Comparison Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a short story about two displaced migrant ranch workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who find job opportunities in California during the Great Depression. The book and the film are both effective because they depict what the story is about by using literary devices and cinematic techniques, which share a connection to make this story more appealing. First, when the men were going to their bunks, Curley walks in and fights Lennie after Lennie was smirking at Curley. “Curley was balanced and poised. He slashed at Lennie with his left, then smashed down his nose with the right” (Steinbeck 63). The film uses close-up shots of Lennie getting beaten up by Curley, as well as pan movements when Curley punches Lennie to a wall. When Lennie fights back, “The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in” (Steinbeck 63). In the film, Lennie fights back and grabs Curley’s fist and does not let go. Lennie crushes his fist, with a camera close-up of Curley’s fist with blood. This indicates that Lennie is characterized from the author as a man with child-like behavior, but can be a little too strong. …show more content…
Candy says, “Well-hell! I had him so long. Had him since I was a pup. I herded sheep with him” (Steinbeck 44). In the film, it uses pan movements to depict what Carlson is going to do to Curley’s dog. Also, when Carlson drags Curley’s dog out of the bunkhouse, “A shot sounded in the distance. The men looked quickly at the old man. Every head turned toward him” (Steinbeck 49). In the film, sound is used in the distance for the scene to show the gun sound that causes a reaction to Candy, who is sorrow. Candy’s dog symbolize the fate anticipating anyone who has outlived someone’s