In John Steinbeck's A Duty To Family, Heritage, And Country?

Although, novels tell stories that are not true, they can teach valuable lessons in life. In the novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there is insight into how the characters struggle to find their way while holding on to their personal dreams. Similiarly, in the article, “A Duty to Family, Heritage, and Country” by Ying Ying Yu, the author informs the reader of how Chinese students are held to very high standards, and there is only one dream, and that is to be successful in the eyes of their family and country. Steinbeck 's Of Mice and Men and the article by Ying Ying Yu both demonstrate how one measures success by his or her own actions and consequences. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie have dreams of buying their own farm. They want to live independently and without judgment from others. To them, success is living off the land and not having anyone to report to. In “A Duty to Family, Heritage, and Country,” early on, children are taught to work toward pleasing their families and country by excelling in school. In Yu’s article she …show more content…
They each share an entirely different perspective toward family values. For example, in talking about success, Yu says, “It 's for our families our heritage and our country.” In China it is very critical to keep the family name held high. Each and every student has that obligation. In contrast, in America in the 1930 's, during the time of the Great Depression (when Of Mice and Men was written), people across America were forced to find work on their own. Many families were separated because they had to go to where there were work opportunities. In Of Mice And Men, when George says, “Guys like us, that work on a ranch are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place” (Steinbeck 32), he is referring to the fact that no one has expectations on