover, one can find there an influence of the French and American Revolutions, the success of Admiral Nelson and the various political and philosophical ideas of the 18th century. This story is deeper than Of Mice and Men due to its physiological motives of behavior which cause some extraordinary events. Thus, it is complicated to comprehend why John Claggart does not like Billy while all other members of crew like this young man.
The reason of such attitude consists in the human nature. Although everyone can see the result, it is difficult to explain why it happens, which motives cause such events. On the other hand, the motives of behavior of the heroes of Of Mice and Men are clear: it is a striving of getting more material goods, more money and gold.
The story of Billy Budd takes place on the Mediterranean Sea, while Of Mice and Men describes life in South of Soledad, California. The themes of two stories are different.
Billy Budd struggles against the social injustice, the individual against the society and the conscience against law. On the other hand, the relationships between Lennie and George emphasize an importance of fraternity and friendship, the destructive impact of the social opinion within the American society and impossibility of the American Dream to form the capital from nothing.
The motives of heroes’ behavior are similar. Both men are accused; however, Lennie wants to prove that he still able to achieve his goals, to improve his life, while Billy is unable to argue and to prove that his is not guilty. The motives of Billy Budd are the Christian allegory and mutiny, while Of Mice and Men is an emphasis of strength and weakness of humans, friendship, companionship and loneliness.
It is obvious that the characters of Lennie Small and Billy Budd are similar. Both men demonstrate the best human qualities: they are brave, clever and kind. However, in spite of Lennie Small, Billy Budd can be considered as more complicated psychological archetype. One can find that the novel of Melville has a number of Christian conceptions and biblical allusions (“Billy Budd: Allusions”).
Thus, Billy Budd is an allusion of Adam and Christ. He is driven out of his heaven like Adam and he is betrayed by the member of the crew like Christ. The figure of Captain can be considered as a God. Thus, there are following sentences in the novel: “Captain Vere tells the truth. It is just as Captain Vere says, but it is not as the master-at-arms said. I have eaten the King’s bread and I am true to the King” (Melville 932).
The present quotation provides an evident allusion of biblical subjects. Billy Budd is an example of cruel and unfair life where every good man can be accused and punished. It is possible to find the similarities between the events in the lives of Billy and Lennie as both men were falsely accused.
However, in case of Billy, this situation seems more unfair as he was absolutely innocent of the crime. On the other hand, Lennie touched that girl. Therefore, it would be wrong to claim that he is completely not guilty. Both men had tragic lives and did not accomplish all their dreams.
Their lives turned due to the sudden tragic events: Billy kills Claggart and Lennie kills the wife of Curley, the rancho owner’s son. However, although two stories and those tragic events seem similar, the results are completely different. Billy becomes a legend among the sailors; they sing songs about him and remember Billy as a brave and kind person. In case of Lennie, his life ends in a different way.
Curley sends men to kill Lennie and his friend George shoots him in the head. It is possible to consider this step of George as a betrayal of his friend. However, at the end of this story, Lennie and George were not friends; they betrayed their friendship earlier and barter it for money. Nevertheless, the figure of Lennie is also symbolical. It is a complex character who is completely different than others.
The author ironically called him Small, although, in fact, it is a man of large stature. His emotional level is similar to the childish one, as this man has the diminished mental abilities. However, this characteristic makes Lennie be kind like a child. Although sometimes he does not know what is right and what is wrong, he behaves better than George and he absolutely trusts his friend. Lennie’s main desire is to continue the friendship with George.
The reason of Lennie’s tragic end lies in a lack of understanding that all things that people do can have the consequences. Lennie is a menace to the society; thereby, it is possible to understand and accept his end. The social life requires strong mind and comprehension of the rules of behavior.
However, Billy Budd is absolutely different type of men. This young sailor is brave, intelligent, clever and fascinating and he knows what is right and what behavior can be considered as socially wrong or dangerous. It is difficult to understand why he cannot protect himself against the face of danger and false accusation. Reich supposes that the author used Billy as “an example of the flaws in the laws of society” (Reich 131). Although this man is a great example of goodness, he cannot withstand against the cruel reality and social opinion.
The author compares his character with Alexander the Great, physically and spiritually strong and powerful figure with the honest soul. Obviously, Billy Budd and Lennie Small are similar, as they both demonstrate their best qualities such as honesty, friendliness and will to have a good peaceful and quite life. Both of them are punished by the society who does not accept such characters.
The reason of their fall can be found in the idea that people are ready to believe in the most terrible crime than to accept that the person can be not guilty. Serious Billy and childish Lennie are similar because both of them treat people in a kind way; they cannot hurt or betray someone and, as the result, they both are betrayed by the people around them.
Works Cited
Billy Budd: Allusions. Web.
