ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Steinbeck not only utilizes the setting as a sense of realism but also uses vivid description and specific details to draw attention to the numerous hardships encountered by the families forced to travel west in search of opportunity (Jackson 316). The first evening after the Joads leave their home, they stop on the side of the road to help another family. This family is very thankful for the Joads help, and offers their tent for the Joads’ sickly grandfather, but unfortunately Grandpa passes away that night. The family is troubled from the very start of their journey and Steinbeck creates feelings of sympathy toward the Joads as well as the other families in the same situation. As the novel progresses, the family’s disparity becomes more and more evident.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Grandma Joad dies shortly after Grandpa does and since the Joads are indigent and can barely meet ends to survive, they are forced to beg for money to bury Grandma Joad. Despite family’s disappointments, they just keep going (Britch and Lewis). As they continue to travel the Joads encounter many more obstacles, but there is one incident as the novel comes to a close. Rose of Sharon, the oldest daughter, goes into labor and her baby is stillborn. Rose of Sharon notices a dying old man who is malnourished and offers him her breast milk so that he might be able to survive. As the novel closes, the reader is left with despair and a sense of loneliness. Steinbeck’s uses of realism makes a strong impact on the reader, which makes this one of the greatest American novels ever written (Jackson 316).
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Of Mice and Men was also written during the time of the 1930s, the depression era. This novel is a short story of two men a small, short, and smart guy named George and a big, tall, mentally retarded man named Lennie. The novel is based around these two main characters and their journey to fulfill their dream to find true happiness on a farm that they can one day call their own (Hearle)
Topic: of-mice-and-men

In “Of Mice and Men” the use of realism is not only seen through the depressing life of George and Lennie, but it also shows the life that Crooks, a black stable hand on the farm, had. The character of Crooks is used to symbolize the social standing of the black community occurring during the time at which the novel is set. Crooks is a lonely African American on the farm that feels out of place. As George and Lennie explain their dream to Crooks he brushes them off and says that no one around here can implement their dreams.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

This realism gives the reader an impression that Crooks has absolutely no hope. However, Crooks may be pessimistic, but yet even he has a dream, which is the hope of one day experiencing the joys of his childhood again. Crooks’ character is portrayed as very lonely in the novel, this is evident when Crooks explains, “A guy needs someone.” (Mice 77). Crooks is telling the reader the need of human interaction. This realism that Steinbeck uses shows the reader the harsh realities of the black community during the time of the depression in the 1930’s
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Steinbeck not only uses realism to make an impact on his readers but he also uses strong characterization to his advantage as well (Howard). By using characters such as Ma Joad and Curley’s wife, he is able to personalize the novel for the reader. This technique that Steinbeck uses makes the reader feel like he/she can relate with the characters’ struggles, therefore, creating a greater sense of understanding toward the characters’ situations (Horn). These two characters can best be described as strong, courageous, and they show great amounts of integrity as well as faith. In order to write a great book that will make an impact on the reader, the author must not only use realism but also have a strong sense of characterization for the reader to relate to. Steinbeck successfully achieved both of these aspects of a great novel.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

John Steinbeck’s character, Ma Joad in “The Grapes of Wrath”, is the epitome of a strong character. She is a supportive, loving woman, and surprisingly the family’s center of strength (Britch and Lewis). She is intent on keeping the family whole and together. The family looks to Ma Joad for their source of hope and encouragement. She is the emotional and physical backbone of the family, and it is very important to her to provide the family with comfort, nourishment, and support. “Without warning Grandpa began to cry. His chin wavered and his old lips tightened over his mouth and he sobbed hoarsely. Ma rushed over to him and put her arms around him. She lifted him to his feet,her broad back straining, and she half lifted, half helped him to the tent” (Wrath 185). Steinbeck makes it clear to the reader in this passage that Ma is the first to step up in times of need, and she puts others before herself no matter what.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

“Under the spread of the tarpaulin Grandma lay on a mattress, and Ma sat beside her. The air was stifling hot, and the flies buzzed in the shade of the canvas. Grandma was naked under a long piece of pink curtain. She turned her old head restlessly from side to side, and she muttered and choked. Ma sat on the ground beside her, and with a piece of cardboard drove the flies away and fanned a stream of moving hot air over the tight old face. Rose of Sharon sat on the other side and watched her mother” (Wrath 285). The reader notices several times throughout the novel that Ma will care for anyone in need no matter what the circumstance. “In show of her fundamental spirit she accepts Casey into the family because the Joads just do not refuse ‘food an’ shelter or lift on the road to anybody that ask[s]'” (Britch and Lewis).
Topic: of-mice-and-men

