Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men Essay John Steinbeck, the American author of this emotional novel, was bought up in Salinas. His family owned a lot of land, therefore meaning he was quite rich. He went to university to study writing and left without a degree as he dropped out half way through the course. However he took up work as a labourer and a journalist. I noticed how Steinbecks background really inspired him to write a book like Of Mice and Men. It shows how he wants to let out all his emotions as a child into this book. He, George and Lennie have a lot in common. The American Dream is belief in the freedom that allows all citizens and residents of the United States to achieve their goals in life through hard work. Everyone has a dream that they want to achieve somewhere in their lifetime. There are two different types of The American Dream. The first is the entitlement of land- freedom, just like George and Lennies dream. The other is luck, fame and money just like Curleys wifes dream in the book. In 1929 the Wall Street Crash was introduced which led to on going recession. This also led to failed businesses, harsh poverty and long term unemployment. At this point men couldnt afford to have families so therefore men travelled alone just like George and Lennie. There was no heath care so the only hope left was dreams. The book is called Of Mice and Men but is that what it has always been called? The actual title was Something that happened. This suggests something that you as the reader were not involved in. Steinbeck also wrote this book as a detached narrator, so he as well was not involved in the action. He began writing it in early 1936 and it was published in 1937. The book was immediately successful. Even now this book shows so much meaning of how The American Dream was so important to the people in the 1930s. This was because dreams were the only thing American people had to depend on. Dreams can take you away from the real world. A dream can sometimes make a person be very selfish. Sometimes you need to come away from your dream and think about others. Throughout the first chapter of Of Mice and Men is just setting the scene. The first time we saw George and Lennie was in an open pool. They soon find a bunk house with lots of other men to share with. The ranch where both men worked was in Salinas, where Steinbeck himself was brought up. Steinbeck was showing that the settings were slowly closing in so you feel more isolated. Steinbeck produces two very different characters which are most like him. That is the reason why both characters have such a major roll to play. George and Lennie have the most unique bond throughout Of Mice and Men. Both have gone though very hard times with Lennie being retarded and George having to keep a constant eye on him and not being able to pursue his dream alone. We start to get an image that Lennie has a disability in the early stages of the book, just the way he behaves. Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all. Look George. Look what I done. This shows us that Lennie has a child-like mind and wants to impress and please George. It is very enigmatic that two men are travelling together, alone. However this was very typical to do this at the time because of societys pressure. What is very astonishing about Lennie and George is that they are both very different from each other. Lennie is a big man who has a disability because he got hit by a horse when he was younger. George is a complete contrast to Lennie as he is a small man always aware of what is going on around him and conscious of what is happening. George and Lennie both have a dream but are not necessarily the same. Steinbeck represents this by describing in such detail what they want together. We could live offa the fatta the lan. The irony is about the countryside they are in, it is rich. They are living of the bounty of nature. Money and family are not mentioned in the dream. It provides them with everything they need. We could have a few pigs. When the fruit come in we could can it. Every Sunday wed kill a chicken or a rabbit. Steinbeck uses we a lot in the dream. It shows that the dreamed is shared between Lennie and George. The repetition emphasises this. Steinbeck creates the dream mainly by using dialogue. By having George and Lennie discuss their dream together allows the reader to have a sense that they have been planning this dream together and not alone. George and Lennies interpretation of the dream is slightly different. Lennie wants to tend the rabbits as he likes feeling soft things. George also has a dream of his own. He could get a job, eat at any place he likes, stay in a hotel, and get a gallon of whisky. However Lennie is stopping him from doing all of this. George needs Lennie and Lennie needs George. All George wants is love and affection and he knows he cant get that, because after everything that has gone on, it is hard. George is still with Lennie because Lennie himself is a big man so he can protect George from other people. Lennie is stopping George from achieving many dreams, but the reason why George is still with him is because Lennie is the only person George has got. George has no family nor does he have friends. He only has Lennie. George has a short temper and lashes out at Lennie very often verbally. Lennie is a fragile man who doesnt like seeing his comrade like this. You can tell that they both care about each other an awful lot. Another way that Steinbeck represents the American Dream is how Candy lost his companion. Candy had a lot of dreams when his dog was alive. This is because the dog had been through everything with him, but now that he and his dog was getting old there was only one thing left for Carlson to do. A shot sounded. Candys dream had just been killed. The second that bullet hit that dog, Candys dreams were shattered. His dog was a part of Candys dreams A dream could be in the in the past or the future. In Candys case it was all in the past. His dog had been through everything with him. This is a similarity between George and Lennie who have also been through everything with each other. Candy knows that nobody could ever replace his dog. Slim offers him any of the pups but Candy just remained silent. Candy feels that he cant achieve anything without his dog anymore. That is why he he lays in his bed silent for a long time. He treats the dog like a human, as part of his family, someone really close. That is what makes Candy be so silent for a long period of time. As Candy lays there silent on his bed he overhears George and Lennie talking about their dream. Again Steinbeck reveals the dream by dialogue. They talk about how one day they are going to get out of the ranch and live offa the fatta the lan. As Candy listens to their dream in such detail he asks if he can be a part of it. An