Melville, Herman. “Billy Budd, Sailor.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, 8th ed., Vol. 2. Ed. Lawall. US: W W NORTON, 2005. 928-932. Print.
Of Mice and Men. Ex. Prod. Gary Sinise. US: Twentieth Century Fox. 2003. DVD.
Reich, Charles A. “The Tragedy of Justice in Billy Budd”, Critical Essays on Melville’s Billy Budd, Sailor. Ed. Robert Milder. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1989. 127-143. Print.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a novel about the difficult life of American migrant workers during the Great Depression. It uncovers the hardship of this historical period and reflects the author’s personal experience and knowledge about the lives of migrant ranch workers. Steinbeck invites the reader to think about each personage with compassion as he describes all characters as they are, with no judgment or admiration. This essay will examine the key themes of the story and the historical context, provide a brief analysis of the main characters, and give an overall reader’s opinion about the novel.
The events in the novel take place during the Great Depression. Lennie and George, two migrant workers, arrive at their new job on a ranch in Salinas, California, where they will be bucking barley. Lennie and George are friends, and they are dreaming of having their farm one day. Lennie has a mental disability, so George has to look after him. Two friends stay in the house with other workers, where they get to know some new people and realize that they are the only ones who stick together while the rest of the workers are loners.
Later on, they meet Curley, the son of their boss, and Curley’s wife, who is the only female on the ranch. Curley is a boxer, so he immediately dislikes Lennie because he is much bigger and stronger than other men, whom Curley can easily fight. Meanwhile, Curley’s wife is always seeking attention from the ranch workers as she feels very lonely. George refuses to talk to her and warns Lennie to stay away from her as well because he thinks that it might get them in trouble.
Further in the novel, Lennie encounters Curley’s wife in the barn. As always, the girl is desperate for attention, so she starts a conversation with Lennie and even encourages him to touch her hair. However, she gets scared when Lennie pulls her hair too strong and starts screaming when he does not let her go. In turn, Lennie gets a panic attack and accidentally breaks her neck. The girl dies, Lennie realizes what he has done and runs away, but everybody on the ranch immediately understands who killed her. The workers follow Lennie with a clear intention to kill him. To save his friend from suffering, George finds Lennie first, calms him down by telling his favorite story about their farm, and shots him in the head.
The protagonists of the book are George and Lennie. The two men are very different in many ways. Whereas George is small and lean, Lennie is big and strong. George is witty, smart, and independent, whereas Lennie has a mental disability and needs constant help. These two people are the only friends in the novel since the rest of the workers are very isolated. Generally, the book has quite a few characters, but each of them occupies a special place in the plot.
On the surface, this is a story of the unique friendship between two men. Still, there are a few other relevant themes that are essential for this novel, which are loneliness, moral issues, and the hardship of living during the Great Depression. The idea of friendship is represented in the relationship between the two protagonists ‒ George and Lennie. Although they are very different, they stick together, and having each other’s support gives them the strength to survive: “We got each other, that’s what, that gives a hoot in hell about us” (Steinbeck, 2003, p. 118). George sometimes complains that his life would be better without Lennie, yet he keeps repeating that their friendship is what makes them special. Even in the end, when George realizes that there is no way to save Lennie from lynching, he finds the strength to shoot him and minimize his pain.
Another central theme in Of Mice and Men is loneliness. Some critics argue that loneliness and isolation are central to this novel. Namely, Vyas (2019, p. 184) in the analysis of selected novels of the Great Depression refers to the other article by Mickael J.Mayer, arguing that “all the characters of the novel experience loneliness.” Some characters feel lonely as they are socially isolated, for example, Curley’s wife. Since workers do not want to get in trouble, they avoid her: “I get awful lonely… I get lonely… You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to anybody but Curley. Else he gets mad” (Steinbeck, 2003, p. 98). To emphasize this isolation, the author never mentions her name, and the girl stays “Curley’s wife” even after her death.
However, it can be argued that even Lennie, who is seemingly the least lonely character in the novel, feels isolated as well. The thoughts that come into Lennie’s head when he hallucinates about his Aunt Clara show the other side of his character. Lennie is stressed, but the man does not think that his friend is going to save him. Contrarily, he is afraid that George will hit him with a stick. Such representation of each character might be intentional as it is hard to trust others and not feel lonely while being abandoned by one’s country.
The next critical theme is the desperate social situation during the Great Depression. The 1930s were crucial for America, and Stainback wrote Of Mice and Men when he was involved in social and economic problems (Study Guide, 2015). However, he emphasizes that women and black people got affected by the Great Depression the most, which is respectively embodied in the characters of Curley’s wife and Crooks. Although, as Heavilin (2018, p. 25) admits, gender issues in Of Mice and Men might only be spotted by a careful reader. Overall, sexism and racism are the results of a problematic social environment.