She takes it upon herself to look out for to avoid any discouragement to the other family. Grandma dies in the back of the wagon with Ma by her side, but trying to avoid any discouragement to the other family members, Ma does not share the news until they have reached their stopping point. The strength that Ma shows in this situation is far great that any exhibited by the other family members. “Her capacity to care marks the measure of her self-respect. “As the action progresses her caring does not change in kind but rather grows in breadth and intensity” (Britch and Lewis). By creating such a noble character, Steinbeck greatly influences his readers, and his efforts in sharing the hardships these families in the 1930s went through are successful.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

The character of Curley’s wife is a very vivid and unique one. She represented the way that women were viewed by society as a whole. Steinbeck portrayed Curley’s wife as a temptress, when actually the woman is just craving for attention. Steinbeck made Curley’s wife stand out by the fact that she was the only woman on the ranch, she was the only one who dressed to impress, and the only person without a full name (Thesing). Steinbeck often used very colorful statements like “She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton dress and red mules, and the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers” (Mice 31). These vivid and wild descriptions that Steinbeck created for Curley’s wife is just one of the many characters that Steinbeck created, in order for the reader to feel or relate to what the character is going through. In Curley’s wife’s case she is an attention deprived woman that is just one of the many lonely people on the ranch.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

“Of Mice and Men” and “The Grapes of Wrath” both examine the morality and necessary actions the characters choose as they pursue their dreams. Steinbeck uses the concept that dreams are better that reality, but that the dream is really hard to grasp. This concept is also used by three other famous authors who are Crane, Norris, and Dreiser (Benson 256-257). What is the American dream? The American dream is the faith held by many Americans, that through hard work, courage, and determination one can adhere financial prosperity and also some believe that it is led to an emphasis of material wealth as a measure of success and/or happiness. Like many people today the characters George, Lennie, Candy, Curley’s wife, and the Joads all wanted the American dream.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Most of their dreams of success, wealth and prosperity were depleted by the harsh realities of life. Most of the characters in the novel Of Mice and Men have a dream of something. George and Lennie are best friends that go everywhere together. Their dream is to someday own a farm of their own and have rabbits to tend to. The dream to Lennie is an antidote to disappointment and loneliness, and he often asks George to recite the description of the farm to him. This dream is ultimately lost when Lennie kills Curley’s wife and George kills Lennie towards the end of the novel.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

This dream was later shared by two other friends on the farm, Candy and Crooks. As the reader can see these dreams are one way that the characters can cover up the loneliness and hopelessness of their existence. One other character in the novel that had a dream is Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife’s dream is her fantasies in becoming a part in movies and having a life of luxury. This dream is shattered and never fulfilled, because of the dissatisfaction of her life and when she is accidentally killed by Lennie. As the reader can see the dreamers in the novel are undermined by the hard facts of reality (Astro 43).
Topic: of-mice-and-men

In the 1930s the country suffered ecological devastation called the depression. During this economy downfall the mid-west prairie state families suffer from a large drought that leaves them with nothing to survive. This terrible phenomenon is called the Dust Bowl. In attempt to escape this unforgettable time, a family called the Joads dream of wealth and success in the great state of California. In order to pursue their dream they have to leave their belongings behind. This journey carries death and suffering with it when Grandma and Grandpa Joad dies and many of the family members leave the family. The family left Oklahoma in order to find jobs in California (Hearle). The Joad’s dream, which is well known as the American dream, is shattered by certain events and conditions that the Joads faced.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

In conclusion, John Steinbeck’s style of writing impacted society just as he had hoped. He wrote about real life experiences and hardships to show the reader what people went through, like the Joads and the many characters in “Of Mice and Men”. Steinbeck informed the reader of what families had to overcome, which ultimately impacted whoever read his novels. The use of realism, characterization, and dreams in his two novels made them the greatest American novels in history.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Steinbeck raises questions in the mind of the reader that the novel would be based on loneliness. The first line read “A few miles south of Soledad”. This is a clever idea by Steinbeck as “Soledad” means loneliness in Spanish. The title “Of Mice and Men” may be seen as a warning for the whole novel as it came from Robbie Burns’s poem “To a Mouse” which translates as `no matter how well be plan the future, things often go wrong’.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

