The value of this passageway, which introduces the closing section of the novel, is the fact it refers to what features happened previous in the tale and what is about to happen. It presents symbolically the characters, occasions and concepts of the history so far and prefigures the last tragedy. The setting is the same as at the beginning of the novel, a clearing for the banks simply by ‘the deep green pool’ of the Salinas River. Inside the first section Steinbeck conveys once more, now briefly, the beauty of the organic scene, the paradise from where mankind has become cast out.
Now though the circumstances are incredibly different and returning to a similar setting implies a rounded movement of events, getting nowhere, but likewise as a going downhill. Lennie is in trouble once again and more really than ever before – he has killed Curley’s wife. The dream he and George shared has already been dead.
We have a disturbance for the scene, ‘a far dash of wind’ and a scattering of leaves, the only sounds breaking the silence. The river’s area is in brief disturbed, yet ‘as quickly as it had come, wind died plus the clearing was quiet again. ‘ By this Steinbeck gives a feel of the smallness and insignificance of the events of the novel. They will quickly pass and become forgotten. ‘A water fish glided rapidly up the pool’, this symbolizes Lennie, ‘twisting its periscope head laterally. ‘ Lennie’s vision is limited by his dull wits and this individual doesn’t foresee the fortune towards which usually he is blundering.
A heron waiting in the shallows seizes the ‘little snake’ by head and swallows this ‘while its tail waved frantically. ‘ Lennie’s size and durability are unimportant, uselessly compared to much larger forces, such as the world he lives in. This shows another concept of the the story: the effective dominate and prey upon the fragile. This is the situation of the migrant labourers, who have nothing but their ability to job, in relation to the Boss who have wealth and land and who exploits his labourers. It is mirrored too inside the ‘pecking order’ on the ranch: ‘the fragile ones’ – Lennie, Criminals and Candy are at the mercy in the strong.
Thieves dominates Lennie and Curley’s wife rules Crooks. Carlson, with Slim’s consent, dispatches Candy’s doggie. Curly is ever present attempting to master everyone, besides Slim, by simply physical violence and through his relation to his father. The moment Lennie appears ‘out of the brush’ the heron flies off another ‘little snake’, representing George, finds refuge from the heron in the reeds.
This implies that George is clever enough to settle out of trouble, which includes that due to Lennie. Lennie has come to the river financial institution because George told him to meet him there if perhaps he had trouble. This was in the beginning section of the novel, where Steinbeck as opposed Lennie to a bear: ‘he walked intensely, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear pulls his paws. ‘ This kind of suggests laziness, but now it’s the bear’s on stealth that this individual refers to: Lennie comes ‘as silently like a creeping bear moves. ‘ He is described now by simply his intuition, not just next George.
The repeated keep simile will remind the reader once again of the circular movement with the story; nevertheless Lennie’s soundless entry as well makes us think of him as a heart, anticipating his death. The passage shows a number of tips in the novel: the beauty of nature and the ugliness of being human; the insignificance of human affairs; the futility of human hard work and the frailty of dreams. The deceptive nature of human existence, a major topic in the novel is showed symbolically in the action with the heron, reminding the reader of numerous episodes previous in the account. The characters of George and Lennie are illustrated in the diverse fates of the two ‘little snakes’.
Lennie’s death is prefigured for the reason that of the 1st water snake, also in the spirit-like appearance on the landscape. In this way Steinbeck sets the scene at the river traditional bank in context. The reader recognizes the pessimism of Lennie and George’s situation, their particular powerlessness inside the circumstances they find themselves in and foresees the tragic end.
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