Of Mice and Men is an excellent book in many ways. It perfectly reflects the atmosphere that prevailed in America during the Great Depression. Each character in this story is a part of a big puzzle to a disruptive picture of the destroyed state. After reading this story, I had a strong feeling that the death at the end was nobody’s fault. All these people were products of their time. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a realistic depiction of the situation in America during the 1930s.
To conclude, Of Mice and Men is a depiction of difficult life in the period of economic stagnation, which leaves a visible trail in every single person. The author pointed out all the negative social aspects that existed in the working class and emphasized the value of true friendship. On the whole, this novel goes beyond the narrative on its surface as it explores the deeper social issues, which are unnoticed by the people whose basic needs are not met.
Reference List
Heavilin, B. (2018) ‘“The [wall] of background”: the cultural, political, and literary contexts of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men’, The Steinbeck Review, 15(1), pp.13-25.
Steinbeck, J. (2003) Of mice and men. London: Longman Publishing Group.
Study guide for John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (2015) Gale, Cengage Learning.
Vyas, H. (2019) ‘The idea of post-war America in the selected novels by Steinbeck and Dos Pasos’, A Global Journal of Humanities, 2(1), pp.182-185.
Through Death of a Salesman play, Arthur Miller describes Willy Loman’s – the main character’s – pursuit of certain wild and unrealistic dreams of seeking personal wealth and fame. Loman’s dreams outline the character’s loss of touch with reality as is evident through their unreasonable actions, dispositions, and utterances. His misguided dreams demonstrate the futility of espousing the irrational ideas of being great, thus demonstrating that this is an erroneous stance. This play is similar to John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men novel on the basis of the respective protagonists’ dreams. Just like Death of a Salesman describes Loman’s pursuit of some dreams, so is Of Mice and Men which explores Lennie and George’s dream of acquiring their own land. The dreams in Steinbeck’s novel demonstrate that resolute determination can make people be very resilient. Further, the two literary works are similar in that the protagonists face a number of difficult challenges as they strive to achieve their respective dreams. The protagonists in the 2 works also fail to achieve their dreams. Steinbeck’s novel however has a number of notable differences from Miller’s play. For instance, while Death of a Salesman shows that Loman has an unlikeable character owing to his dreams, Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men portrays Lennie and George as being positively impacted by their dreams. Further, whereas Lennie and George’s dreams portray the 2 as rational persons as per the Of Mice and Men novel, the dreams described in Death of a Salesman depict Loman as an illogical character. All in all, Miller’s Death of a Salesman play that depicts Loman’s dream of greatness as irrational and harmful while Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men novel portrays Lennie and George’s dreams as sane and beneficial.
For instance, Miller portrays Loman as an irrational being owing to the latter’s impractical dreams of becoming rich and famous. Such misplaced hallucinations make Loman to live in an imaginary world, a concept that makes the character to be bitter with life. To illustrate, Loman’s misguided dreams usually make him enter into trances whereby he revisits life as it used to be when he was wealthy. He also abstractly builds his version of reality based on his hallucinations. For example, Loman brags to Biff and Happy that he will establish a business that is bigger than the one owned by Charley – a wealthy neighbor. Later, Loman claims to Linda that ‘before it’s all over we’re gonna get a little place out in the country’, thus affirming the former’s hallucinatory nature (Miller 20). This attitude makes Loman unable to appreciate and work towards improving his present situation. The character thus eventually commits suicide, affirming that hallucinatory dreams only lead to tragedy.
On the contrary, Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men novel portrays Lennie and George’s pursuance of practical dreams since the duo aspires to acquire money with which to purchase land of their own. The practicality of this dream is evident in that the 2 set out to work so as to escape a life of poverty and dependence. They, therefore, demonstrate the conscious realization of their unfavorable circumstances and jointly work towards improving their lot in life. These shared dreams prove that determination can enable people to achieve much in life.
In relation to this concept is the fact that Lennie and George’s dreams inspire the duo to be mutually cooperative and loving as is evident through Gorge’s action of covering up for Lennie’s deficiencies when the 2 arrive at the California farm. The statement that the two always ‘stayed behind the other’ indicates their friendship (Steinbeck 8). It is thus evident that the duo’s dreams confer good characters onto them. George’s selfless act of standing by Lennie right up to the latter’s death further proves this point. The fact that George disregards the harm that may befall him for associating with Lennie after the latter accidentally breaks Curley’s wife’s neck proves that the former is very committed to the latter. George confirms his dedication to Lennie by stating that he has ‘never been mad’ at the latter (Steinbeck 87). The novel thus proves that mutual determination that is founded on practical dreams facilitates close friendship and selflessness.