One example of this is when George meets the old, decaying Candy and his antiquated dog, he tells him about the “black” man called Crooks. Candy stated to the inarticulate George “give the Stable Buck hell. Ya see the stable buck’s a nigger”. This was typical of 1930’s America as black people were thought of as inferior to white people. This suggests that Crooks was friendless. He has his “own bunk in a separate nigger room” and “he scattered personal possessions around the floor; for being alone he could leave things about”. Crooks is obviously suffering from racial discrimination as he is the only black man on the ranch and is not allowed in the bunkroom with the other men because of his colour.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Perhaps the loneliest character, which Steinbeck creates in the novel, is Curly’s wife. She is the only female in the ranch and although she is married, you never witness the distinct couple of Curly and his wife together; they are always searching for each other. Curly’s wife is lonely and, as a result of this, she was endlessly trying to make friends with George and Lenny. She tries to convince Lennie to speak to her despite what George was declaring. Curly’s wife remarked, “You can talk to me, don’t listen to George”.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

But, Lenny didn’t agree with what she has to say. Another piece of evidence, to suggest that Curly’s wife is lonely is that she had no name! This proves that no one ever stays long enough to get to know her. Curly’s wife also flirts with the male workers of the ranch to seek attention. The workers think she is a “tart” but she is an insecure, lonely woman and this is shown when she tells Lennie “I never get to talk to anyone, or else, Curly gets mad”. My personal opinion is that Curly’s wife married Curly for company, not for love.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

The author explains the setting as a terrific location where “willows fresh and green with every spring:.(p. 1) the perfect world resembles: The garden of Eden”, how whatever remained in location and the surroundin remained in paradise.” ON the sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie … among them”.(p. 1) It was a fantastic place to be, since the setting is peaceful and no evil or wrond doing is occurring. The snimals do not live in worry because the setting is best and it sounds accomadating to everybody and whatever.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Teh form of evin that appars in the setting is a snake. The snake likewise appeared in “The garden of Eden”, and if so tehre must be some sort of evil to come. When the snake slipped across the swimming pool, it examined the scene like a submarine would when hunting down itz prey. The snake must of chosen it’s target, like a submarine would. “a water snake alipped along on the swimming pool, it’s head held up like a little periscope”.(p. 7) And that someone that the snake targeted must have been Lenny, because he dies at the end of the story. As the snake slipped across the pool “the reeds jerked a little in the current”. (p. 7)When the snake moved across the swimming pool and the reeds began to jerk, symbolizing the tranquil world being interrupted by a wicked form. Moreover, the snake represents wicked and the unfavorable energy in the story, but the imagine rabbits and the farm, they signify excellent and bring positive energy to the story and Lenny’s mind.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Teh rabbits in the story symbolize Lenny’s innocent side. They also are a positive enery in the story. When the setting was described in the beginning, the rabbit appeared showing that they are a positive energy. “Rabbits comout of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening”.(p.1)Also the rabbits are a symbol of Lenny’s innocent side, because the rabbits do not mean to harm anyone but only are there to comfort Lenny’s caring side. The rabbits were also in Lenny’s dream of teh farm. All he wanted to do was to tend to the rabbits on the fam. “And I get to tend the rabbits”.(p.105)The dream of having a farm and rabbits was what drove Lenny in life. And when George would describe the farm again and again Lenny would become happy inside, and would picture the farm in his head. Nevertheless, Lenny’s dreams did not come true/was he dead at the end, of the story.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

In my opinion both the film and the book has its flaws. In the film some crucial scenes are removed, but I thought that the characters in the movie were better than in the book. In the book, I liked neither George nor Lennie. I got the impression that George was a sensitive and kind man. He always watched over Lennie and tried do the right thing. In the film George is everything he is in the book, but he is also a wise man who people can seek advice from. He has an inquisitive and contemplating look about him. I also liked Lennie better in the movie. In the book he was just a mentally challenged character, but in the film he becomes a person with real feelings and I understand his actions on another level.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

I believe that this would be a better film if they had shortened it. It seems to me that the film is an unnecessarily prolonged version of the book. On the other hand, taking to many liberties when adapting this modern classic into a film would not be a smart thing to do.. Even so, I still think that the filmmakers should have left out some insignificant scenes. The story however, is brilliant; the irony in the end where George kills Lennie out of love, how the story is composed of four major issues,(the value of dreams and goals, moral responsibility, social injustice, and the bond of friendship and loyalty,) and how loneliness is one of the main emotions. The story is brilliant and genius, and only an outstanding writer like John Stenbeck can create a masterpiece like this.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

The major irony in Of Mice and Men is that George kills Lennie because of their friendship. George kills Lennie to spare him from a worse death. George complained about Lennie and his defects, but realizes his importance only after his death. Once Lennie is dead, George loses the weight of responsibility Lennie caused him, but he is also lonely. Also, Lennie and George’s dream to own their own farm that is carried out throughout the novel dissapears with Lennie’s death.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

