Of Mice and Men Shizz
Opener - The relationship between George and Lennie is very close throughout the book. Of mice and men is set in the 1930s depression years in America. This means that their relationship was under a lot of strain. It was unusual in those times to be able to sustain friendships because life was all about living for the moment after America's great loss.
Beginning of paragraph 3 - When we are first introduced to Lennie and George the main physical differences are highlighted. Lennie is "huge", " shapeless of face" and compared to a bear. However George is small, quick and thin. "The first man was small and quick." At this time it is not important that George is leading. But as we move on it is shown that George is the dominant of the pair.
This conveys the point of him constantly advising Lennie not to do certain things just like a father would do to his child. George’s complaint – “Life would be so easy without Lennie” – and Lennie’s counter-complaint – “I could just live in a cave and leave George alone” – are not really sincere. They are staged, hollow threats, like the threats of parents and children (“I’ll pull this car over right now, mister!”). Similarly, George’s story about how “things are going to be,” with rabbits and a vegetable garden and the fat of the land, also has a formulaic quality, like a child’s bedtime story. Children (like Lennie) love to hear the same tale repeated countless times; even when they have the story memorized, they love to talk along, anticipating the major turns in the story and correcting their parents if they leave out any details. “The rabbits” is Lennie’s bedtime story, and while George isn’t exactly a parent to Lennie, he is nevertheless parental. George is Lennie’s guardian – and in guarding Lennie, George is in effect guarding innocence itself. The content of Lennie's thoughts, and of Lennie and George's eventual conversation, also mirrors the opening. Lennie repeats the child-like, ritualistic cycle of separation and
Beginning of paragraph 3 - When we are first introduced to Lennie and George the main physical differences are highlighted. Lennie is "huge", " shapeless of face" and compared to a bear. However George is small, quick and thin. "The first man was small and quick." At this time it is not important that George is leading. But as we move on it is shown that George is the dominant of the pair.
This conveys the point of him constantly advising Lennie not to do certain things just like a father would do to his child. George’s complaint – “Life would be so easy without Lennie” – and Lennie’s counter-complaint – “I could just live in a cave and leave George alone” – are not really sincere. They are staged, hollow threats, like the threats of parents and children (“I’ll pull this car over right now, mister!”). Similarly, George’s story about how “things are going to be,” with rabbits and a vegetable garden and the fat of the land, also has a formulaic quality, like a child’s bedtime story. Children (like Lennie) love to hear the same tale repeated countless times; even when they have the story memorized, they love to talk along, anticipating the major turns in the story and correcting their parents if they leave out any details. “The rabbits” is Lennie’s bedtime story, and while George isn’t exactly a parent to Lennie, he is nevertheless parental. George is Lennie’s guardian – and in guarding Lennie, George is in effect guarding innocence itself. The content of Lennie's thoughts, and of Lennie and George's eventual conversation, also mirrors the opening. Lennie repeats the child-like, ritualistic cycle of separation and