Are you a man or a mouse? (Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck)

Member Name: oliviamccann

Product:	Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Date:	29/12/03 (2981 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Compelling book with interesting characters., So much to think about, Real life issues

Disadvantages: Some letters are represented by apostrophies., Language not modern

John Steinbeck was born In Salinas, California in 1902 and lived his life writing novels which usually related to himself in some way. The grapes of wrath, of mice and men and Cannery row were his top selling and most popular novels which led him to become the respected author he is now.

Of Mice and men is a tremendous tale of two itinerant migrant workers, George and Lennie suffering the harsh depression years in Salinas, America. They travel from ranch to ranch seeking work, bucking barley or other physically demanding jobs. They always seem to have misfortune?s and subsequently need to move on. They have no family or roots and can only dream of happiness. Cat houses are the closest thing they have to affection however improper.
This is a superb, gripping novel which powerfully does not allow itself to be put down.

.~~~~~~~~~~Lennie.~~~~~~~~~~
Lennie is the main character who is socially out-casted due to his childlike mind and overwhelming body strength. Ironically his surname is Small. He is totally reliant on George Milton for his every need and survival. They have a two way dependent companionship and often repeat their motto "cause I got you George and you got me." Lennie is often described as different animals e.g. ?Lennie snorted into the water like a horse? without even thinking the water might be infected. Lennie imitates George?s every move and it is sad to realize he will never become any more intellectually powerful than a 7 year old. His mental disability hinders him greatly. Lennie focuses on simple pleasures in life, like ketchup on his beans and petting soft things like mice, rabbits and puppies. Lennie can never get close to these things or keep them as he always ends up petting them too hard and suffocating them to death. The reason why Lennie and George travel around from ranch to ranch, town to town is because Lennie always managed to muck things up. In a small town called ?Weed? Lennie was accused of rape ev
en though he just wanted to feel the softness of a girls dress. The girl screamed to let go but all Lennie could think to do was to hold on even harder. Lennie does not evolve from the start of the book to finish but there are many areas of his life that Steinbeck explores and makes him a key character in the novel.

.~~~~~~~~~~George.~~~~~~~~~~
George is the superior mentally dominating figure, whom Lennie and others greatly admire. He is of small stature and much more intelligent than any other character. Without him Lennie would be lost.

Other Characters include Candy, Curley, the Boss (Curley?s father,) Curley?s wife (she doesn?t have a name,) Slim and Crooks.

.~~~~~~~~~~Candy .~~~~~~~~~~
Elderly Candy is portrayed as a weak and passive man relying on the pity of others. His dog seems to come part of him as they have been together for so long, this practically worthless animal is on its last legs and is doing nothing for either of them being around. Candy is aging and not really capable of much of the hard work and action that the others carry out, he?s not much use to society either. In a way, Candy is a guide for George and Lennie as he has been round the farm for quite some time, but as his contribution to conversation is seldom he is aware and nosy.

.~~~~~~~~~~The Boss.~~~~~~~~~~
The Boss is characterized as a small, stocky man striving to get taller by his heeled boots. He?s different from the rest and makes this fact known by the unique spurs on is shoes. He can?t understand; and suspects George and Lennie?s friendship. He is the type of person to suss out a person and just can?t comprehend the pairs concern for each other unless they were family

.~~~~~~~~~~Crooks.~~~~~~~~~~
Crooks is the Negro stable buck debilitated by his crooked back where a horse kicked him once. He is an extremely intelligent character contrary to what he is treated like. Crooks suffers racial abuse because he is of the bl
ack denomination. He reads a lot and must be easy going to take so much hell from the others. The other ranch hands said he was a ?nice fella and didn?t give a damn about taking stick from the boss or Curley.

.~~~~~~~~~~Curley.~~~~~~~~~~
Curley is depicted as a ?thin young man with brown eyes, brown complexion and tightly curled hair with high-heeled boots and a glove full of Vaseline. Curley likes to have his authority shown evidently as he wears the same boots with spurs as his father does. Candy tells of how ?Curley hates big guys, he?s alla time picking scraps with big guys, Kind of like he?s mad at them because he ain?t a big guy.? Curley was a professional boxer and is strong whilst fighting. Curley later picks a fight with Lennie and this builds up to a big storyline.

.~~~~~~~~~~Slim.~~~~~~~~~~
Slim was a tall man whom others respected very well. To them he was almost God-like. He was omniscient, he knew all and seen all. Slim was well informed if anything went on. ?Prince of the ranch? was the description of him, showing hi royal qualities right down to the way he
moved which was thought of as majestic. Royalty were thought of as above mortal and to the workers Slim would have been theirs. He has a slightly better work role as he would have been in charge of driving the mules and was thought to have great power over them. He was a vital contributor to society and he understood where everyone was coming from and the opinion he gave whether it be on politics, love or any matter would be accepted with no quarrels. Even Curley listened to him.