George and Lennie dream of owning a little farm of ten acres with a windmill, a little shack, an orchard and many animals. The dream keeps them going and makes their work easier but also solidifies their friendship. The dream that leads them on will die with Lennie’s death. The dream of Lennie and George is one of the types of American Dream popular in American fiction. Their dream is that of wealth and land, the desire for a home, and to work their own land.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

For Lennie in particular it is to have responsibility for once, to look after the rabbits, and to finally have a sense of self worth. Yet the irony in Of Mice and Men is that the dream seems a mirage, it will not be achieved. George and Lennie try to deny their social class and role in the world, but the outcome will prove this dream to be unreachable. George and Lennie only own their arms and the friendship between them.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Lennie’s retardation causes irony in the novel. Despite the fact that Lennie is fundamentally good, a grown child, he harms those that surround him. This can be seen when he kills the mouse because he stroked it too hard. Yet, the killing of the mouse was caused by his affection for it, and his liking its soft fur. Similarly, he kills the puppy, and eventually Curley’s wife. All these acts occur not due to hatred or the intentional desire to harm, but due to his childish affection, and love for the mouse, the puppy and Curley’s wife. Lennie is simply too slow to realize his own strength and his retardation is the cause of his death. Despite the fact George tried to keep him out of trouble, Lennie eventually puts himself in a situation from which he cannot be saved. All Lennie can do is kill him to avoid him a worse fate.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Ironically, it is also love that causes Lennie’s death. George kills him to save him from linching. And once again, their is irony in George’s situation at the end of the book. Despite the weight Lennie was to his friend, because of to his mental retardation, George is alone and lonely at the end of the novel. Through these feelings he realizes the worth of his friendship with Lennie, that was greater than the problems caused by his retardation but that still caused his death. Loneliness troubles many characters in Of Mice and Men, including Candy, Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Slim. Their desire for human company makes them human and makes George and Lennie unselfish and good in their friendship that is stronger than their social condition.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

In Of Mice and Men, the fundamental irony is that no matter how elaborately George and Lennie plan their future, and regardless of how strongly they hope and dream their plan wil not happen. George and Lennie are forced to work the land of others, dreaming for the day they will own their own farm. They work hard to reach their dream, yet the effects of Lennie’s retardation, despite him being good, will cause them not to achieve their dream. George and Lennie’s friendship is what makes them unique, yet did not stop their sad destiny.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Despite the fact that Lennie is a weight for George, George always ends up defending him but cannot do anything to save him in the end and his forced to kill him. He kills him for love and this is another element of irony in Of Mice and Men. But once Lennie is dead, George is lonely and despite his attachement to his dream of owning a farm he has to realize his dream has died with Lennie, because it was their dream, not his own.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

John Steinbeck uses foreshadowing through out the story of “Of Mice and Guy” to prepare the reader for the last scene. Foreshadowing is the composition of layered tips or ideas about what might occur in the future of the story. Early in the story, these lines or occasions recommend a wide variety of possibilities to the audience. However as the story advances, the range narrows. In order for the effect of foreshadowing to be efficient, the audience has to be both amazed by the climax of the story and discover it logical.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

They needed to get away from the town they were formerly at due to the fact that Lennie had an occurrence with one of the females in the town. He was a rather big, frightening fellow. He went up to a young females due to the fact that the charm of her dressed marveled him. Just as he made with mice, he demanded touching it. That is all. Due to the fact that of her frightened screams, he grabbed onto the dress and did not let go out of fear and panic.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

The same is true about Lennie and George’s relationship. Although George knows what Lennie has done is wrong, and that if he were to remain around or alive that he would just suffer more with his conscience and the other men searching for him. Candy feels that he should have been the one to take his best friend out of the world in which he played such a great part in. This is foreshadowing to the time that George is faced with the same decision. George feels it is his job and right to have the choice to be the one to kill Lennie. George kills him quickly and painlessly, without the suffering that the other men wished to cast upon him.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Steinbeck uses foreshadowing in the course of “Of Mice and Men” by pulling together past events in the story, to build to the ending impact and overall importance and effect of the final scene. At the beginning, Lennie gets in the middle of mass confusion when he approaches a woman and tries to stroke her soft dress. George then collected Lennie and they both escaped town. This is foreshadowing to the ending scene because once again, Lennie just had to have a touch and once again, led him to trouble that even George could not fix. Another example of foreshadowing is when Carlson kills Candy’s dog who was past his time. Candy said he should have been the one to do it. This foreshadows George’s decision with Lennie. Although he knows he needs to do it, it is just to painful.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