old dream has ended but a new one is just beginning. Dreams are pacific to an individual however sometimes a dream could be a part of a team. This is exactly what Candy wants to do with George and Lennie. He wants to share their dream and be a part of it. After all shared dreams are much stronger than individual ones. Steinbeck now introduces and individual character that defines him from the rest of the ranchers. Crooks is the only black man on the ranch therefore he is excluded from society. He is separated by being pushed into a disassociated room. He is not allowed to socialise with the other ranchers because of his race. In the 1930s Americans were against anyone who were coloured. These people would not get treated fairly and would usually get beaten up just for the colour of their skin. Crooks father did not want him socialising with white people because he knew that they will abuse him. The American Dream is about equality of all men. This is where Crooks rights come in. The irony here is that segregation leads to a better life. A very unusual thing about Crooks is that he is the only one who can read; hence conveying that he is very well educated. We know that Crooks has already had his dream just by the way in which he speaks to Lennie. Crooks and Lennie both have a disability. Although he feels appreciated that Lennie is around him, Crooks speaks in a very negative manner about Lennies dream. An never a God damn one of em ever gets it. Crooks is contradicting to Lennie that dreams can never be achieved. However if you dont try to achieve your dream, it will never come true. Crooks suddenly changes his mind about the dream and hesitates as he asks Lennie if he could be a part of the dream too. Crooks dream is about having those long dark nights alone change by having people talk to him and communicate with him. His dream is all about regaining sense of belonging with others. Crooks heart wants the dream but his mind is not allowing him achieve it because his background has knocked his courage. We know from the American Dream, his experiences in the past have made him so brittle and angry. However Crooks can be very venerable to people that are more powerful than him, such as Curleys wife. Steinbeck introduces another unique character into Of Mice and Men. Curleys wife is the only girl on the ranch therefore she is also excluded from society. Even though she is more powerful than Crooks, she is not all that different from him. Both are very lonely and want someone to talk to. Both are at a disadvantage, Crooks with his race and Curleys wife with her gender. Curleys wife does not know what to do in life. We know her dream was to be an actress, but was crushed by her very own mother. Now her dream is to be more grown up. She dresses like an adult with make-up, her hair done up and a stylish dress. However she is still described by Steinbeck as a girl. A girl was standing there. She wants to be respected from the men all around her. Being the only woman in the ranch can be intimidating. In the 1930s woman were less valued than men. They had fewer rights. The reason why she married Curley is to get some attention and be more respected because he was the ranchers son. Curleys wife is a mercenary; she married him for his money and as a rebound for her loss as an actress. Curley is very much respected by all the men so Curleys wife married him so all the men could look up to her just as they do to Curley. Curleys wife unexpectedly lets her true feelings out to Lennie. I dont like Curley. He aint a nice fella. This shows that she is using him but at the same time Curley is using his wife. However Curleys wife moved to the countryside to get a better life but after two weeks she found out that she had made a mistake. She already hasnt got a good reputation. All the men think she is a bit of a tart. Two weeks married, and got the eye. This shows that she hasnt been married to Curley for a short period of time and yet she is being judged already just the by the way she looks and dresses. Curley says he keepin that hand soft for his wife. We instantly know that Curley himself is an abuser. We know this because his dream was to become a boxer. Having not achieved this dream he converts it into abusing women. Curleys wife is a lot more than what she looks. There is always a person inside who has a dream. The death of Curleys wife is very significant of Steinbecks treatment of the theme of the American Dream. We know this because Lennie was the one who shook her, shook her so much that he broke her neck, and killed her. Lennies character is very timid, so expectedly her runs away, trying to hide from society. We as the reader know Lennies dreams are going to come to an end, but we dont know how. That is how Steinbeck creates the atmosphere which makes the reader what to carry on. Lennie was the one who killed Curleys wifes dreams, so now Curley is going to kill his. When Lennie dies, the whole dream dies. We know that both Lennie and George do not have a family. They have each other instead. They care about one another which makes them so unique. I want you to stay with me here. This shows that even know Lennie thinks George is going to give him hell, he isnt. He cares about Lennie and he knows that if he doesnt kill Lennie himself now that the other ranch men will kill him, brutally. George slowly but in a clever way kills Lennie. He has made the choice of how Lennie is going to die. This is a complete contrast of how Candys dog died. George keeps the American Dream alive so it is the last thing that Lennie remembers. Steinbeck describes the dream in such detail so we can actually picture it ourselves. Lennie remembers that one day they could live offa the fatta the lan. Lennie has no idea of what George is building up to do. However we as readers know what is going to happen. Steinbeck builds up suspense of how George gradually kills Lennie. George describes how they are going to live with pigs and chickens. This is typical of the American Dream, a chance to get rich and have land. However that dream was collapsing all around them as they live in a poor barn house where all the men share the same room. Lennie is very reluctant about why George has forgiven him. Lennie says that he might as well just go away to show that after George said if I was alone I could live so easy. Lennie thinks by doing this it would make George happy. We know that if George kills Lennie, he could no longer for fill his dreams without his companion. Gradually Lennie gets very excited about their dream. Lets get that place now. That is when George pulls the trigger and lets Lennie go, for good. George made this choice of killing his best friend. Of what looks horrific, he is actually doing Lennie a massive favour. He was going to be killed anyway so why not do it with a blissful memory rather than a bloody one.