Frankie barley has a father since he is always gone. So as a replacement to toys or an actual father, Frankie has Cuchulain to look up to. Frankie clearly has an attachment to Cuchulain since he has tears in his eyes after seeing the statue of Cuchulain (66). Perhaps if Frankie had a more stable living situation he would not need Cuchulain. Frankie states, “When you have your father to yourself by the fire in the morning you don’t need Cuchulain or the Angel on the Seventh Step or anything (291)”.…
The human issues come up in the first chapter of the book because when George tells the story about getting run out of the weed because Lennie does not understand right from wrong so he don’t understood also accused of attempting rape when really he just wanted to touch the girl’s dress because he thought it was so pretty but instead of listening to his explanation and being given a fair trial a lynch mob forms to capture Lennie. This was good example of a person being understanding and treated wrong because he have a mental handicap with is human right issues…
Empathy through Kinship In Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, the clerk’s charity reveals the power of understanding in a community. While rude and shameful at first, sarcastically declaring, “then go git ‘em in town” (375), the store clerk soon recognizes that his futile comments add to the struggles of the already dilemma-ridden families. Ma’s questioning of the shop’s ownership leads the clerk to contemplate his own situation, finally displaying the uncanny similarities between the customers whom he mocks and himself. The clerk’s own self-preservation and worry, “I can’t do it…I’d get in trouble” (376), accounts for his condescending attitude that he develops under the strict regulation of the store manager. This understanding that they both…
Of Mice and Men is a famous novel written by John Steinbeck. It was published in 1937. This novel is about two young men named George Milton and Lennie Small who move to a ranch to work during the period of The Great Depression. These two displaced men go through several situations at the ranch but still hope to work their best. Disenfranchisement is clearly presented in the society of this novel using gender and space through literary theories such as Foucault and Feminism.…
Dora Flood; the whore house Madam with a heart of gold in John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row” embodies the books major theme. Cannery Row opens with a simple message regaurding the folks that call the row home saying “"Its inhabitants are, as the man once said, 'whores, pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches,' by which he meant Everybody. Had the man looked through another peephole he might have said, 'Saints and angels and martyrs and holy men,' and he would have meant the same thing." (Steinbeck) because of her profession Dora is considered to be a bad person but Steinbeck shows throughout his narrative that if they could overcome their superficial preconceived misconceptions about her character they would find her to be one of the most upstanding characters in their community. Dora runs an honest and clean business that benefits her community, she takes care of her employees, keeps strict rules of conduct, and is a continually giving back through service to a town that doesn’t appreciate her because they only see her through one “peephole” in the wall.…
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.…
Perspectives How would like to be known as someone else ’s property? Well, in the book Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife is known as just another one of her husband’s belongings. No one ever called Curley’s wife by her real name.…
In John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, Captain, the assembly-woman’s husband whose land holds a frog pond, feels “indebted to Mack and the boys,” and offers them whiskey and a dog (94). However, Mack needs to be reassured of his offer because he “’never did roll a drunk and [he] ain’t gonna start now’” (95). Although Mack is described as a loser and a petty thief, he would not willing steal from a drunk man. The fact that Mack would not steal from an impaired man demonstrates a deeper level of humanity in Mack that had previously been unrevealed.…
During the infamous depression of the 1930’s, the combined evils of America’s economic downturn and the Dust Bowl drought left many southern farming families landless, weak, and subject to relentlessly vexing circumstances. John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, tells the story of these displaced farmers and their travels, whilst also intertwining within the plot, a profound use of symbolism in various forms to convey the adversity and trying attitudes of society during the time. Steinbeck uses animals, women, and Christianity as well developed symbols to place into perspective the hardships of the Joad family. Furthermore, these symbols illustrate the identifiable characteristics which differentiate between those who prospered and those…
Cannery Row criticizes the ideal American society and its elements of Christianity through the caricature of a typical American industrial town and its most distinctive citizens. In the process of describing Mack and the Boys’ attempt to throw a party for Doc, the novel introduces us to characters that seem like outcasts in Monterey but play a significant role in expressing the overall anti-establishment commentary of the novel. Doc plays a fatherly role in the Monterey community. He seems like the ideal masculine figure: he has strength, a decent career and business and the respect of the town.…
All great novels have conflicts in them; John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is no exception to this. Steinbeck’s main character, George, faces many different problems throughout the story. Some of George’s conflicts are internal, while others are external. Although George faces many struggles he always seems to be able to think of a solution. George’s struggles, whether internal or external, are problems none of us would ever imagine.…
From Europe colonizing America to the Atlantic Slave Trade, migrations have been defining moments in world history-- the travels of the farmers depicted in John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath are no exception. Steinbeck aims to detail the mass migration of Midwest farmers to the West during Dust Bowl of the 1930s for a worldwide audience. In this narrative a symbolic, classic piece of American literature is formed. The author expresses his sympathy and compassion for these weary travelers. Through the emotional and arduous journey of desperate and tired farmers, Steinbeck ultimately portrays to the readers his response and attitude towards the burdens and hindrances they are forced to face.…
Charles Darwin’s physical evolution theories have applied to humans for thousands of years. Branched off of this belief, Hebert Spenser formulated theories about social natural selection in human societies that correspond with the physical survival of the fittest. When people have physical disadvantages, the way they are treated is altered and their chances of surviving in their societies lessen. In his novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses the characters of Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife to demonstrate that individuals are often victims of social injustice due to their age, gender, or race.…
When I first began to read Cannery Row, I was not too fond of it. There are quite of number of reasons for why I didn’t like it, but the most prominent reason would be because Steinbeck had a tendency to treat death in a nonchalant way. But as I read on, I discovered his true motive. He didn’t write passively about death for the sake of being rude. He had a reason.…
Throughout the novel written by John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, social injustice is illuminated. The human person is programmed at birth with certain necessities. The material programmed into the bodies of humans consist of rights and responsibilities. Catholic teachings teach us to be kind to others even when it is nearly impossible. The quote “treat others as you want to be treated” is a core value in the Catholic religion.…