The structure and style of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men contribute to the conclusions which can be drawn from this novel, and this can be seen particularly in the novel’s introductions, where it can be seen that the conclusions drawn are inherent. Two introductions in particular express the novel’s conclusions: the introduction to the bunk house and its inhabitants, and the introduction to a death on the ranch, where conclusions about identity, loneliness, hope, and the inevitability of the failure of the American Dream during the Depression years are reflected.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

On page twenty one we see the first reference to Crooks, who remains unnamed until later on: “The stable buck’s a nigger”. This is a reference to his job, which gives him identity as the stable buck, even though unnamed at this point. This is also true of the boss, who remains nameless throughout the novel – his job is what gives him an identity “The boss stepped into the room” page twenty two. On page twenty five, Candy, unnamed at this point, is referred to as “the swamper” and this shows again that job gives one identity.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

The most explicit example of a role giving one identity in the novel is Curley’s wife, who remains unnamed throughout the novel, like the boss, and it is clear that she had no identity before her marriage to Curley: she may have hoped, that by the marriage and gaining a form of identity she may achieve her dream of going to Hollywood. However, it is in Slim that we see that a job can give you not only identity, but also authority. Slim receives the longest description of any character in the novel (page thirty four/thirty five) and most of this passage describes his job. He is a “jerkline skinner” and was capable of “driving…20 mules in a single line” and “killing a fly…the mule” and these show that Slim’s authority is gained not only by the “majesty” in which he walked, but also because he was a valued worker and he had mastered his job, which was stable, unlike the other drifting ranch hands. Therefore, we can see that identity and authority in Of Mice and Men’s introductions reflects not only the conclusions of the novel but also the lifestyle of Americans during the Depression.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

A conclusion about solitude can be drawn from the passages, that is, that people become “mean” or unhappy when they are alone, and this is relevant to this novel as George and Lennie are the only ones in the novel, apart from Candy and his dog, with a companion and this means that they are different from others and they have dreams and hope. This is shown in the introduction to death, that of Candy’s dog, where we see that George, Candy and Lennie, with each other, can plan setting up their own ranch (page fifty nine/page sixty one). As they have each other, we can also see that they know each other better than most people do, particularly in George and Lennie’s case. We see during the suspense filled moments before the killing the young ranch hand Whit, who talks about a man he used to work with called Bill Tenner: “Little guy…drove a cultivator” and this was the only detail about Bill they remembered, and they only knew him well enough to call him a “nice fella” and we can see this being repeated several times in the passage which introduces the ranch hands as well, with Candy referring to both the Boss and Crooks as a “nice fella”.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

It is only Lennie and George who know each other well, and this allows them to pursue a dream together, and this is explained by Lennie in the first chapter, when George says that they are not like other men: “But not us! An’ why? Because…because I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you, and that’s why!” (page fifteen). This contrasts to Curley’s wife when we are introduced to her on page thirty two. She seems to be using her sexuality to attract men because she is lonely, and she thinks that companionship with another man would give her a path to her dream: “I bet she’d clear out for twenty bucks” (page thirty three), and therefore we can see that this conclusion of hope through companionship is evident in both the introduction to death and the introduction to the ranch hands.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

One of the most evident conclusions which can be drawn from the introductions to Of Mice and Men is the inevitability of the failure of George and Lennie’s dream, and this represents how unlikely it seemed for the American dream to come true during the Depression. This can be seen with the introduction of Curley and his wife, where we see that it is inevitable that Lennie gets into trouble on the ranch. Curley is introduced on page twenty six, when he comes into the bunkhouse. At once George perceives trouble, and after Curley has left he tells Lennie: “…he’s gonna take a sock at you the first chance he gets” (page thirty), and he repeats his worry about Lennie getting into trouble on the ranch when he says “Look Lennie, if you get in any kind of trouble, you remember what I told you to do?” page (thirty one). His premonition of trouble is a sign that there might be trouble, and this can be seen again when Curley’s wife is introduced on page thirty two “A girl was standing there looking in.”
Topic: of-mice-and-men

