Theme Of Sacrifice In Of Mice And Men

Appearances can often be deceiving, as often times in today’s judgemental society people hide who they are to avoid judgement. In many classic American novels, the characters do the same. In John Steinbeck 's Of Mice and Men, Lennie appears very much a classic “tough guy.” In Ernest Hemingway 's The Old Man and The Sea, Santiago is viewed as being dangerously unlucky, as well as strange. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby seems to the public the picture of success and happiness. However, in all of these novels, there is more than meets the eye. How the world views each character is not necessarily how the characters view themselves, or an accurate depiction of the situation
For better or for worse, great sacrifice is unavoidable in life. To achieve what one wants, one must be willing to make sacrifices. Facing great sacrifice, sometimes without a choice, is another theme which frequently appears in classic American novels. In The Old Man and The Sea, Santiago nearly sacrifices his life to prove himself to his community. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby sacrifices his lifestyle in order to win Daisy 's affections. In Of Mice and Men, George must kill Lennie to protect him. While some of these sacrifices lead to something greater, others prove purposeless. …show more content…
He is both tall and well-muscled; at first glance, one would likely be afraid of him. However, Lennie is a far cry from that stereotype. Instead, he is incredibly childlike. His dependency upon George is parallel to the relationship between a parent and child, with one caring for and protecting the other. Despite his size and demeanor, he is portrayed as gentle, innocent, and almost helpless; there is a striking juxtaposition between what the world sees and who he really is. He seems to the reader to be almost helpless, like an infant, in contrast to the way he looks: like a strong man who could easily defend