The story “0f Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck Essay

The storyplot “0f Rats and Men” was written by John Steinbeck and set in the usa in the late 1920’s early 1930’s, in A bunch of states near A?oranza. The story is based around migrant workers in California usually male without roots an extremely solitary lifestyle. Migrant personnel life was hard.

It had been gruelling, tough, and often unrewarding. Just as George and Lennie dream of an improved life by themselves farm, the other migrant farm workers dreamed of finding a better lifestyle in Washington dc. The state’s mild local climate promised an extended growing period and, with soil good to a larger range of seeds.

Very few discovered it to be the land of opportunity and land of plenty that they dreamed about. Steinbeck ‘s theme’s within this history are loneliness and relationships, the migrant workers generally travel alone moving from job to job while season and circumstances determined an almost tough existence having no place to call their own or households to go house too. Almost all of the characters declare, at one time or another, to having a deep sense of solitude and isolation.. George models the develop for these confessions on page 12-15 “Guys like us, basically on the ranches, are the loneliest guys on the globe. They received no friends and family.

They don’t belong no place. ” When he reminds Lennie that the existence of a hacienda hand is a loneliest of lives. Males like George and Lennie who migrate from farm to farm rarely have got anyone to check out for friendship and safety. Each wants for the safety of a friend or possibly a partner or lover, most will have settled for a unfamiliar person rather than no one.. Curley’s better half admits to Lennie that she is sadly married on-page 87, and Crooks tells Lennie that life is no real without a associate to turn to much more confusion and need on page 72 this individual say “A guy goes nuts in the event that he ain’t got no one.

Don’t make no difference who the guy can be, long’s he’s with you. ” They are all weak in their isolation, and yet, possibly at their very own weakest, they seek to eliminate those who are also weaker than they. Thieves shows this kind of cruel and nasty tendency when he criticizes Lennie’s reliance on George and their dream of the homestead, their particular farm in which they can job or not really work in the same way they you should, be their particular boss. Having just publicly stated his personal vulnerabilities-he is a black guy with a twisted back who longs pertaining to companionship-Crooks homes in upon Lennie’s personal weaknesses, I think this generally was to make him feel better and less of the failure in some manner.

Being by itself and unhappy and pressed out has turned him nasty and suggest in some ways. Everybody needs some kind of romantic relationship, someone to contact their own in some way whether it is a platonic, sex or for instance a relationship between man and pet. This makes the difference among merely surviving and flourishing and thriving everyone demands some form of like and care in their lives. Candy had a relationship together with his dog, George with Lennie, Curley along with his wife but still Curly fantastic wife’s relationship is very dysfunctional, there is not any comradeship between them no like or trust no love.

Candy is definitely keeping his dog with your life for purely selfish causes so that this individual isn’t remaining alone even though the dog is usually old infirmed, in pain, unable to consume, and Lennie and George’s relationship is not an equal relationship possibly. Since Lennie cannot offer an equal mature relationship this individual needs a fatherly figure, a caretaker where as George needs a friend a lover as such. The main characters available are George Milton and Lennie Little.

George includes a much stronger character he’s described as mare like a smaller wiry type of gentleman strong match body and a quick thinker, lives simply by his sensibilities almost, which comes across in pages 23-24 when he is usually talking to the boss he lies regarding distanced strolled saying “We hadda walk 10 miles” to cover them not coming until later when they only walked some miles plus they had arrived at the pool the night before. He could be short-tempered nevertheless a devoted friend, whose regular protests against life with Lennie hardly ever weakens his commitment to protecting his friend. George at some point in the beginning in their marriage used to abuse and produce Lennie a laughing stock and appears to be atoning intended for his sins ever since.

He mentions his earlier negative treatment of Lennie on internet pages (40-41) telling Slim “Funny” said George. “I used to have a heck of a wide range of fun with ‘im. Utilized to play jokes on ‘im ’cause having been too dumb to take care of ‘imself” He would this as it “Made myself seem therefore god damn smart along with of him”P41. So George definitely is zero angel and is petty and nasty just as much as the next person, but this individual genuinely cares for Lennie. George’s first words and phrases, a demanding warning to Lennie not to drink a whole lot lest this individual get sick on-page 5, established the sculpt of their marriage.

