Literature Analysis #2

Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck

1. Of Mice and Men takes place in Central California, somewhere around the Salinas River Valley. The two main characters are George, the smarter, leader, and Lennie, the mentally handicapped friend who travels with George. The two have always been friends and they have a goal of owning their own ranch someday. Lennie is always getting the two in trouble. They have been released from their last job, and now at the new ranch, Lennie has a new focus, the boss' son's wife. Lennie really doesn't know his boundaries which leads to him getting much to close to Curley's wife, and ultimately breaking her neck. At this point, Lennie leaves and runs away back into the country where George instructed him to go if anything happens. George shows up later and shoots his friend in the head to save him from what would happen if Curley and the guys at the ranch got a hold of him.

2. The theme of this novel is friendship and tragedy. Lennie and George always have each other's best interests at heart. Even when George shoots Lennie, he is doing what is best for Lennie. The ending of the novel is tragic, as George has to kill his best/only friend as Lennie is thinking the "ranch dream."

3. John Steinbeck maintains a somber tone throughout the book. He starts by outlining the duo's lifestyle, which appeals to the readers emotions and makes us feel sympathetic to Lennie..Now feeling this way, Lennie is thrown an array of challenges which leads to his end.

• "I wisht we'd get the rabbits pretty soon, George."
• "I want you to stay with (Lennie)."
• "You got it by heart,you can do it yourself".

4. FORESHADOWING: 

• The dead mouse that Lennie finds at the start was an indication of Lennie's lack of finesse and led me to believe that more death was in the midst. This was foreshadowing for Curley's wife death, since both she and the mouse were "cuddled" by Lennie.
• "You seen a girl around here?"
• "God awmightly I never seen such a strong guy."
• "He was so little," said Lennie. "I was jus' playin' with him....... an' he made like he's gonna bite me....an' ....an' I done it. An' then he was dead."

DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION:

• " They are an unlikely pair: George is small and quick and dark of face. Lennie is a man of tremendous size, and has the mind of a young child.
• "Let the big guy talk."
• "Lennie looked timidly over to him."
• "His huge companion..."(Lennie) 

IMAGERY:

• "He took off his hat and wiped the sweat-band with his forefinger and snapped the moisture off."
• "His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting the water like a horse."
• "George knelt beside the pool and drank from his hand with quick scoops."

DICTION:

• "Lennie never done it in meanness."
• "He's such a nice fella. I didn't think he'd do nothing like this."
• "All the time he done bad things, but he never done one of 'em mean."
• "I.... I ain't gonna.... say a word."
• "An' live off the fatta the lan'"

SETTING:

• The novel is set in the 1930's in California. This sets up the farming and ranch dream of Lennie and George. It also is portrayed through the female role of Curley's wife as being subordinate to men.
• "A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green."
• "There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water."
• "I don't like Curley, he ain't a nice fella"