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Of Mice and Men

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Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men Essay
Compare the episodes in which Candy’s dog and Lennie die. How has Steinbeck made these events effective for the reader?

John Ernst Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California on February 27, 1902. He worked as a farm labourer on ranches from 1919 to 1926. This experience has influenced the setting of the novella Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck met someone like Lennie Small which obviously provided Lennie’s character. I am going to compare the events in which Candy’s dog and Lennie die in the novella. I will also talk about how John Steinbeck made the events effective for the reader. There are several themes in the novella Of Mice and Men. These are loyalty, friendship, loneliness and isolation, dreams of something better and the hostile economic environment. I will be focusing on three themes the hostile environment, friendship and loneliness. The novella Of Mice and Men is based in California during the period of economic depression in the 1930s. The main characters are George Milton and Lennie Small, they are amazingly good friends and travel California looking for different jobs. One of the themes in the novel is friendship. George and Lennie have a very strong friendship. The main focus of the novella in George, Lennie and their friendship. George relies on Lennie for companionship so he doesn’t feel lonely. George is smart and small while Lennie is big and simple. Being mentally immature makes Lennie also reliant on George to keep him safe and alive. Friendship was very important for itinerant workers in America in the 1930s because being moved around a lot for work makes it hard for them to have a family. Having a friend with them prevents them from getting lonely and maybe going insane. George and Lennie have a complicated and reliant relationship. While Lennie is a grown man, he has the mind of a toddler. We know this because in chapter 2 on page 44 George says “He’s awright. Just aint bright.” Lennie
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