George might be snappy and impatient at times, but this individual never strays from protecting Lennie. Lennie is a large, lumbering, childlike migrant staff member. A huge keep of a man in looks, “A big man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with extensive, sloping shoulder blades; ” (p2). Steinbeck believes Lennie is fairly animalistic in the looks and ways comparing him to a bear when he was swishing his submit the water as if it was a paw on page 4 a horse on-page 4 also when he can be drinking water and later he is likened to a g?te on page twelve who doesn’t want to create a ball back to his Master.

Due to his learning disabilities, Lennie completely is determined by George, his friend and travelling companion, for assistance and safeguard. Lennie nevertheless does not figure out his individual strength. His love of petting very soft things, just like small animals, dresses, and people’s frizzy hair, leads to devastation. Lennie is extremely childlike; he has a na�ve childlike innocence usually seen in the very young which is shown in his say helplessness when confronted with the events that unfold.

Lennie is totally defenceless. He are unable to avoid the hazards presented by simply Curley, Curley’s wife, or perhaps the world at large. The two men share a vision of your farm that they may own with each other, a eyesight that Lennie believes in totally.

Despite his hardened, sometimes harsh exterior George likewise wants to features the story with their future farm that this individual tells and retells to Lennie, yet I think deep down he knows it all just a wish. He allonge for the day when he can enjoy the liberty to keep work to see a pastime. More important than a ball game, nevertheless , is the considered living in security and comfort with Lennie, free from the individuals like Curley and Curley’s wife, whom seem to exist only to trigger trouble to them. Lennie is essentially responsible for George’s belief in this safe haven, George needs to experience needed as well and that he offers somebody near to him.

Lennie gives George a purpose to carry on. In their relationship they are both extremely loyal to one another, dangerously therefore in Lennie’s part when he could injury someone due to his infatuation with George and his need for him to become around, George is more such as the protector, the father figure, this individual pretends he’s put out by it but this individual knows the best way lonely his life will be without Lennie, Lennie is also aware this, how he tried to manipulate George when he got angry in the mouse displays this.

Lennie being right now there stops George living lifespan the way other ranch hands do, he points this kind of out in anger at Lennie when he was whinging about ketchup on page 12 stating “If I was alone I could live so easy, I could get get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble” But after feels guilt ridden because he knows Lennie would never manage to live alone devoid of him to watch his as well as care for him. They equally need one another for their own various factors Lennie needs George as a protector, fatherly figure, carer and George requires Lennie because he needs anyone to care for, anyone to be generally there in a sense to step in to get the absence of family, making Lennie his family, he can George’s cause of not going out getting inebriated and gonna whore houses he keeps him a step above the rest.

This kind of relationship fulfils their immediate needs to get companionship, they will both require someone else presently there on the very long lonely street they travelling for work, and through life however the relationship can not be equal or enough as Lennie’s intelligence cannot meet George’s he would hardly get intelligent exciting conversation via Lennie, Lennie couldn’t maintain George if the need arose and while George could survive devoid of Lennie even though a lot lonelier, Lennie may never make it through without George. George would then you should be a plain older ranch palm like the relax without Lennie and the have to keep him safe and out of harms approach.

George might eventually will need someone else in his life to supply what Lennie can’t yet I don’t think Lennie would have the same problem as he would often need a father figure to protect him and look after him and his needs. In the event they travelled their distinct ways George would beverage, go to the hottie houses while using rest of them and dedicate his 50 dollars at the end with the month; he’d end up with zero hopes and dreams without one else beside him to help keep all of them alive, yet another lost and lonely spirit existing every day. Lennie on the other hand would result in an institute at best or hounded and lynched ultimately at the most detrimental, he couldn’t survive without George, he doesn’t have the basic survival skills to keep him alive.

He would “pet” someone or something this individual shouldn’t and become lynched for it, people didn’t understand straightforward learning afflictions in those days, feeling it was better to lock all of them away out of causes harm to way or perhaps sight than actually dealing with the problem at hand. There just wasn’t the care and attention provided to people with learning disabilities in the 1920 – 1930’s people didn’t want to know, was less difficult if they pretended that they didn’t can be found or where got rid of in the institutes.

The other person in the new to have an so-called caring romance is Candies The old swamper, aging and left with only one hand while the result of a major accident, worries that the boss will soon decide he is useless and demand that he leave the ranch. Candy includes a dog, when an impressive sheep herder great toothless, bad smelling, and rheumatic through age. Having been very pleased with his doggie, it was “The best really sheepdog We ever seen” page forty-five.