.~~~~~~~~~~Curley?s wife (no other name given) .~~~~~~~~~~
Just by the fact that she is nameless, Curley?s wife is thought of as nothing and is married to Curley as a sexual object and serves no purpose in life. She thought she one time would be in the pictures and become a famous Hollywood movie star but he dream failed. She was a tart and wore heavy red lipstick and eve makeup
. She thinks highly of herself, even though nobody else does. She calls everyone else ?weak? in a desperate attempt to hide her own weaknesses. Later she comes to an inevitable fate also vital to the ever expanding storyline.

Throughout the book there are 8 major themes that I can see. I will identify each in turn. These are real themes which was evident then, in America. When they?re identified it lets the reader see clearly what life was really like for these people. I think Steinbeck portrayed each of these really well.

1)The dream:
Most characters admit to dreaming of a different life, especially George and Lennie, they want a plot of land to live on and tend rabbits, cows, pigs and chickens. Candy and Crooks also latch onto this dream and yearn to be a part of it. Curleys wife dreams of being a movie star and they all want to live out their desires. Lennie and George, even before they came to the ranch, wanted to live off the fatta the lan? and be their own bosses and no-one could tell them what to do. Such dreams of freedom, luxury and safety are not to be found amongst the Ameriacan Depresison. The dream was taken away from George when Lennie took it with him. It would spoil the plot if I were to tell you what I meant.

2) Killings
It is also hard to expand upon this area without revealing too much. Lennies immense strength meant he choked animals and other creatures whilst petting them. These events foreshadow future events/happenings and to everyone are seen as a bad omen. This is also seen as a victory of the strong over the weak. Society, then, was similar to this. Like an innocent animal, Lennie is unaware of the powers that surround him.

3) Lonliness
Living the life of a ranch hand is the loneliest life. Men who migrate from ranch to ranch rarely have anyone to share companionship with. Candy, Crooks and Curley?s wife are all lonely. They tell complete strangers how desperately lonely they are. George and
Lennie aren?t lonely because they have each other. Crooks is lonely s he is outcasted and there are few other black men he could become close to. Curley?s wife has no affection from Curley and confessed to being a loner. Candy is decrepit and old, no-one cares for him either, his family have all moved on.

4 Discrimination
Discrimination is not only by skin colour but by age and gender. Crooks was discriminated against mostly because he was black, unlike George and Lennie he had no chance of getting a new life. He was stuck as stable buck and could not leave. Racism got In the way of Crooks having any dream to look forward to. Crooks says ?a guy goes nuts if he ain?t got nobody.? He is seen as no better than the animals as he lives with them, eats their food and uses the same liniment as them. He is not worthy of living with the rest, in their eyes. Crooks has lost all self-esteem and dignity and now also sees himself as nothing.

5) Friendship
George and Lennie have a bond so strong it is not comparable to anything. Gorge and Lennie are the only traveling pair. Candy had friendship in his dog. After it passed away, Candy was left with nothing. Ranch workers want to believe there is somebody with their best interest s in mind, someone who cares for them. George and Lennie are forced to separate tragically but this friendship remains intact.

6) Weaknesses/ Strength
Lennie possesses great physical strength. He cannot help killing mice and puppies. His strength is uncontrollable. It is also ironic that Lennie?s strength is his weakness. Curley used his strength as a boxer to intimidate and scare Lennie. Lennie?s mind is weak and primitive. Mind dominated over matter in the American depression, Lennie is defenseless and hence, weak. Candy?s dog was shot as it was weak and stank out the bunkhouse. Candy worried he will have to shoot himself when his weaknesses become greater.

7) Society
Lennie has never been able to com
prehend the taboos of society. The mentally challenged are seen as a nuisance in the 1890?s an must be exterminated. Crooks, Lennie and Curley?s wife are outcasts in society due to their weaknesses. In weed Lennie saw no harm in touching a young girl?s dress. A child would have done the same. Because of Lennie?s frame, people didn?t perceive him as a child and therefor this was treated as a case of rape. Lennie just wanted to touch soft things and couldn?t comprehend society?s taboos.

8) Failure
Both the dream and lives of characters failed. The dream failed as Lennie took it with him. George knew this was inevitable. Lennie achieved this, it was what he always wanted, but it was supposed to be shared with George. The winner takes it all! George had to continue with a poor and lonely life. Candy?s dog represents the fate of anyone who outlives their purpose. Once, a fine sheep dog, it is now totally debilitated and failed its owner Candy. The strong dispose of the weak, also evident as strong Carlson (another ranch worker) disposed ofd the weak dog.

I apologize for ending on such a depressing note but I hope this review of the novel Of Mice And Men has opened your eyes to the different things happening in the world now and then. It is definitely a good book and provokes a lot to think about. If you get a chance buy it, you won?t regret it!

Thanks ever so much for taking time to read this. And I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and have an even better New Year, start thinking of those resolutions. Olivia xx

p.s I paid £2.99 for it in a bookstore!

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