Of Mice and Men Essay
The 1937 novel Of Mice and Men engages readers with its plot through its underlying theme of human relationships and loneliness, which resonates with its audience as it is a universally applicable concept. He uses a number of narrative techniques to achieve this, conveying ideas successfully by employing powerful characterisation, symbolism, foreshadowing, dramatic tension and setting.
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck engages with the nature of human beings’ relationships. He expresses that friendship can be the salvation of two people, but is a difficult thing to find and maintain. Steinbeck suggests that all human beings possess this fundamental inclination and without someone to share life’s ambitions, …show more content…
The novel raises the issue of the isolation faced by those who do not fit in with the rest of society and are oppressed through this. The two prime examples in Of Mice and Men are of Crooks and Curley’s wife. Crooks notes how people are lonely in nature ‘A guy needs somebody to be near him." He whined, "A guy goes nuts if he ain 't got nobody. Don 't make no difference who the guy is, long 's he 's with you’ (p72). For Crooks, he faces an even bigger predicament than the other men on the ranch. He is discriminated on the basis of race, and as such this prevents him from meaningfully interacting with others, and he is desperate for a friend. When he is approached by Lennie, Crooks is quick to dismiss him, but then softens as he realises that Lennie is harmless and begins to talk with him …show more content…
Of Mice and Men is set on a Californian ranch in the middle of the Great Depression. Steinbeck’s poetic, lyrical description of the surrounding valleys helps heighten the atmosphere of the ranch’s isolation, giving weight to sense of loneliness among those who reside there. The ranch is a place where almost all of the workers live their own lives without friends. Having a partner on the ranch is so unusual that the boss is suspicious when George and Lennie initially present for work ‘Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy’ (p11). Steinbeck has chosen to set the novel during a time of great hardship, where many people were looking for work alone and away from people they knew. This gives added strength to the storyline and helps engage readers with the
The 1937 novel Of Mice and Men engages readers with its plot through its underlying theme of human relationships and loneliness, which resonates with its audience as it is a universally applicable concept. He uses a number of narrative techniques to achieve this, conveying ideas successfully by employing powerful characterisation, symbolism, foreshadowing, dramatic tension and setting.
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck engages with the nature of human beings’ relationships. He expresses that friendship can be the salvation of two people, but is a difficult thing to find and maintain. Steinbeck suggests that all human beings possess this fundamental inclination and without someone to share life’s ambitions, …show more content…
The novel raises the issue of the isolation faced by those who do not fit in with the rest of society and are oppressed through this. The two prime examples in Of Mice and Men are of Crooks and Curley’s wife. Crooks notes how people are lonely in nature ‘A guy needs somebody to be near him." He whined, "A guy goes nuts if he ain 't got nobody. Don 't make no difference who the guy is, long 's he 's with you’ (p72). For Crooks, he faces an even bigger predicament than the other men on the ranch. He is discriminated on the basis of race, and as such this prevents him from meaningfully interacting with others, and he is desperate for a friend. When he is approached by Lennie, Crooks is quick to dismiss him, but then softens as he realises that Lennie is harmless and begins to talk with him …show more content…
Of Mice and Men is set on a Californian ranch in the middle of the Great Depression. Steinbeck’s poetic, lyrical description of the surrounding valleys helps heighten the atmosphere of the ranch’s isolation, giving weight to sense of loneliness among those who reside there. The ranch is a place where almost all of the workers live their own lives without friends. Having a partner on the ranch is so unusual that the boss is suspicious when George and Lennie initially present for work ‘Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy’ (p11). Steinbeck has chosen to set the novel during a time of great hardship, where many people were looking for work alone and away from people they knew. This gives added strength to the storyline and helps engage readers with the