The dog only shuffles throughout the day hardly existing too ill to eat even, but, Candy nonetheless keeps him alive when it would be a amazing advantages to have got him put down years ago and spared your canine the discomfort and battling he now felt. This can be a needful romance in as much as the dog requirements caring for and feeding etc and Candies needs something or somebody in his lifestyle and in the case the dog could it be, the dog may hear what ever Candy says but cannot have a conversation with him, they can nuzzle Sweets and stick to him about offering what form of love and interest a dog may, but this individual cannot substitute for another human being.

By the time we meet Candy’s dog inside the story it really is purely selfishness on Candy’s part that has kept your canine alive and I think fright, Sweets is worried to be utterly alone and in that the dog is better than no person. Candy necessary people this kind of showed in the eagerness to get part of George and Lennie’s dream that they way this individual tried to buy himself in, in a way not daring to rely on a blossoming friendship between them, he was hedging his wagers knowing cash might golf swing things his way. So that it is quicker to allow them to realise all their dream too.

Candy appears to be ignoring the simple fact that you cannot buy friendship, they are generally developed over time and experiences with each other, but he’s a weakened lonely old guy frightened of his future or deficiency of one and he believes investing his lifesavings to obtain him another and close friends into the great buy. On page fifty nine he says “I ain’t much good with on’y one hand. I dropped my hand here on this ranch.

That’s so why they give us a job swampin’. An’ they give me two hundred an’ $ 50 cause’ We los’ my hand. ” After that he proceeds to ask if he can come in with them simply by trying to bribe them with his lifesavings. Chocolate is too fragile to put his dog straight down and out of his misery, to supply his devoted companion also this last final kindness, so Carlson has to undertake it, Carlson comes across almost heartless and lacking feeling if he does this, Sweets seems to get smaller in on himself feeling very unhappy lying in the bunk turning his encounter away from prying eyes.

However Carlson might seem cruel and heartless although I think in the own unusual way having been doing a kindness based on selfishness in a way, this individual couldn’t stand the view or smell of the outdated dog, although a attention non the less, seeing that no one more was willing to put the older dog out of his misery. It was the right action but for each of the wrong reasons. The boss’s son, Curley wears high-heeled boots to tell apart himself from the field hands.

Rumoured to be a champion prize-fighter (p54), he is a confrontational, nasty oriented and aggressive man who also compensates pertaining to his smallness of mind and body by selecting fights with larger males. Recently hitched, Curley is usually plagued with jealousy probably because he himself is not capable of faithfulness and doesn’t really like or find out his partner, she is mare like a trophy to him, and he is extremely possessive of his flirtatious young better half. Curley’s partner is never given a name and is simply referred to with reference to her spouse. The men within the farm make reference to her being a “tramp, ” a “tart, ” and a “looloo. (P51)” Wearing fancy, feathered red sneakers, she symbolizes the temptation of female sexuality in a male-dominated world.

Curley’s better half is not only a bad person, but rather a victim. Such as the ranch-hands, the girl with desperately lonesome and offers broken dreams of a better existence. It seems in my opinion that Steinbeck comes across together with the opinion girl are just right now there to serve men and therefore are devious temptresses. Neither societe each other and Curly has no respect for her, telling the other hacienda hands of the sex life.

Curly’s wife confronts Lennie, Candies, and Crooks in the steady, she confesses to feeling a kind disappointment with her life. Her vulnerability right now and later the moment she confesses to Lennie her dream of becoming a superstar makes her much more individual not just a hussy in crimson shoes. She’s just a small girl wedded too early into a man she doesn’t possibly like aside from love your woman tells this to Lennie on p87 when the lady tells him of her dreams of the movies, and The show biz industry and her dislike of Curly fantastic nasty techniques.

Perhaps the lady felt the lady didn’t have got any other solution, but relationship to this stranger, she sensed trapped at your home by her mother and totally unsatisfied with her life and merely jumped out of your fat directly into the fire as her romance with Ugly just wasn’t in in any case what the girl dreamed marital life would be like. In the 1930’s there was not a lot of work wanted to woman and single female didn’t have similar social position as hitched women, many may have got felt it absolutely was better to always be married and married to anyone than being automatically and attempting to survive, women didn’t have the resources now they have, and where by no means encouraged to feel on equal terms to men as they are today..