This is not the case with Death of a Salesman’s Loman who acquires unbecoming habits thanks to his misguided dreams of being rich and famous. For example, Loman becomes unsociable owing to his illusory dreams as is demonstrated through his hostility towards Charley. Loman depicts this conduct when he shouts at and chases Charley off after the latter asks who the former is speaking to during one of the former’s trances. According to Loman’s hallucinations, Ben – his brother – is present in this instance. In the reverie, Loman explains his plans of moving to Alaska to conduct business. Further, other than urging his sons to be effective intellectually, Loman advises Biff and Happy that they ‘need…..a golf club’ since the other people ‘can’t hammer a nail’ (Miller 32). Misguided dreams are thus argued to be negatively influencing Loman’s behavior.
Miller also portrays Loman’s hallucinatory dreams of being famous and rich as facing a number of serious challenges. Considering that Loman is basically impractical in his ideas, the numerous deficiencies that characterize his life prove to be daunting challenges. It is possible that Happy and Biff – Loman’s 2 sons – engage in timber theft because of the poverty they live in. This glaring reality poses a challenge to Loman as he strives to advance his illusory ideas. While Loman is engrossed in a reverie-like discussion with the imaginary Ben about Alaskan business prospects, Bernard and Charley hurriedly enter and report that Happy and Biff are stealing timber. This information jolts Loman to his senses, urging him to come to grips with reality and handle the deprivation in his home rather than engage in imaginary fantasies. The character’s confession that he is ‘not a dime a dozen’ affirms this situation (Miller76). Loman’s dreams are thus shown to be working to deny him the opportunity to appreciate and effectively tackle the real issues in his life.
Likewise, Steinbeck’s Lennie and George are depicted as facing several challenges in the pursuance of their dreams to earn sufficient funds for purchasing a piece of land. For one, Lennie’s unstable mind makes him do things that force the duo to flee. A case in point is the last job that the 2 held that was abruptly cut short after Lennie’s fantasies were misconstrued as amounting to an intention to rape a certain lady. In addition, after securing another employment, Lennie commits a blunder by accidentally breaking the neck of Curley’s wife, thus forcing George to kill the former. George’s compassionate killing of his colleague basically marks the end of the duo’s plans. George refers to these difficulties when he observes that Lennie’s oversight ‘near lost’ them ‘a job’ (Steinbeck 55). The challenges that the duo encounters and try to transcend thus prove that determination enables people to undertake great tasks.
In addition, Lennie and George do not achieve their dreams; they demonstrate strong willpower up to the end despite the challenges they face. Strong determination is thus demonstrated on their part.
Similarly, Loman fails to achieve his lofty dreams owing to their inherent impracticality, prompting him to commit suicide. This sad ending proves that hallucinatory dreams always fail.
In summary, Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men novel and Miller’s Death of a Salesman play describe their respective protagonists as pursuing certain dreams which expound on the respective themes of the works. Of Mice and Men’s Lennie and George have practical dreams of alleviating their needy circumstances while Death of a Salesman’s Loman has the illusory dream of being famous and wealthy. Further, Loman becomes unlikable owing to his hallucinatory dreams. The two works however show that their respective protagonists face challenges as they pursue their dreams. Moreover, both works’ protagonists fail to achieve their dreams.
Works Cited
Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman: Certain Private Conversations in Two Acts and a Requiem. New York: Penguin, 1998.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin, 1994.
Thesis Statement: the cycle of oppression and insecurity seen in society is in fact reflected in the novel itself where the author attempts to create a microcosm of the current state of society by having the characters portray the various types of personalities people encounter on a daily basis.
How the Novel Relates to the Greater Theme of Human Society
In the novel, “Of Mice and Men”, Steinbeck relays an unfortunate facet of human nature, namely, the fact that humans have a predatory nature of existence which is epitomized by the saying “it’s a dog eat dog world” (Cardullo, 19 – 29).
This is exemplified by the actions of nearly all the characters wherein at one point or another in the story, despite displaying a sense of loneliness or a form of isolation with each character seeking some form of companionship, they still choose to exploit or demean those who they believe are weaker than they are (Cardullo, 19 – 29).
For example, the African American, Crooks, demeans Lennie for his dependence on George yet he himself is lonely and wishes to have the same type of companion. Such apparent derision is followed by a scene involving Crooks and the wife of Curley who demeans Crooks on the basis of his race and various social prejudices yet she herself admits later on in the story that she feels lonely and isolated due to neglect on the part of Curley and her desire to be a movie star.
What must be understood is that throughout the novel a certain cycle can be seen wherein each character apparently demeans and derides the other with each form of derision going from character to character until it completes a full circle and arrives back at the character that started this apparent cycle of continued derision (Jain and Bloom, 45 – 46).
From this it can be seen that Steinbeck is apparently trying to impart to readers the fact that the only way humans can cope with their own feelings of weakness and insecurity is to find it in others and deride them for it (Jain and Bloom, 45 – 46). In fact it can be stated that feelings of insecurity various characters have throughout the novel is in effect the result of the cycle of derision wherein each character continues to foster the feeling of weakness and insecurity in the other.
In a sense this cycle of derision can thus be interpreted as a form of oppression wherein Steinbeck is trying to relay the message that oppression itself does not originate only from the hands of the strong but from the weak as well and that it is this very cycle that people apparently seem to draw a certain degree of strength (Jain and Bloom, 45 – 46).
Such a cycle can actually be seen in a regular high school setting wherein popular kids demean geeks, nerds and the “less popular” but they themselves are insecure due to the tenuous nature of popularity in that they deride and shame others in order to remain popular and maintain their status.
This is also seen in various parts of the novel wherein in order to maintain the sense of identity the characters have forged for themselves they oppress other characters in order to maintain the sense of who they are yet such a method of creating an identity is in itself based on nothing more than a method of covering up their own inherent weaknesses.
Such a case can be seen in various social examples wherein women deride and demean other women due to their appearance yet they themselves are inherently insecure. Men oppress other men on the basis of the other’s sexuality yet they themselves are insecure about their own sexuality. Finally, even children demean other children in the form of bullying yet in most cases such actions are the result of their own troubled households (Sardar and Saunders, 48).
Based on this it can be seen that the cycle of oppression and insecurity seen in society is in fact reflected in the novel itself where the author attempts to create a microcosm of the current state of society by having the characters portray the various types of personalities people encounter on a daily basis.
Concept of Hopes and Dreams
Another facet of the novel and how it relates to human society is the concept of hopes and dreams and how it helps people to survive despite never becoming real. This is actually a continuing theme in the novel wherein each character displays a particular type of hope or dream that never truly materializes yet is one of the driving forces behind their behavior.
For example the concept of George and Lennie’s farm is actually symbolic of the idyllic life that the characters in novel are after(Person Jr. et al., 71- 72). This is evidenced by the fact that so many of the main characters in novel are entranced by the idea of owning a farm that they even request to be part of the venture.
It must be noted that the farm itself symbolizes freedom for the various men within the ranch. For Candy it symbolizes freedom from the fear of being cast out of the ranch due to his old age while for Crooks the farm is symbolic of his freedom from the prejudices of the world where the color of ones skin dictates the amount of respect and opportunities one receives.
Thus the concept of the farm is one closely related to the shared dream of freedom by all the men which enables them to continue to persevere despite events and occurrences heaping more problems onto their lives (Person Jr. et al., 71- 72). This is evidenced by the scene involving George wherein he felt relaxed enough to go with the other ranch hands to the town despite Lenny getting into an earlier fight with Curley.
An examination of the character of George in the novel reveals that early on he came to the realization that the world itself, or perhaps society, is designed to prey on the weak. This rationalization comes after his introspection regarding his previous actions towards Lennie wherein he actually abused Lennie in order to amuse himself.
It must be noted that in similar novels where the character comes to realize that the world around him is a dystopia such characters often wind up sinking into a hopeless depression yet in the case of George such a situation does not come about. In fact it can be seen as the story progresses that despite the continuing problems he encounters he still continues to behave in the same manner and does not sink into a depressing state.
The reason behind this can be connected to his dream of freedom, of being able to leave work when he wants to, watch a baseball game at his leisure and be in a place where he and Lennie can live in safety and comfort (Tecott, 646). It is this particular dream that becomes the driving force behind the actions of George despite the problems he has to endure from Curly or Curly’s wife.
It must be noted that the concept of hopes and dreams helping a person survive is actually based off the notion that people created the concept of God in order to find a form of sanctuary. Various scholars have posited the idea that God is nothing more than a concept created by people in order to fulfill the specific purpose of helping man comfort himself. This is done by having all the negative problems that occur in his life be justified by the fact that there is a entity greater than him who will give him his just rewards when he dies.
In fact the justification of the afterlife is firmly embedded in the concept of God wherein fear of the unknown that comes after death is tempered by the belief that there is a God and that when we die there will be an afterlife. As such it can be seen that this concept was developed in order to help comfort people, to give them solace and to help them focus on something else other than the situation they are in.
This particular method of thinking is similar to the concept of hopes and dreams helping people survive since it is hopes and dreams that help to distract people from the hopelessness of their situation. It gives them the ability to see what could potentially be in front of them should they continue on the path they striving on, past the difficulty they are currently experiencing. In no situation is this more exemplified than that of Candy in the novel.