George thinks that she is also trouble, and again, warns Lennie to stay away from her, and describes her in words that suggest that she is going to bring trouble in the future “I seen ’em poison before…rattrap” (pages thirty four/thirty five) And the words poison and rattrap are very strong similes, suggesting that it is inevitable that she will bring trouble and as trouble on ranches is something which we have learned to associate with Lennie “…and you ain’t gonna do no bad things like you done in Weed, neither…” (page eight), the inevitability of trouble in Lennie’s case is inevitable also. Another clear indication about the inevitability of the failure of the American Dream can be seen on page thirty four when Lennie makes his view about the ranch clear “I don’t like this place George. This ain’t no good place.” If even the slow minded Lennie can foretell trouble on the ranch, then it is inevitable that there will be trouble, and therefore that the American Dream will not be realized.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in an era where there was no hope, no identity, and no possibility of ever achieving the American dream. The conclusions drawn from the introductions of the novel were written to encourage the American people that they could gain positive attitudes through being good at a job like Slim, who is confident about himself, or like Lennie and George, who are not “mean” because of companionship. Perhaps the reason that these ideas were in the introductions was to signify that the end of the Depression and a better life could be foreseen even at its beginning.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Naturalism is a really intense style of literature that an author can utilize. With naturalism, the author is trying to convey knowledge acquired through the senses and experiences they them selves have been through. In the novel of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, he portrays components of naturalism through his really own sights and experiences. During the anxiety John Steinbeck got a very first hand dose of what it implied to handle sordid aspects of life. Much like his book, he depicts his accounts using highly realistic settings, and harsh characters with foul mouths that deal with dismal issues of life.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

As stated from the genre paper of naturalism “Characters in naturalistic literature are trapped by their heredity and environment and end in failure.” Handling huge emotions and huge obstacles, characters like George and Lennie in the novel, ended in failure since of their brutal surroundings. If Curly’s other half never stepped in with Lennie after he killed the young pup, then she would not have ever passed away. Lennie was just driven by his standard desire to touch soft things.” Lennie’s big fingers fell to rubbing her hair.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

The setting of the book is highly realistic and greatly portrays what the time period truly represented. Steinbeck, once a migrant worker too, lived the experience of his literature. He knew exactly what the environment should be like too and what it shouldn’t. “Chapters one and six take place by the river, two and three in the bunkhouse, four and five in the barn.” All of these setting are settings you would not likely find through out our time period but in the life of a lonely migrant worker. It is quit creditable for Steinbeck to instinctively return to the earlier forms of literature of drama, epic and parable. His use of literary devices to describe his settings are remarkable. ”
Topic: of-mice-and-men

A few miles south of Soledad the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool.”(Steinbeck 1). Steinbeck is not making just plain ordinary descriptions of this scene-setting, but is revealing a sense of freedom and joy before tragedy and hate that’s burred farther along the book from the sordid aspects of life.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

Dealing with dirty aspects of life was all just another part of naturalism in Steinbeck’s scheme. He wanted the reader to greatly feel the depression and madness their society had to endure. He wanted the reader to end the book sick to the core from the gruesome dream that was crushed with just one accidental murder, and one gunshot to the head. “And George raised the gun and studied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand studied. He pulled the trigger.” (Steinbeck 106 ).
Topic: of-mice-and-men

This was already evident to some of the characters in the book. Crook’s for instance, foreshadowed what would happen later on to people with dreams. “”I never seen a guy really do it,” he said ” I seen some guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land, but ever’ time a whore house or a blackjack game took what it takes.””(76). This book really showed that fate is eminent and no matter how you try or what you do, something will always try to stand in your way.
Topic: of-mice-and-men

With colorful statements like “She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers” (John Steinbeck, 31), Curley’s wife is one of the more vividly portrayed characters in Of Mice and Men. Although Steinbeck leaves almost nothing to the imagination about this woman, he chooses to consistently refer to her as ‘Curley’s Wife’ rather than giving her a name or a nickname like he has done with most of the other characters.
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Although generally she was thought of as a floozy, her talk with Lennie revealed that she was used to the high life. When her parents forbade her to go into the acting business, as she so wished, she married Curley, the first man who offered her something other than stardom, in order to get away from her overbearing family (Steinbeck, 88). Although because of this decision she was forced to spend her life on a ranch full of underclass workers, she still liked to make herself up to constantly remind herself that she had had the potential to be something better.
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To her, dressing up and flaunting her stuff was a symbol of status, something to set her apart from the rest of the lower class, which, even today, is not much different. Fashion magazines, television, and the general media still lead the public to believe that style directly connects to the amount of wealth or power someone has. When fashion trends change by the minute, it is generally thought that everything from wealth to sophistication is shown when someone is able to keep up with them (Appendix A). Curley’s wife considered always looking presentable as a constant reminder that she had once been considered good enough to go into the movie business and could have been something much better than the boss’s son’s wife.
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Another reason Curley’s wife was constantly made up and wondering around the ranch was that she was lonely. With Curley always gone and having nothing in common with her, she had no one to keep her company and was forced to look for attention among the workers, who had long since learned to keep away from the boss’s daughter-in-law. “‘Funny thing,’ she said. ‘If I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine with him. But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk. Jus’ nothing but mad'” (Steinbeck, 77). Although Curley was very over-protective of his wife, he didn’t tend to her needs so she moseyed around looking for something to do or someone to talk to during the day.
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And even though all she wanted was the attention Curley didn’t give her, the men in the ranch knew that talking to her would only lead to trouble. “Well, I aint giving you no trouble. Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick around the house alla time?'” Curley’s wife had all the spare time in the world, and spends it making herself look as good as she can (Appendix B) and flaunts her body to anyone who will look. She desperately seeks attention and acknowledgment that she’s still got the looks that attracted all sorts of men to her before.
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Steinbeck chose not to give Curley’s wife a real name because she was never able to make a name for herself; she was forced into a life where she was confined and unable to pursue her real dreams. She obviously wasn’t happy with her life living inside Curley’s ranch; she wasn’t meant to be the typical woman of that time who stays at home doing the cooking and cleaning for her husband. “…’Well, a show came through, an’ I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my ol’ lady wouldn’ let me. She says because I was on’y fifteen'”(Steinbeck, 88).
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Curley’s wife desperately tries to show Lennie that she was better than this ranch; that she wasn’t common like the rest of the people there and that it was by fault that she was living where she was now. She needed to leave that ranch and pursue her dreams now that she was old enough to make her own decisions. She needed a ticket out of that city so she could go to Hollywood and make a name for herself (Appendix C).
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Although Curly’s wife’s character was portrayed completely by John Steinbeck, she was never given a full name because her character isn’t full. She was missing something; she wasn’t in her rightful place. Curley’s wife wasn’t meant to live her life on the ranch, and her character wasn’t completed because of it. Steinbeck showed this the only tangible way he could, with the lack of a name for her. She wasn’t like the rest of the people on the ranch, with a name or nickname; she was referred to as ‘Curley’s Wife’. She stood out by the fact that she was the only woman on the ranch, she was the only one who dressed to impress, and she was the only person without a full name. She didn’t belong and even if she had lived she never would.
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He has always been bitter about his size and strength and ever since Lennie crushed his hand he has been waiting for some excuse to get him back. ‘I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll shoot ‘im in the guts.’ If George had not mercifully killed Lennie in the most painless way possible, he would have been brutally killed by Curley in revenge for his wife’s murder.
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Lennie got the closest any of them ever could to the dream of having their own place. ‘Look across the river, Lennie, an’ I’ll tell you so you can almost see it’. His dream was all he lived for, he died happy. Lennie could have been sent away and locked up if Curley hadn’t killed him first. But taking in mind his mental situation he would never have coped alone. George cares about Lennie, he is all he’s got. ‘I got you and you got me’. George did the best thing he could for Lennie, and the hardest thing for himself.
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George and Lennie have a very close relationship. Their lives have been shaped by their friendship and they rely strongly on each other. Therefore, naturally George understands that if he had not killed Lennie, then sooner rather than later someone would. Throughout the book you can see the escalation of Lennie’s actions. It all starts with him wanting to touch a girl’s dress, which then progresses from the killing of a dog to Curley’s wife. Lennie has the mentality of a child, unable to take responsibility for his actions or even comprehend what the consequences may be. ‘Why did you got to get killed. I didn’t bounce you hard.’ He doesn’t realise the seriousness of what he does. He feels no guilt and he cannot anticipate the outcome of his actions; he only cares about tending the rabbits. ‘Now he won’t let me tend the rabbits’. Because Lennie is oblivious that he’s doing wrong he will just carry on. By killing him, George stopped what he knew would surely escalate.
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This we can gather from Steinbeck’s control of the plot and characters. He seems to prepare us for the death of Lennie through the story line. An example of this is in the case of the shooting of Candy’s dog. Lennie is often descriptively compared to animals both mentally and physically ‘he drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse’. We immediately make the association of the dog and Lennie without any judgments having been made. Slim takes the practical approach and reassures Candy that killing the dog was the compassionate, reasonable thing to do. Subsequently after George has shot Lennie and is sitting in the brush, Slim shows confidence in George’s actions. ‘You hadda George, I swear you hadda’. Through Steinbeck’s eyes we know Slim as a character that all the men look to for guidance and approval; everyone takes his word for the truth.
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‘His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject be it politics or love’. Slim gave George absolution. In the book there are characters like George and Lennie who are always trying to see the positive side of life and then there are characters like Crooks and Curley who see the negative. Slim is more of a balanced character, he see’s life how it really is. Steinbeck makes spiritual associations regarding Slim and often compares him to royalty. ‘His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer’. The way Steinbeck describes Slim gives the impression that as Slim thought it was the right thing to do, Steinbeck thought so too.
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However I am not entirely sure that George did do the right thing. A reason I have for it being wrong for him to have killed Lennie is that I don’t think Lennie is mentally competent to even understand what he is doing. He can’t comprehend right from wrong so he doesn’t deserve to be punished for his actions. Lennie cannot even remember the woman that raised him, his Aunt. ‘Lady, huh? Don’t even remember who that lady was. That was your own Aunt Clara.’ If he can’t remember Aunt Clara, how can he be expected to take responsibility for the death of Curley’s wife? But in the last chapter Lennie proves that he can learn, that he doesn’t always forget. ‘I didn’t forget, you bet, God damn. Hide in the brush an’ wait for George.’ Lennie should be allowed another chance, a part of him realises what he has done is very wrong, ‘I done a real bad thing’. So surely, with time he could learn. The result didn’t need to be his death.
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Despite this, overall I think that George was right, not wrong to shoot his closest friend. He did what he knew was best for Lennie even though it was difficult and deeply traumatic for him. Steinbeck can very effectively make us sympathise with George more than we do with Lennie. He is able to make the reader question their opinions of right and wrong. It seems in the end Lennie got the easy way out because George had to carry on alone, living with what he had done.
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How does Steinbeck present Lennie and George in the 1st chapter? Lennie and George’s father and son like relationship is clearly one of love, although from the beginning we sense George’s frustration due to Lennie’s constant childish behaviour. George is very protective over Lennie, “Lennie for God’s sake don’t drink so much!” because he has been told to look after him by his “Aunt Clara”. George does like having Lennie around as he says, “No you stay with me”.
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As Lennie and George are itinerant workers, it can be a very lonely life so the fact that they have each other means that they are very lucky. However this constant responsibility can obviously present problems, George says “When I think of the swell time I could’ve had without you”, having Lennie around has stopped him from doing lots of things other men of his age would’ve done. George is quite clearly the leading role in their relationship.
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This responsibility that George has to look after Lennie means that he is very protective, he says “Don’t drink so much”. This is an example of George being a paternal figure, this is an imperative and he says it sharply implying that he is worried about George. George has to repeatedly remind Lennie if he wants him to do or not do something. In the 1st chapter it is suggested by Steinbeck that Lennie has animal qualities to match his childish behaviour. His big stature makes up for his childish behaviour as George can get Lennie to do tasks that he wouldn’t otherwise be able to do, as he is small. He tells Lennie, “Flood water wood. Now you go get it”. In the book it says that he was “snorting like a horse” and “dragging” his feet. I think that Steinbeck’s reason for doing this is to show that Lennie is to be looked after and can be irrational, just as an animal is, and he needs to be given direction “like a horse”.
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He seeks praise just as a dog would to its owner, Lennie says “Look George Look”, this implies that Lennie aspires to be like George and is constantly in awe of George. We are also told that with his strength he can accidently use his strength to be dangerous, an example of animal imagery used to describe Lennie as dangerous is that he uses his “paw”. This is an example of foreboding because, just as in Weed, he may do something that may get them into trouble. We are told early on that George and Lennie are both have the same aspiration, and that is to have a ‘little house’ and ‘some rabbits’. Although they want it for different purposes this is something they aspire to do, and they want to do it together. Lennie’s is to have rabbits due to his obsession with petting animals, mice on the particular occasion in the woods, “it’s on’y a mouse George”. George’s aspiration is more to do with the fact that they will no longer need to worry about getting a job, which is certainly difficult with Lennie.
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They want to “live off the fat of the land”, suggesting that they don’t want to work for anyone and be continuingly undermined by bosses and having to live in such awful conditions. They don’t want to be one of the stereotypes as they say “us guys are the loneliest guys in the world”. To conclude, I think that Steinbeck presents Lennie and George with a strong relationship. George being a father like figure to Lennie. They both need each other, otherwise they would be lonely just like other itinerant workers at this time. Lennie really does look up to George and there has been a strong sense of foreboding through the actions from the past that we find out about. As the book progresses I can expect the reader to understand more fully that the relationship that these two men have.
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a. In this short film, the relationship between six girls from opposing countries (Israel and Palestine) are trying to find peace in their “home of warfare”. After watching this trailer, viewers may figure out that people who are taught to be enemies with one another can still look past the bad and become friends. For example, one of the Palestinian girls, Inas quotes, “When I see the Jewish girls as individuals, I love them and all of them are my friends…we talk everyday, and we eat together, we dance together, and we see them always together.