Preview

of men and mice

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1211 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
of men and mice
Bookreport on „Of Mice and Men“

The novel „Of Men and Mice“ was published in 1937 and is written by John Steinbeck. The first

edition of the book has 107 pages and can be devided into six different sections. The novel plays

during the Great Depression, in California. The Author himself grew up in a fertile agricultural

valley about twentey-five miles from the Pacific Coast. The maine Charachters are two migrant

workers, Lenni Small and George Milton. Two very different men, who travel from farm to farm,

trying to earn enough money to buy their own little house with some animals. In the following text

will be a short summerary of the books content and subsequetly the story and writing style of the

author will be analyzed.

The story opens with the description of a riverbed in California, a beautiful, wooded area at the

base of “golden foothill slopes.”Two men walk along the path. George, is small, wiry, and

sharp-featured, while his companion, Lennie, is large and awkward. They start having a

conversation and it becomes clear that the larger man has a mild mental disability, and that his

companion looks out for him. In the following paragraphs the reader learns about the two men 's

plan to work on a ranch where they are expected to work on the next day. George, the smaller man,

decides to stay the night and light a fire. He sends Lenni into the woods to get some wood, when he

returned George noticed a dead mouse in Lennie 's hand. He insists on Lenni handing it over and he

throws it away. Asked why he would carry a dead mouse around Lenni explains his sadisfaction

when patting the mouse. George starts a long speech about how much better he could get along if he

didn 't have to care for Lennie. The incedent causing the two men to leave their old ranch is

mentioned. The locals assumed Lenni assaulted a girl, even though he was only obsessed with the

soft dress she was wearing and wanted

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Mice and Men

    • 719 Words
    • 3 Pages

    After George realizes that Lennie is going to be killed because he had killed Curley's wife he begins to think of what his life without Lennie will be like. He says to Lenny “an’ when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks an’ go to a … cat house…” George by saying this, he predicts the meaningful life he would have without Lennie. The fact that George puts up with Lennie even though he causes him problems shows that he also needs Lennie to be his friend.…

    • 719 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    OF MICE AND MEN

    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The novella “Of Mice and Men” was based around the time of Black Tuesday. Black Tuesday left Americans feeling vulnerable and powerless, so therefore any form of power was needed and respected. At the time, most places were male dominated such as the ranch were George and Lennie worked, so therefore men were the ones who had more power over women. Nature is presented as being more powerful than humans because it ongoing, cyclical and leaves traces, where as human life is transient and doesn’t leave a trace. In the novella, there are different types of power such as financial, mental and physical power. Throughout the novella, Steinbeck conveys the themes of human nature, friendship and the unachievable American dream.…

    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A small, wiry, quick-witted man who travels with, and cares for, Lennie. Although he frequently speaks of how much better his life would be without his caretaking responsibilities, George is obviously devoted to Lennie. George’s behavior is motivated by the desire to protect Lennie and, eventually, deliver them both to the farm of their dreams. Though George is the source of the often-told story of life on their future farm, it is Lennie’s childlike faith that enables George to actually believe his account of their future. George is small, intelligent, dark of face, has restless eyes and sharp, strong features with every part of him defined. (2, Steinbeck)…

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lennie is a massive and powerful man, but is dull-witted, George on the other hand is scrawnier and not as mighty. Both are hearty individuals just trying to survive a tough life. After Lennie’s Aunt Clara passed away George took the responsibility of looking after Lennie. Through good and bad times George has learned to love and protect him. Lennie, an animal lover at heart always takes pleasure from petting them. He loves all small, soft, fuzzy things and cannot help himself from petting them. During their journey to the new ranch, Lennie catches a mouse, “I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along.” (Steinbeck:6). George hates it when Lennie catches animals and plays with them “well you ain’t petting no mice while you walk with me.” (Steinbeck:6) because he knows Lennie could end up killing the tiny animal. Lennie does not know his own strength and handles the mouse too rough “you’ve broke it pettin’ it.” (Steinbeck:9) After the two men spend the night in the woods, they finish their journey and arrive at the ranch.…

    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    There are numerous amounts of points within the book, where George becomes emotionally stressed, as a result, unleashing his anger, towards Lennie. “Give it here! Lennies closed hands slowly obeyed. George took the mouse and threw it across to the other side.” Steinbeck insinuates that Lennies actions, engenders the central anger of George. This quote is one of many, which describes George showing signs of…

    • 1505 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Of Mice and Men

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages

    John Steinbeck (born in 1902) was a talented Californian writer. Steinbeck spent much of his time in New York and the Salinas Valley. Although he spent a few years at Stanford University, he desperately wanted to be a writer, therefore he started writing. His work includes The Grapes of Wrath, Cannery Row, The Red Pony, East of Eden and of course, Of Mice and Men. Hollywood loved Steinbeck and even made these very books in to film adaptations. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962 for his realistic but imaginative writings. In this essay I will be talking about one of John’s well known books, Of Mice and Men. This story is about two travelling ranch workers, George and Lennie, trying to earn enough money to get their own house and farm. The tale is based is 1930’s America during the Great Depression. This book encompasses themes of prejudice, racism and the fight for personal independence.…

