George Milton is one of the protagonists in the novella ‘Of Mice and Men’. He shares his surname with that of the author of one of Steinbeck’s favourite works, ‘Paradise Lost’. As a hot-tempered migrant worker, Steinbeck crafts George to be a man who is hard-working and determined yet one of the many with their own American dream.
On the surface, George can be seen as a man whose quick temper may get him into fateful situations or cause him to lose his companion, Lennie Small. It later transpires that Lennie will cause his own downfall and it is George who has to try and end his friend’s suffering from those around him.
When peered a little more closely, it is clear that George can actually be quite caring, as is apparent by him being portrayed as a parental figure to Lennie. Steinbeck also hints that he …show more content…
The simple suprasegmental explaining that George spoke ‘sharply’ implies that George frequently speaks to Lennie in this manner and is probably used to instructing Lennie on what to do.
George appears prone to outbursts of profanity such as when in the film adaptation when he yelled that the bus driver was a ‘son-of-a-bitch’ and was ‘too damn lazy to stop at the ranch gate’. This shows that George is quick to react and speaks his mind.
Throughout the text, George tends to speak ‘coldly’ or ‘angrily’ or speak ‘demand[ingly]’. All of these appear to be negative, suggesting he is of bad nature, but he is also shown to speak ‘gently’. This implies to the reader that he is simply hot-tempered and can be quick to react at times rather than being cantankerous.
In addition, Steinbeck wrote in the vernacular of George to continue the idea of realism throughout the novella. This shows us how George and those around him often speak with incorrect grammar and drop the end consonant on some of the words that they say, showing that language usage really is not on their list of
On the surface, George can be seen as a man whose quick temper may get him into fateful situations or cause him to lose his companion, Lennie Small. It later transpires that Lennie will cause his own downfall and it is George who has to try and end his friend’s suffering from those around him.
When peered a little more closely, it is clear that George can actually be quite caring, as is apparent by him being portrayed as a parental figure to Lennie. Steinbeck also hints that he …show more content…
The simple suprasegmental explaining that George spoke ‘sharply’ implies that George frequently speaks to Lennie in this manner and is probably used to instructing Lennie on what to do.
George appears prone to outbursts of profanity such as when in the film adaptation when he yelled that the bus driver was a ‘son-of-a-bitch’ and was ‘too damn lazy to stop at the ranch gate’. This shows that George is quick to react and speaks his mind.
Throughout the text, George tends to speak ‘coldly’ or ‘angrily’ or speak ‘demand[ingly]’. All of these appear to be negative, suggesting he is of bad nature, but he is also shown to speak ‘gently’. This implies to the reader that he is simply hot-tempered and can be quick to react at times rather than being cantankerous.
In addition, Steinbeck wrote in the vernacular of George to continue the idea of realism throughout the novella. This shows us how George and those around him often speak with incorrect grammar and drop the end consonant on some of the words that they say, showing that language usage really is not on their list of