I think Steinbeck also tries to depict girl as low, flighty people messing the men with their sexuality, that they where either merely caretakers of males there merely too care for them or perhaps sexual items, not people in their individual rights. Steinbeck had practically nothing nice to say about this girl, the moment really she actually is just a poor misguided young girl, whom thought matrimony would be the answers to her prayers, and that she would have a handsome receptive young hubby, when actually she acquired the intense nasty ansto? whom no one really enjoyed, and which she discovered she didn’t like both.

I think the lady was flirtatious because your woman needed company and since there is just males on the ranch she flirted, probably not knowing how to have any other kind of marriage with a man, and too young to see that in the event she had just been friendly without flirting your woman might have produced a few good friends, that is if Curly’s envy allowed that. Although the males think it is wrong of her to show off herself sexually and flirt, the men almost all visit a whorehouse for intimate gratification and momentary company. Another lonesome character was Crooks the stable buck.

Crooks can be an even lonelier character than Candy, mainly because not only is definitely he a cripple, like Candy, although he is as well black. A lot of the men have a lot of prejudice against Criminals, referring to him with derogatory terms including ‘nigger’. Also because he is a different colour, this individual has to be in a room by himself. Crooks is yet another victim from the times. We could told by Candy which the Boss takes his anger out on Thieves, though Thieves does practically nothing wrong.

And Candy also relates a great incident before when among the ranch hands picked a fight with Thieves. It is to Crooks’ credit that he earned the combat, although the various other man performed have his feet linked. He is extremely lonely and bitter, Lennie seemingly unacquainted with the politics of daily living for dark people attempts to go in Criminals room(p67) and make friends and chat with him, he doesn’t realise that white people in the 1930’s didn’t integrate with black people inside their leisure time as they looked down on them.

On page 68 Crook says “They play cards in there, although I can’t play because I am black. It is said I stink. Well, I actually tell you, you all of you stink to me. ” This moves right over Lennie’s head he simply doesn’t find the point. Lennie just really wants to chat and make friends. Thieves tries to rile him declaring “Well s’pose, jus’ s’pose he don’t come back” page 71-72, he was trying to frighten Lennie and it nearly backfired, it shows Lennie turning out to be dangerously quiet and centred when he believes George could possibly be in any type of danger once George is all Lennie features in the world and he doesn’t want to reduce him, his loyalty to George could prove fatal to someone else.

Crooks was thus desperate for a relationship any person would perform on page 78 he says “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got no one. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. ” Crooks realises being friendless and having nobody leaves people unhappy and embittered, he says on page 72 ” I inform ya someone gets too lonely an’ he gets sick. ” I think Criminals wants above all else a sense of that belong, to enjoy simple pleasures such as the right to your bunkhouse or play playing cards with the various other men.

This kind of desire will explain why, even though he has explanation to uncertainty George and Lennie’s speak about the plantation that they wish to own, Criminals cannot support but inquire if there may be room pertaining to him to come along and hoe in the garden. On page 76 he offers to work for absolutely nothing even in order to be allowed in. Whatever it seems can be better than the loneliness of his present life, until Curly’s partner comes in and in promptly makes him experience his put in place the world just as before, bursting his bubble his notion of just like a man among men instead of a black man. Carlson a ranch hands, who gripes bitterly about Candy’s outdated, smelly doggie.

He convinces Candy to put the dog away of the misery. Carlson says he wont become causing the dog any struggling. Carlson results in quite heartless. If something or someone isn’t useful get rid of that, everything really needs a function. This individual has a deficiency of concern pertaining to other people’s feelings and doesn’t remember to understand them.

He is a great insensitive individual who cares practically nothing for others. Carlson is the type of man George hopes to steer clear of becoming. The death of Candy’s dog testifies towards the shameless and pitiful method by which the strong harm and eliminate the weak. Candy’s dog, although no longer valuable at corralling sheep, is of great importance to the old swamper.

Candy’s emotional connection to the dog is clear. Despite this, allowing the dog to live away its days is not an option through this cruel environment. Carlson demands that the animal’s frailty makes it unworthy of such loyalty.