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    especially Lennie, she has a negative impact on the on most of the man at the ranch.…

    • 572 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is clear from the beginning of the story that Lennie’s mental strength does not compare to his physical strength by any means. This will eventually lead to the downfall of his…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When Lennie and George are walking along the Salinas River to get to the ranch, “Lennie’s lip quivered and tears started in his eyes. Aw, Lennie!’ George put his hand on Lennie’s shoulder. ‘I ain’t takin’ it away jus’ for meanness. That mouse ain’t fresh, Lennie; and besides, you’ve broke it pettin’ it. You get another mouse that’s fresh and I’ll let you keep it a little while” (9). Lennie’s actions show how his mental disability really stands out which creates a recurring conflict throughout the novel. When George throws the mouse out of Lennie’s reach, he sacrifices himself towards Lennie. George knows Lennie will be upset with him that he took away the mouse, but George had to because the mouse was not fresh. It also made Lennie look almost the complete opposite of being “normal”. As Lennie and George were introduced to the boss, “The boss turned on George. ‘Then why don't you just let him answer? What are you trying to put over? ... What stake you got in this guy? You takin’ his pay away from him?” (22). The actions of the boss reveal a conflict between him and George. The boss quickly gets suspicious that Lennie and George are so close which poses a conflict between these characters. The boss was suspicious because friendship was quite uncommon during this time, men usually never traveled together. The actions of George reveal how he…

    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lennie hesitated, backed away, looked wildly at the brush line as though he contemplated running for his freedom. George said coldly, "You gonna give me that mouse or do I have to sock you?"…

    • 919 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lennie was a large and childlike worker who moves from ranch to ranch with his best friend George. Lennie depends on George for knowledge and protection because he doesn’t know any better and could hurt himself and others. Lennie loves to pet soft things such as mice. Even though Lennie is gentle and kind, he does not know of the strength he possess so he ends of killing the mice he pets.…

    • 311 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    society, the man being Lennie. Many see Lennie as the “bad guy”, but it is really everyone else that pushes and taunts him. Lennie doesn’t realize his own strength and when he pets the soft and pretty things he loves, “… I like to pet nice things with my fingers, sof’ things”, whether a mouse or a girl, he pets it too hard and they end up dying. George works so hard to take care of Lennie, and they’re both protective of each other. When Lennie kills Curly’s wife, George has to make a tough decision that may just be the most loyal and protective action ha can take. He has to kill Lennie to keep him from hurting others and himself. In the end of Of Mice and Men, George shoots him out of love. The last words George and Lennie spoke together were about the dream that they shared, the one society would never let them have, and then Lennie dies with a…

    • 1762 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Of Mice and Men

    • 2277 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Thesis: Despite some impurity Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck should be considered as a classic due to its honesty, truth, loveliness, justice and of good report.…

    • 2277 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Of Mice and Men Quotes

    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “Georges hand remained outstretched imperiously. Slowly, like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring it’s ball to it’s master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again. George snapped his fingers sharply, and at the sound Lennie laid the mouse in his hand” (10).…

    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Ballad of the Salad

    • 1581 Words
    • 7 Pages

    1. Lennie held his closed hand away from George’s direction. “It’s on’y a mouse, George.”“A mouse? A live mouse?”“Uh-uh. Jus’ a dead mouse, George. I didn’ kill it. Honest! I found it. I found it dead.” (pg. 5)2. George said “Ya know, Lennie, I’m scared I’m gonna tangle with that bastard myself. I hate his guts. Jesus Christ! Come on. They won’t be a damn thing to eat.” (pg. 37)3. “Gotta bad gut ache,” said Candy. “Them God damn turnips give it to me. I knowed they was going to before I ever eat ‘em.” (pg. 44)4. “I don’t want no fights,” said Lennie. He got up from his bunk and sat down at the table, across from George. Almost automatically George shuffled the cards and laid out his solitaire hand. He used a deliberate, thoughtful slowness. (pg. 55)5. His voice grew soft and persuasive. “S’pose George don’t come back. S’pose he took a powder and just ain’t coming back. What’ll you do then?” (pg. 71)6. “A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ books or thinkin’ or stuff like that. Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so. Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some other guy and ast him if he sees it too. He can’t tell. He got nothing to measure by. I seen things out here. I wasn’t drunk. I don’t know if I was asleep. If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an’ then it would be all right. But I jus’ don’t know.” (pg. 73)7. Crooks sat on his bunk and looked at the door for a moment, and then reached for the liniment bottle. He pulled out his shirt, poured a little liniment in his pink palm and, reaching around, he fell slowly to rubbing his back. (pg. 83)8. And Lennie said softly to the puppy, “Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice. I didn’t bounce you hard.” He bent the pup’s head up and looked in its face, and he said to it, “Now maybe George ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits, if he fin’s out you got killed.” (pg. 85)9. She was…

    • 1581 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays