Published in 1937, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men weaves an intricate tale of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, as they struggle to make a living in California. Steinbeck spends the entire book delving into the minds of the wide spectrum of characters, focusing on their disadvantages and desires. Steinbeck is also a master at creating and setting the scene for characters to interact in. Steinbeck uses multiple stylistic devices in order to create different tones and atmospheres. John Steinbeck’s writing style in Of Mice and Men, specifically his strong use of repetition and word choice, especially in the scene in which Candy’s dog is euthanized help to create an extremely tense tone.
Steinbeck’s decisive use of repetition, particularly of keywords and ideas, helps influence the tone of this scene. In Of Mice and Men, following the exit of Carlson and Candy’s dog, the repetition of the word ‘silence’ is present, as to draw attention to the agitation felt by all in the bunkhouse. One paradigm of this repetition can be found in quotes such as, “The silence came into the room. And the silence lasted” (Steinbeck 48), “The silence fell out on the room again. It came out of the night and invaded the room” (Steinbeck 48), and “... He rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent” (Steinbeck 49). The silence Steinbeck emphasizes through repetition is one that hangs heavy over the workers, no matter how hard they try to break it. It can be characterized as awkward and uncomfortable. Another strong use of repetition can be found in Carlson and Candy’s dialogue, and the way they interact with each other. It can be seen as Carlson is described with phrases such as, “not to be put off” (Steinbeck 45) and “insisted” (Steinbeck 45), while Candy is described with phrases such as “suggested” (Steinbeck 45) and is quoted saying “Maybe tomorra. Le’s wait till tomorra” (Steinbeck 47). Through these interactions, we understand Carlson to be insistent, while Candy is more diffident and puts off his decision. The contrast between the two can almost be seen as an argument without anger, as their personalities clash drastically. The use of repetition helps to emphasize certain aspects, such as the silence and difference between characters. Another prominent tactic used by Steinbeck to enforce the tension and awkwardness in the scene was his word choice. …show more content…
Steinbeck chose to use words such as “squirmed” (Steinbeck 44), “helplessly” (Steinbeck 45), and “uneasily” (Steinbeck 47) to help describe Candy’s reluctance to the euthanization of his dog. Candy’s obvious unwillingness serves to create a more strained situation as Carlson continues to press Candy. The connotation of words such as ‘squirmed’ and ‘uneasily’ indicate nervousness. To further incorporate emotions into the scene, Steinbeck uses words such as “rigidly” (Steinbeck 48) and “shortly” (Steinbeck 48) to demonstrate the tension in the room. These words create an equally agitated and hostile situation between the occupants of the bunkhouse. The mix of negative emotions implied by Steinbeck’s word choice serve to contribute to the tense atmosphere. The overall end product of Steinbeck’s constant use of repetition and carefully selected words is a tense and awkward tone. This tone pulls the entire scene together, and is essential in establishing character and character interactions. Furthermore, the tone is used to set up its parallel; the euthanization of Lennie in Chapter 6.
Steinbeck’s decisive use of repetition, particularly of keywords and ideas, helps influence the tone of this scene. In Of Mice and Men, following the exit of Carlson and Candy’s dog, the repetition of the word ‘silence’ is present, as to draw attention to the agitation felt by all in the bunkhouse. One paradigm of this repetition can be found in quotes such as, “The silence came into the room. And the silence lasted” (Steinbeck 48), “The silence fell out on the room again. It came out of the night and invaded the room” (Steinbeck 48), and “... He rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent” (Steinbeck 49). The silence Steinbeck emphasizes through repetition is one that hangs heavy over the workers, no matter how hard they try to break it. It can be characterized as awkward and uncomfortable. Another strong use of repetition can be found in Carlson and Candy’s dialogue, and the way they interact with each other. It can be seen as Carlson is described with phrases such as, “not to be put off” (Steinbeck 45) and “insisted” (Steinbeck 45), while Candy is described with phrases such as “suggested” (Steinbeck 45) and is quoted saying “Maybe tomorra. Le’s wait till tomorra” (Steinbeck 47). Through these interactions, we understand Carlson to be insistent, while Candy is more diffident and puts off his decision. The contrast between the two can almost be seen as an argument without anger, as their personalities clash drastically. The use of repetition helps to emphasize certain aspects, such as the silence and difference between characters. Another prominent tactic used by Steinbeck to enforce the tension and awkwardness in the scene was his word choice. …show more content…
Steinbeck chose to use words such as “squirmed” (Steinbeck 44), “helplessly” (Steinbeck 45), and “uneasily” (Steinbeck 47) to help describe Candy’s reluctance to the euthanization of his dog. Candy’s obvious unwillingness serves to create a more strained situation as Carlson continues to press Candy. The connotation of words such as ‘squirmed’ and ‘uneasily’ indicate nervousness. To further incorporate emotions into the scene, Steinbeck uses words such as “rigidly” (Steinbeck 48) and “shortly” (Steinbeck 48) to demonstrate the tension in the room. These words create an equally agitated and hostile situation between the occupants of the bunkhouse. The mix of negative emotions implied by Steinbeck’s word choice serve to contribute to the tense atmosphere. The overall end product of Steinbeck’s constant use of repetition and carefully selected words is a tense and awkward tone. This tone pulls the entire scene together, and is essential in establishing character and character interactions. Furthermore, the tone is used to set up its parallel; the euthanization of Lennie in Chapter 6.