Diction In Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men is a riveting tale of a two young men trying to make ends-meet during the 1930s Great Depression. From its beginning to its concluding tragedy, Of Mice and Men tells stories of loneliness, friendship, human interaction, and mental disability within an enthralling setting using brilliant characters. Throughout the book, a common theme from the opening to the finale was mental disability. Shown in the form of Lennie, George’s companion throughout the story, the novella educates the reader on how the mentally challenged think, act, respond, and live. As shown in the book, this often leads to trouble due to the disabled not being able to foresee the consequences of their actions. However, as evidenced in the book, the residents of the 1930s simply thought of the disabled were “dumb,” or “not very bright.” Due to this ignorance, citizens chastised the mentally challenged as …show more content…
In an effort to create as realistic, a story as possible, Steinbeck vernacular of rural men, that is their dialect is that of uneducated men from the south of America. While the characters vocabularies are extremely simple, often including the employment of slang and vulgarities (“Sat'iday night. Ever'body out doin' som'pin'.”), it helps effectively communicate the characters messages and engages the reader in the story. Furthermore, though a tad subtle, this diction is remarkably prominent within Lennie’s language to indicate his mental disabilities. This includes stating the obvious, added contractions within his speech, and recitation of words (“‘They run us outa Weed,’ he exploded triumphantly.”). By including this, Steinbeck creates a feeling of sympathy for Lennie throughout the story as his handicap prevents him speaking clearly (as does the tongue of those around him) and indicates to the reader that Lennie suffers from a mental