Literary devices are used to create the idea of a futile existence in Of Mice and Men and The Yellow Wallpaper, specifically through the authors’ use of symbolism of colour. Steinbeck and Gilman also use the devices of dialogue and metaphor, which show that the hopes and dreams of the characters within both texts create the idea of a futile existence. The device of foreshadowing is used within Of Mice and Men to create the idea of existence being futile, and this is similar to the symbolism that Gilman uses within The Yellow Wallpaper.
Gillman and Steinbeck use the literary device of symbolism in their texts to create the idea of a futile existence. Both authors use the symbolism of colour to represent the lack of power that women in their …show more content…
Steinbeck uses dialogue within Of Mice and Men to create the idea of the futility of existence as George and Lennie’s dream is voiced consistently throughout the story, however it is never achieved. Similarly, Gilman uses the technique of metaphor to show the inability for the narrator to achieve her dream of becoming well and curing herself. In both texts, dreams once represented hope for the characters, however as both stories progress the idea of dreams begin to symbolise the unattainability of happiness and the futility of life. The metaphor of the wallpaper trapping the woman behind it is a metaphor for how women were trapped in the 1800s society, and how the narrator was trapped in her own mind. The narrator sees the woman trying to break free from this wallpaper, “The front pattern DOES move! The woman behind it shakes it!”, and this metaphor shows the powerlessness the narrator has at achieving her dream of becoming well. In Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie dream of owning their own ranch and living “off the fatta the lan'," (Steinbeck, pg 16), and this dialogue represents the inability to attain the “American Dream” whilst living in the 1930s. The use of metaphor and dialogue create the idea of a futile existence in both texts as, in The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator’s entrapment disabled her from performing her role as a woman. In Of Mice and Men, Lennie and George’s inability to achieve their dream of owning a ranch also creates the idea of the futility of life. Both Gilman and Steinbeck create the idea of a futile existence within their texts, and do this through the use of dialogue and
Gillman and Steinbeck use the literary device of symbolism in their texts to create the idea of a futile existence. Both authors use the symbolism of colour to represent the lack of power that women in their …show more content…
Steinbeck uses dialogue within Of Mice and Men to create the idea of the futility of existence as George and Lennie’s dream is voiced consistently throughout the story, however it is never achieved. Similarly, Gilman uses the technique of metaphor to show the inability for the narrator to achieve her dream of becoming well and curing herself. In both texts, dreams once represented hope for the characters, however as both stories progress the idea of dreams begin to symbolise the unattainability of happiness and the futility of life. The metaphor of the wallpaper trapping the woman behind it is a metaphor for how women were trapped in the 1800s society, and how the narrator was trapped in her own mind. The narrator sees the woman trying to break free from this wallpaper, “The front pattern DOES move! The woman behind it shakes it!”, and this metaphor shows the powerlessness the narrator has at achieving her dream of becoming well. In Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie dream of owning their own ranch and living “off the fatta the lan'," (Steinbeck, pg 16), and this dialogue represents the inability to attain the “American Dream” whilst living in the 1930s. The use of metaphor and dialogue create the idea of a futile existence in both texts as, in The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator’s entrapment disabled her from performing her role as a woman. In Of Mice and Men, Lennie and George’s inability to achieve their dream of owning a ranch also creates the idea of the futility of life. Both Gilman and Steinbeck create the idea of a futile existence within their texts, and do this through the use of dialogue and