Of Mice and Men - 1242 Words

Of Mice and Men Thomas Hobbes in his Leviathan states that, in the state of nature mans life is nasty, brutish and short. In depression era America, no greater truth could be said. There were millions unemployed, largely unskilled and living on the margins of society. The lowest of the low were the migrant labourers travelling from place to place trying to scratch a living. They often had to travel illegally by freight car with all its consequent dangers. Their life expectancy was low, crime was rampant and despair was a fellow traveller. This is the setting of John Steinbeck s, ‘Of Mice and Men . The novel explores the predatory nature of human existence. It explores loneliness, isolation and friendship. A major theme is that of†¦show more content†¦Profound Truth Oppression does not always come from the strong and powerful. In Steinbeck s world, the weak prey on the weaker-for example, Curley s wife threatens to have Crook s lynched. What we can take from incidents like this is that the strength to oppress others is itself born of weakness. Economic Reality There is no doubt that this book is a critique of pure market capitalism. The alienation of the worker or the unemployed is very evident. The ethics are ‘dog eat dog -a total lack of regard for the dignity of the human person. The struggle of Labour to regain its dignity is best exemplified in Steinbeck s ‘In Dubious Battle . Motifs 1. A man only world 2. The Corrupting Power of Women 3. Loneliness 4. The Human Spirit Steinbeck has been criticized for many things including the creation of ‘a mans world where women take a secondary place. There is no doubt but that he was influenced by the macho acting Hemingway in this regard. Women are looked on as self-serving and or dangerous, the Femme Fatale beloved of Film Noir. They tempt men to behave in ways they would otherwise not do, e.g.-Curley s wife fulfils the dangerous flirt stereotype. Loneliness is a recurring motif in the novel. There is a great fear of being cast off-each character is looking for a friend. A less that obvious motif is that of the strength and resilience of the Human Spirit. A novel of comparison here is Alan Sillitoe s, ‘TheShow MoreRelatedOf Mice and Men961 Words   |  4 PagesPeople have a tendency to lose sight of their goals and dreams. Mentally, people struggle to maintain their sanity in this game of life that has no set of rules. In the book Of Mice and Men, this story portrays the inequality between peopleà ¢â‚¬â„¢s dreams and what can actually be accomplished. John Steinbeck, the author Of Mice and Men, utilizes his general themes of friendship and loneliness, through his deep characterization and connection between characters in order to illustrate â€Å"The American dream.† TheRead MoreOf Mice and Men1352 Words   |  6 PagesOf Mice and Men Essay - Fate or Choice? Choice is defined by the ‘Shorter Oxford Dictionary’ as; â€Å"The act of choosing; preferential determination between things proposed.† It also states the definition for fate; â€Å"The principle, power, or agency by which events are unalterably predetermined from eternity.† Is our life choice, can we determine our fate by choosing our path or is our destiny determined for us? John Steinbeck puts forward this question in his novella Of Mice and MenRead MoreMice and men1998 Words   |  8 PagesHey this essay is about me not having one and just wanting a free account.GCSE JOHN STEINBECK The first 200 words of this essay... à ¯Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¿Of Mice and Men Essay à ¢Of Mice and Menà ¢ is the fictional short novel written by John Steinbeck in 1937. Steinbeckà ¢s perspective when writing the novel could be based on the fact that he had once worked on a ranch and had a certain fascination about it. The novel is set in 1930s America and this can be seen as the cause of the very enduring culmination that takesRead MoreOf Mice and Men1006 Words   |  5 Pagesheart of every novel.† In your view, what are the distinctive ideas explored in Of Mice and Men? Explain how these ideas are developed throughout the novel. Themes are integral and fundamental aspects which render the literature valuable. They usually provide insight into the author’s perception and internalisations of the world in which they live. Set in California during the Great Depression, Of Mice and Men, by Steinbeck, illustrates the hardships experienced by individuals as they roamed theRead MoreOF MICE AND MEN1721 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿In the book Of Mice and Men, the single women that appeared in the book resented herself as an object. The statement Women today are more often treated by men as equals rather than objects can be true or false. A man that goes to Gentleman s Cubs every night is a different man that studies at Harvard Law School. A striper is going to be a different person than a CEO of a successful business. It’s all about how you present yourself. In Of Mice and Men, Curley s wife presents herself in a seductiveRead MoreOf Mice and Men1035 Words   |  5 PagesFriendship of George and Lenny The book Of Mice and Men focuses on the friendship of two migrant workers in California at a time when most of the work was done by people and not by machines.  Ã‚  George was a small man who acted worldly and wise.  Ã‚  Lennie was a huge man that had the mind of a child.  Ã‚  Together George and Lennie would bounce from job to job with no money in their pockets and only the dream of someday owning a place of their own to keep them going.  Ã‚  The two men were not able to stay in one placeRead MoreOf Mice and Men547 Words   |  2 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s landmark novel Of Mice and Men is perhaps best known for its revolutionary telling of two characters that are very different, but have come to rely on each other to survive during the Great Depression. The two characters are men named George and Lenny. George is somewhat of an average fellow who has no real special skills or attributes. Lenny is large and abnormally strong, but unfortunately has the mind of a child. Le nnie looks up to George as if he were a role model. This statementRead MoreMice and Men822 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Of Mice and Men† The Great Depression took place in the United States in the 1930s. Northern California, Salinas Valley was affected by the Great Depression. Many farmers lost their properties and were forced to find other work. Banks were forced to foreclose on mortgages’ and had to collect debts. Hundreds of thousands of farmers packed up their families and few belongings, and headed for California. The Great Depression left many people in poverty and caused them to face unpleasant eventsRead MoreOf Mice and Men1171 Words   |  5 PagesOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Q- â€Å"I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her† what is the reader supposed to think about Curley’s wife? * How is she described by the other characters? * How the author describes her * How she speaks/behaves * Her dreams * Is she the cause of all the trouble Written By Ruqayyah Draey Curley’s wife is not well described and respected by the other characters. She is often looked down upon and discriminatedRead MoreOf Mice and Men2269 Words   |  10 PagesOf Mice and Men John Steinbeck World Literature Mrs. Finke December 7, 2012 Of Mice and Men: A Classic for the Ages Thesis: Despite some impurity Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck should be considered as a classic due to its honesty, truth, loveliness, justice and of good report. I. Introduction II. Impurity A. Swearing B. Violence C. Economic poverty D. Psychological corruption III. Honesty A. Steinbeck’s