Due to his increasing age and the fact that he is missing a hand Candy eventually comes to see the farm described by Lennie as freedom from a world where his deteriorating age and handicap serves as a constant reminder of the potential for him to be kicked off of the ranch by Casey (Doren and Bloom, 26 – 27). In fact it can even be seen that at times Candy seems even desperate for the concept of the farm to actually succeed which is an indication of how strong the influence the dream has had on his own life.
It can be said that the novel itself is reminder of how dreams can have such power over a person’s life and actions that they even determine how they behave (Andrews, 131 – 134). This particular concept can actually be seen and is even directly alluded to in the novel by Curly’s wife. Towards the latter part of the novel she admits that she feels incredibly dissatisfied with her life and dreams to become a movie star and leave the confines of the ranch (Doren and Bloom, 26 – 27).
It is seen that her demeaning attitude towards the other characters in the novel is actually a result of her frustrations at the course of her own life yet she still clings to the dream of being a movie star despite there having absolutely no chance of it occurring in the future (Doren and Bloom, 26 – 27). For her it is a coping mechanism, designed to conceal and help her cope with the frustration of the utter hopelessness of her situation (Watt and Bloom, 37 – 38).
It must be noted that a continuing theme in the novel is the loneliness and isolation each character faces however Steinbeck creates a coping mechanism for each character by having each of them have a particular dream that they want to obtain (Watt and Bloom, 37 – 38). In fact it is strongly alluded to in the novel that it is hopes and dreams that continue to give people the will to live and survive and that once it is taken away people tend to die due to the lack of a goal, even though it is unattainable.
Such an assumption is proven by the symbolic death of Lennie. In various scenes throughout the novel it is strongly alluded to that Lennie will eventually meet a rather grisly end such as the scene involving Candy’s dog and his fight with Curly. It is when these factors combine and culminate that the concept of the dream vanishes since it no longer becomes even marginally possible to achieve resulting in the death of Lennie.
Lennie Being the Personification of a Dream
As mentioned earlier the novel itself can be interpreted as a microcosm of human nature and society, reflecting the nature of humanity and how society reacts to human nature. Based on this it can be said that the various characters within can even be interpreted as being nothing more than symbolic representations of aspects of humanity and society.
The character of Lennie can thus be interpreted as being the personification of the human dream, his innocence and purity are similar to that of the dreams of many individuals which when examined lack the harsh realities of the real world and like a dream Lennie does not realize the capacity of his own strength.
This particular interpretation of the character of Lennie can actually be seen in the way how Candy, Crooks and George all seem to believe in and are snared by the vision of the farm created by Lennie and the freedom it entails for all of them. Lennie is the personification of the innocent hopes and dreams people tend to have in order to survive yet just like these very dreams when faced with the stark harshness of reality they tend to die.
His death is symbolic of the death of dreams when faced with reality, in that the scenes involving his habit of stroking soft things culminating in the death of the Curly’s wife could in fact be interpreted as the harshness of reality slowly creeping up on Lennie with the subsequent deaths of the animals and Curly’s wife being symbolic of the way in which reality slowly eats away at a dream till nothing is left at all.
Works Cited
Andrews, Christopher. “The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.” Steinbeck Review 6.2 (2009): 131-134. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.
Cardullo, Bert. “On the Road to Tragedy: Mice, Candy, and Land in Of Mice and Men.” American Drama 16.1 (2007): 19-29. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.
Doren, Mark Van, and Harold Bloom. “Mark Van Doren on the Unrealistic Characters in of Mice and Men.” Bloom’s Notes: Of Mice & Men (1999): 26-27. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.
Jain, Sunita, and Harold Bloom. “SUNITA JAIN ON EVIL IN OF MICE AND MEN.” Bloom’s Notes: Of Mice & Men (1999): 45-46. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.
Person Jr., Leland S., and Harold Bloom. “LELAND S. PERSON JR. ON THE DREAM OF A MALE UTOPIA.” Bloom’s Major Novelists: John Steinbeck (2000): 71-72. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.
Sardar, Ziauddin, and Francess Stonor Saunders. “Of mice and men.” New Statesman 129.4517 (2000): 48. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.
Tecott, Laurence H. “The Genes and Brains of Mice and Men.” American Journal of Psychiatry 160.4 (2003): 646. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web.
Watt, F. W., and Harold Bloom. “F. W. Watt on The Characters in of Mice and Men.” Bloom’s Notes: Of Mice & Men (1999): 37-38. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web.
In this paper, the description of two vulnerable characters from the play An Inspector Calls by John Boynton Priestley and the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck will be compared; particular attention will be paid to the techniques of character presentation.
