Setting is used to establish the time, place and mood in a story. The novel Of Mice and Men is set in the countryside of California, during the 1930's. During this time there was long-term unemployment which leads George and Lennie to travel in search of more work, as it was difficult for the two to keep a steady job. Most men travel alone but George stays with Lennie even though it means work would be harder to keep. "You can't keep a job and you lose me ever' job I get." George says this to Lennie at the beginning of the novel. Adult readers can relate to George because they know how difficult it is to find a job and is forced to sympathize with George and Lennie. Travelling place to place has consequences that George and Lennie face. They are unable to call anything their own except what they can carry on their backs. They don't have the money, stability or privilege that many people do. When the reader is first introduced to George and Lennie's dream, George says "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place." Readers of all ages are compelled to empathize with the characters and their hardships. Travelling together for work brings unwanted conflict between George and Lennie, and others.
There are many conflicts George and Lennie face together in the novel such as Lennie against Curley, Lennie against Curley's wife and Lennie against George. All of the conflicts evolve Lennie but impacts both Lennie and George. Even though these two characters don't want any trouble, trouble finds them. When George and Lennie were first introduced to Curley tension rose. Curley forces Lennie to speak when George instructed him earlier to leave the talking to him. Lennie acted nervously when he and Curley first met which Curley ignored and continued to intimidate Lennie. Curley only attacks Lennie because of a personal grudge against bigger men. Curley starts a physical fight between him and Lennie which resulted in Lennie breaking Curley's hand. After that Lennie says to George "I didn't want to hurt him." Lennie was just frightened and doesn't realize his own strength. The reader becomes a little scared or concerned for Lennie especially when Lennie accidentally killed Curley's wife. Lennie was so frightened about George being mad at him that he took his frustration on Curley's wife. He kept saying "Don't you go yellin'" and "I don't want you to yell". In this moment the reader is frightened from Lennie is also upset because if it hadn't been for George threatening Lennie, he would get so worried or paranoid about what he does. Just because of whom Lennie is George acts so harshly towards him.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
George and Lennie are two very different characters. George is described as a "slim, small, quick, dark-featured, and restless man with sharp, strong features" (Steinbeck 2). Lennie is the exact opposite, described as a huge man with a shapeless face, with large, pale eyes, and with wide, sloping…
- 617 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
George and Lennie have a strong relationship because they both continue to stay with each other. George shows that he is willing to continue to stay with Lennie when he tells him a future plan. George tells Lennie that they…
- 611 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
At any point of time, George could have left Lennie in the hands of the men that were after him, but George decided to help Lennie, and find them both a better life. Another example of George’s loyalty is shown during the time of the fight between Lennie and Curley,…
- 313 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
In Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck illustrates the loneliness of the characters and the isolation of the characters in the Ranch and how they are driven to try and find friendship and escape loneliness.…
- 1702 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Even though the story ends with heartache, it still doesn’t remove the fact that Lennie and George knew that their friendship kept them going. John Steinbeck brings the time period of the 1930s to life in Of Mice and Men. The story captures the tale of two men, George and Lennie, use friendship and a dream to overcome challenges. Piece by piece as challenges add, it ends with serious consequences. Steinbeck displays that weakness leads to cruelty through the characters in Of Mice and Men by Crooks trying to acquire a position over Lennie, Candy’s dog dying, and Curley’s wife speaking to Crooks.…
- 857 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
“Truth is everybody is going to hurt you: you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for” (Bob Marley). The novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, was set in the Great depression. In the novel George has to deal with Lenny every single day and it’s not easy, but he loves him and he just has to accept that Lenny is part of his life. In this book, society was frustrating. People were very sexist, and instead of coming together and helping each other everyone kept to themselves this is also known as isolation. Also, during this time people who suffered from mental and physical disabilities were often isolated and faced discrimination. Steinbeck identifies many societal problems during the Great Depression, and brings them to light in his novella Of Mice and Men.…
- 536 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The book Of Mice and Men was written by John Steinbeck and takes place during the Great Depression. Throughout the book we follow the two main characters, George and Lennie. George is shown to have much power over Lennie. These two and many other characters struggle with obtaining, holding, or keeping “under control” the amount of power they have or want. In Steinbeck's novel, the theme that seems to be most present is that, although people seek power, they often misuse it after obtaining it.…
- 591 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
and when he has the dreams of Aunt Clara and The Gigantic Rabbit. George shows…
- 469 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Why does Steinbeck want us to know about companionship and aspirations through hard times? Why does he want us to see the importance of it? Steinbeck shows us three important themes - Dreams, Friendship and Hardship. Friendship, or companionship and being a friend to somebody is very important during times of hardship, or difficulty and also the presence of dreams and things that inspire the characters to get through the difficult times. The novella Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck in 1937, is a book about two very different but close pals. It follows them as they journey on as they travel through the everyday life at the ranch.…
- 1203 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Sometimes it seems as though the most privileged people are the weakest because they are not prepared to fall. “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck is a short novel that focuses on the hardship of living in California during the Great Depression. Some may agree that the main conflict in this novel is the misfortune of a kind-hearted barley bucker, Lennie, but a greater theme lies under the pages. The real hardship goes to Lennie’s best friend, George, who’s worst fear is being lonely because his heart is weak and needs someone to lean on when times get tough.…
- 604 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the beginning of the book lennie forgets where they are going, why, and what happened to his work pass george became irritated very quickly with lennie not remembering and asking so many questions. So george starts yelling at lennie he also took the mouse lennie was petting as they were walking and george proceeded to be very rude and short with lennie as they continue to walk. Also george used to pick on lennie and tell him to do dumb stuff that could get him hurt or even killed. George understands that lennie is very different but because he doesn't remember and has to ask so many questions irritates george. Lennie doesn't understand why george gets angry with him he just want to be good and stay out of…
- 758 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, tells the story of two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who move from place to place in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in Soledad, California. George is a small man and Lennie is a mentally handicapped giant. The two men have to move from place to place more than other men because Lennie doesn't understand certain things and causes trouble without knowing what he did. However, they share the dream of owning their own ranch. Many obstacles stand in the way of this dream but one of the biggest obstacles is Lennie and his mental disability. In this novel the theme of friendship emerges. It appears in the novel when George and Lennie are making their way…
- 860 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Of Mice and Men feels like an allegory, with each character possessing a specific trait that represents something or some group in society. So, is the book just a heavy-handed lecture about how nasty people are to each other. Are all of these wrongs (racism, sexism, discrimination) treated as equally evil? Or are the characters real, individual people, rather than being merely types/symbols? This is not in your own words...what’s up with that???…
- 773 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
J.W. Van Goethe once said “no two persons regard in the world in exactly the same way.” This means everybody has different views of the world and responds physically and mentally to different situations. I agree with this quote because we all have different perspectives and we often debate about the way we view society. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck clearly shows how two persons are different in their own independent ways. The story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie run away from a farm in weed California because Lennie who freezes when he’s s cared,doesnt let go of a girls dress she panics and accuses him of rape. they try to make their dream come true of having their own house where they can live off the fat of the land. George and Lennie have to work at a ranch miles away from their preceding job, they meet the bosses son named Curly who has a short temper, and also meet a well-respected jerk line skinner who people look up to. Both men regard the world in different ways and both have different personalities that make them who they are.…
- 521 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men chronicles the experiences of two unlikely friends Lennie and George, as they follow the path of life in pursuit of their own version of the American dream. Steinbeck incorporates thematic ideas that define dreams and what prevents them from being manifested, tensions concerning race and gender, and the significance of relationships within the story. Use of these thematic ideas amplify the strength of feeling throughout the story, and connects the reader with themes they can identify with.…
- 633 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays