What Is John Steinbeck's Reaction To Of Mice And Men

During the Great Depression of the 1930s when America was plunged into financial crisis following the Wall Street Crash of October 1929, levels of unemployment and poverty were at an all time high. In this ear life was a struggle and the mentality of society became survival of the fittest, every man for himself. Migrant workers toured the country in search of labour to provide money for food typically sent to relatives living on the bread line elsewhere in America. These men lead lonely and emotionless lives, which are reflected through Steinbeck’s portrayal of his characters in his famous, yet bleak, 1930s novella ‘Of Mice and Men.’

In 1929, tears swept the nation and gloom bestowed itself upon a once happy place. The Great Depression had started. People lost everything ,so many became migrant workers. Of Mice and Men, a classic novel written by John Steinbeck, emphasizes many sad themes, but gives us a good insight on what life was like in the 1940’s for many people. Although there are other themes, rootlessness, loneliness, and poverty are extremely prominent throughout the novel in many characters.

Barbara Sher once said, “‘Isolation is a dream killer’” (qtd. in Wishcraft). In his novella, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck scrutinizes the effects that alienation can have on society. Many characters experience loneliness throughout the novel. He illustrates the results of individuals becoming isolated from their peers. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck portrays characters alienated from society in order to illustrate the harmful effects of loneliness caused by discrimination.

We all have dreams to achieve. This theme is evident throughout the book, Of Mice and Men, where the author John Steinbeck uses different characters with different dreams to show their true nature. In the novella, George’s dream is to one day own his own farm. Similarly, Candy’s dream is to live on his own farm, hopefully with George and Lennie.

Starting in October 1929, the United States was struck by the largest and longest economic downturn ever seen since its conception as a country. As the crisis worked its way through the American economy, most jobs for the middle class, such as factory workers and farmers, were lost. In Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, two migrant workers, named Lennie and George, travel the countryside in search of a job and a place to live. Both men fight internal and external conflicts which have an affiliation with the overall problems and comforts of society during the Great Depression. Steinbeck’s intricate literary techniques, including foreshadowing, symbolism, and imagery, help bring hope and excitement to a journey through the depressing wasteland

In John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck’s use of characterization and metaphor indicates that George was justified in killing Lennie because George is established as Lennie’s sole guardian and caretaker (performing the role with care and love); Steinbeck uses the execution of Candy’s dog as a metaphor to explain George’s noble motivation in killing Lennie, and at the end of the novel, Slim, the moral authority of the ranch, absolves George of any guilt or ill will. Just as Steinbeck influences the reader’s position by using metaphor to draw a parallel between Candy’s old dog and Lennie, Steinbeck also uses his characterization of Slim (as a Godlike figure) to absolve George of any wrongdoing or malice. From the reader’s first encounter with Slim, he is

When one reads one of John Steinbeck's books, the words flow through their mind and tie together. His book, Of Mice and Men, puts you into the character's viewpoint. When he describes the surroundings of a character you can imagine it happening in front of you. You can see how they move and how they speak, as if the book is more like a motion picture. John Steinbeck showed not only a whole new way to writing when he wrote Of Mice and Men, but made a new way of how the reader perceives the words.

Experiencing the horrible and panful misfortune that many people faced in the 1930s due to the great depression John Steinbeck wrote one of the most critically acclaimed novellas Of Mice and Men. The novella follows the story of two migrant ranch workers George and Lennie who while trying to find work develop a close friendship and share a dream of one day owning their own land. But beneath the surface of what seems like a simple tale of two unlikely friends is a much deeper story and inside of those who were accepted and those who were marginalised. John Steinbeck has ability in his writing to touch the readers and convey his messages of friendship, race, alienation and misogyny that were very present in the 1930s throw his characters Crooks,

In the book Of Mice and Men there are three people I feel sorry for, and their names are George, Lennie, and Crooks. First, I feel sorry for George because of the fact that he always has to be around Lennie to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t do any stupid things. For example when George had to ask Lennie to stop drinking water from the river multiple times. (Steinbeck, 3).

According to George, he and Lennie face a situation similar to that of real farm workers in the 1930s. Of Mice and Men connects to the lives of migrant farm workers in the 1930s because George and Lennie’s lives are realistic, which is shown when George describes to Lennie what the lives of these workers are like. Of Mice and Men’s expression of the racial and gender divides, economy, real estate, and the lives of migrant workers in the 1930s show how it is influenced by the culture and society surrounding its author, John Steinbeck. Specifically, the racial divides of the 1930s are shown

In Chapter 3, John Steinbeck goes into the depth of the relationship between George and Lennie. Lennie’s overall goal is to own and pet rabbits on the farm. Like this, he needs George’s permission for all of his actions: “You done jus’ what I tol’ you to’... Lennie smiled with his bruised mouth. ‘I didn’t want no trouble,’ he said.

How does one survive in an area where every disability can hurt you in the long run? In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the setting is a ranch in Salinas, California . Throughout the novel, some of the characters struggle with the problem of their disabilities denying them the same opportunities the average man at the ranch has. Steinbeck uses characterization to illustrate the theme of survival of the fittest.

The deep green pool of the Salinas River lay disturbed in the late afternoon. A camouflaged frog cut sharply left and right in the shallow pool; back and forth, back and forth until it stopped suddenly. The valley was empty as the animals attempted to stay out of the unusually cold and bitter air; the day made even colder by the hiding sun and the biting wind. A slow, rhythmic crunching of dead winter leaves quietly interceded into the area, and as it grew louder what little wildlife was present fled into the bushes and sycamore trees.

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a novel that was published in 1937, the era of the Great Depression. George Milton and Lennie Small are the central characters of this work. They are looking for work after losing their jobs in Weed, California due to Lennie being accused of rape. From early in the novel it is clear that Lennie is “slow-witted.” George comforts Lennie by promising that one day they will own their own farm and Lennie can tend the rabbits.

John Steinbeck wrote ‘Of Mice and Men’ to show how hard life was for migrant ranch workers during the time of the Great Depression and how they were often exploited by their employers. In showing how George and Lennie’s dream of owning their own piece of land did not come true, Steinbeck explores a wider theme, criticising the idea of the American Dream. The American Dream tells people that there is ‘opportunity for each... regardless of the fortuitous circumstance of birth and position. Steinbeck criticises this as these ranch workers were given few opportunities. Settings play a very important part in the novel as they pinpoint clear times and places giving a sense of realism to the story, but they are also used to create atmosphere.