Character Description and Behaviour
The only truly vulnerable character of the play Of Mice and Men is Eva Smith (who also had to change her name to Daisy Renton). The most noticeable feature of the character is the fact that she never appears in the play in the flesh and is only described by other characters. At the same time, the fact that she is the central character is undeniable: every “tangible” character of the play knows about her and speaks about her.
Mr. Birling supposes that she is “country-bred” (Priestley, 1992, p. 14). She is obviously pretty, which was the reason for Sheila to fire her. She is also described as lively twice (by Mr. Birling and the Inspector (Priestley, 1992, pp. 14, 28). While being a vulnerable character, Eva is not a weak one. She appears to have strong moral principles (refuses the stolen money that could have helped her) and the words of the women of Birling’s home could indicate that she has dignity and self-respect. For example, Mrs. Birling and Sheila both call her “impertinent” as they obviously expect a person of lower social class to be meek and timid. (Priestley, 1992, pp. 24, 30). The Inspector also points out that she has never harmed anyone.
Other characters of the play could also be described as having some vulnerability. An example is the alcoholism issue of Eric, but it ends up making him dangerous rather than vulnerable due to their social status (Eric rapes Eva when he is drunk).
In the novella, there are many more vulnerable characters. Vulnerability does not even elude those who are supposed to have more power than the working class: Curley’s wife, for example, is vulnerable because of her gender, she has to live with the man she does not love, which makes her miserable and is the reason for her unwise acts. In fact, she is even deprived of a proper name, which makes her seem to be a property rather than a person. Curley, on the other hand, is made vulnerable by the behavior of his wife, which, however, makes him more dangerous than truly vulnerable due to his social status. The issue of power misbalance is also clearly pronounced in the novella. Still, the most vulnerable character is Lennie Small, and he will be the focus of this paper to maintain the balance of a character per work.
Unlike Eva, Lennie is very tangible; in fact, his condition is most specific and unusual. While most of the characters of the novella are vulnerable in one or another way, they are capable of taking care of themselves. Lennie cannot do even that: he is mentally impaired: “ain’t bright. Hell of a good worker, though. Hell of a nice fella, but he ain’t bright” (Steinbeck, 2000, p. 18). He is gentle: “I like to pet nice things with my fingers, sof’ things.” (Steinbeck, 2000, p. 44). His dream is simple: to have a farm with rabbits to tend to, to “live on the fatta the land’” (Steinbeck, 2000, p. 43). He is similarly simple in his actions: he does without thinking (for example, mentioning ketchup, which makes George mad since they can’t have ketchup), and his feelings are very obvious.
Social, Mental, and Physical Status
Eva is a working-class woman, which means that she is twice discriminated at the time. She appears to have no family and works to support herself. She is sane, but her continuous misfortune makes her commit suicide. As a woman, Eva is a weaker person than some of the other characters, which leads to the possibility of physical and sexual abuse. Lennie, on the other hand, possesses immense physical strength: he is “a huge man” with “wide, sloping shoulders” (Steinbeck, 2000, p. 2). Still, since Lennie is mentally disabled, he cannot control his strength properly and becomes a threat to everyone, including himself. His social position is not an asset either since he is a mere worker. To sum up, both characters are vulnerable in numerous ways which lead to the troubles that they encounter.
Relations with other Characters
Eva was mistreated by every character in the play except for the maid and the inspector. For example, she was fired by the family members twice, she was forced to accept the suggestion of Gerald to become his mistress, she was raped and got pregnant with Eric’s child. To sum up, Eva is completely alone. She is not supported by anyone; the organization that is supposed to help women in her condition does not fulfil its mission because of Mrs. Birling.
In the novella, there are several people who are kind to Lennie (Slim), and one of them is a very devoted friend (George); but these people are as helpless as Lennie himself, especially before the characters who can (Curley’s wife) and want (Curley) to hurt him. Curley is cruel to Lennie because he envies his height and strength; Curley’s wife flirts with Lennie, and it is dangerous for him. When Curley’s wife is accidentally killed by Lennie, no one can help him, and George chooses to kill him to spare him.
In the end, the two vulnerable characters are in the same position, exposed to abuse from those who are more privileged and (in Eva’s case) stronger.
Play and Novella
The setting is very different geographically: Of Mice and Men takes place in California, the US, close to Salinas River and Gabilan Mountains while An Inspector Calls is situated in the UK, in the North Midlands. The play takes place in 1912 while the novella (published in 1937) features the times of the Great Depression (Priestley, 1992, p. xiv; Steinbeck, 2000, p. vii). The situation defines the problems that the characters face: financial troubles caused by social inequality and (in the second case) the economic crisis as well as the relative insecurity of the working class.