The most comfort he can give is to insure Candy that he will destroy the dog mercifully and quickly. Carlson is without attachments to anyone or anything and maybe feels happy enough without them, I think he sees mental attachment being a weakness they can do with no. Even at the conclusion after George shoots Lennie Carlson are unable to understand what each of the fuss is all about, why George should be annoyed in in any case, George experienced put down Lennie like this individual Carlson acquired put down the dog both animal and guy as useless as one another in Carlson’s eyes. non-e of the interactions in the book appear complete and fully functional.

Nearly all of the character types in Of Mice and Men happen to be disempowered in some manner. Whether due to a physical or perhaps mental handicap, age, category, race, or perhaps gender, almost everyone finds themselves outside the buildings of interpersonal power, and suffers due to it. All seem lacking in some way. Lennie cannot give George every he will will need from a relationship even though George almost certainly offers Lennie all and even more.

Candy is actually old and disillusioned with life, wonderful loneliness and fright for the future, to be much use in a relationship, and Ugly is to in to himself and proving himself a “big man” to ever include a proper fulfilling relation, his own insecurities would forever mess up a relationship. Curley’s wife is too young and has the selfishness of youth, and it is unable to handle the likes of Curly she necessary an simple young man seriously who would like and idolise her how she needs to loved. Following Lennie wiped out Curley’s better half, George was faced with a dreadful choice, permit Curley find Lennie and kill him, or eliminate Lennie himself.

Unlike Sweets, he will not let somebody else shoot his best friend. He would not subject matter his best friend to unnecessary fear anxiousness and discomfort. George truly does what he has to carry out, in his individual way, the act of killing Lennie himself, is doing Lennie a kindness, placing him down, the smaller of the two evils, as if Curley got hold of him it would be horrendous. When George suggests that they find Lennie and fasten him up instead of shooting him, Thin has to remind George how terrible it would be if Lennie were locked in a parrot cage, or secured to a pickup bed.

Like the painful life of Candy’s arthritis sheepdog, existence in jail or a great asylum would be no better for Lennie. Just as Candy had to realize that his sheepdog would be better off dead than alive, so did George with Lennie. George by killing Lennie surrendered his dream to get survival Slim’s sympathetic response is best demonstrating his understanding. Slim may be the only one who not seem to need a illusion to protect him through the harsh facts of the world.

His skill for his function and mastery of the hacienda bring him peace and contentment, these kinds of emotions and feelings will be unknown to his guy ranch hands.. Slim is definitely both respected and popular. Everyone looks for his approval, even Curley, who seems to have contempt for everyone else for the ranch. Others give in Slim since his expression is the legislation.

He is the words of explanation and understanding, and he consoles George after he has murdered Lennie. Sleek is the sort of man that George hopes to become eventually. I think Slender has more probability of a ‘normal’ relationship in the event that he ever before has 1 since he’s the only one for peace with himself fantastic life. Of Mice and Men is about the struggle of the weakened in culture and loneliness in or out of the relationship.

Solitude is a great inevitable reality of existence that not your strongest can avoid, Thieves, Candy and Curley’s wife all endure loneliness and isolation and lack of a viable relationship. George and Lennie are one of a kind in that they may have each other. Their companionship contrasts the isolation that encompases them, the loneliness in the outcast dark man, the loneliness with the “scarlet” woman, the solitude of the old, helpless crippled swamper. You need relationships though it is tough keeping a good relationship going since no two people are exactly the same or have the very same thoughts and beliefs.

To hold a relationship flourishing you must have things in common, you must manage to disagree or perhaps agree devoid of fear of the partnership ending, you need to be caring of one one other and respect each other, and a few people don�t have the cultural skills to hold a marriage fruitful. Quite often a person suffering through seclusion will forever be planning to fulfil a friendship like Candy planning to become portion of the dream with Lennie and George; having been trying to take up a romance. I do not think Steinbeck had a large regard intended for woman possibly, I think that was a indication of the times though and the era that they lived in, girl had a place and that was going to serve man.

Curley’s partner was in a relationship yet was the loneliest of all, the lady was wedded yet still was alone, even now felt ignored and unnecessary, and that’s why the lady flirted to help relieve her hurting. I think Steinbeck had a very bleak look at of interactions and female in general, all the relationships looked like dysfunctional. People were made to are in society and it a natural instinct to find friendship and companionship. After they find it, they can be content inside themselves.

A friendly relationship and interaction are two very necessary things; many of us need them to combat loneliness.