The instruments and opportunities suggested by the genres are different, which is why they are worth mentioning. In the context of a play, the character would primarily be described by his or her lines and the remarks, but for non-tangible Eva, it is the words of others that describe her as well as her actions. Her actions are mostly the things she had to do to survive, but few conclusions about her character can and have been made. In the context of the novella, opportunities are richer, but Steinbeck does not use all of them, preferring to describe only the noticeable expressions of the character’s feelings and thoughts. For Lennie, his emotional state is immediately visible: he cries, begs, giggles, and makes more grammar mistakes than usual when he is excited or sad. Indeed, the language used by the character defines him as uneducated (which is the case with characters of the novella in general): it includes vernaculars (gotta, kinda), grammar mistakes (knew), dropped consonants, and so on.
The methods used to describe the two characters are different, and this is what defines their specifics.
Characters and Social Comments: A Conclusion
The two characters have similarities and differences. Their vulnerability is socially conditioned, and both of them have a feature that would have been a strength if not for this position. In Eva’s case, it is her moral principles; for Lennie, it is his strength. Neglected and cast away by the cruel, uncaring society, they both die, but the conflict between them and the society progresses differently. Eva stands alone and is already dead by the beginning of the play; Lennie, seen alive and breathing, is supported by his friends who, unfortunately, do not have the strength to protect him. The intangibility of Eva serves to make her more unreal and “general,” that is, to turn her into a symbol rather than an actual person. The misfortune that plagues her is very strongly associated with the class, in general, not just one girl.
Lennie is much more personified. While he does appear to be the central character (the story begins because of his actions and ends with his death) he is surrounded by characters that are more or less equal to him. As a result, while Lennie’s story does contribute very much to the atmosphere of inequality and unfairness (of fate as well as people), he does not need to be turned into a symbol. In fact, de-characterizing him would make sympathizing with him more difficult. That is why Eva does not even have to appear in the play, staying a spirit of the vulnerable. Lennie, on the other hand, is a tangible victim of the world where the vulnerable are not protected by anyone but similarly vulnerable people, whose possibilities are very limited.
References
Priestley, J. (1992). An inspector calls. Oxford: Heinemann Educational.
Steinbeck, J. (2000). Of mice and men. London: Penguin.
It is hard not to notice that Of Mice and Men is written in a circular manner with the heavy use of locations that are repeatedly used in different scenes throughout the novella. Steinbeck made sure that all scenes are grouped by twos, thus balancing the repetitive pattern of the narration. The opening scene of the book is set in the same place as is described in the closing chapter— “green pool” (Steinbeck 1).
It seems that the symmetrical nature of the novel’s beginning and the ending is meant to reflect the fact that the characters’ dream was never going to come true and that it was nothing more than a reflection in the Salinas River. It can be argued that the snake that survives at the beginning of the book and dies at the end foreshadows the tragic events that were meant to happen.
It also shows that Lennie and George were never going to escape the desperate circle of the routine of their lives. “The deep green pool of the Salinas River” that is “still in the late afternoon” creates the impression that the heroes have never moved from the place in which they revealed themselves to the reader for the first time (Steinbeck 36). Nonetheless, it provokes a deep sense of completeness and shows that just like the day marked by an event of a great loss, the story itself is coming to an end. However, the story of George cannot be finished without Lennie. He falters at the realization of what is about to happen. George listens to the playful recital of their dream and thinks about a cold and cruel reality in which his friend has to be shot.
The notion that a dream strengthens friendship and gives hope is an important theme in the novella. It runs throughout the whole book, showing that a sense of importance that one can get from having a common goal with someone allows them to surmount life’s struggles and tribulations. The first instance of this theme in the novella is the story of Candy and his friend. When this “tall, stoop-shouldered old man” loses his dog, he decides to become a part of George and Lennie’s team and to share their dream of becoming landowners (Steinbeck 12). The emptiness of the loss could only be filled with a new meaning, which comes from having shared aspirations with someone.
When Candy tells George that he is willing to put in “three hundred an’ fifty bucks,” he feels like there is a possibility for new hope. Moreover, his desire to “make a will” and leave his part of the land to his friends shows that the hero’s soul lies open before new friendship. Another example of the theme of a dream is Crook’s memory of the past, which he holds in an attempt to bring his happy experience of the bygone days into the present. The character longs for the lost equality of relationships, and this dream provides him with relief from his sickness and bitterness. Crook expresses his desire by telling Lennie that every person “needs somebody” to be around (Steinbeck 24).
It can be argued that the most important dream in the book is the one shared by George and Lennie. Their desire to become landowners infuses the story with a sense of optimism. The common dream propels the whole narrative and becomes its major theme.
Work Cited
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. Print.