Of Mice and Men
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Of Mice and Men is a John Steinbeck novel set in the 1930s telling the story of migrant ranch workers and their dreams. The story focuses on two main characters, Lennie and George, who travel together. Lennie is a large, strong, mentally challenged man, while his friend, George, is small-framed, quick and intelligent. The name of the novel "Of Mice and Men" comes from a famous poem written by Robert Burns called "To a Mouse" which summarizes very well what happens in the story.
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain
For promis'd joy.
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[edit] Overview
The story begins as Lennie and George are about to arrive at a ranch near Soledad, California. Previously, they had been chased out of another town, Weed, because Lennie had accidentally given the appearance that he was attempting to molest a young girl. The basic characterization of George and Lennie starts near a stream when George speaks to Lennie about not getting into trouble. He also tells about their dream of owning their own farm, and having control over their lives.
The next morning they arrive at the ranch and start working. They meet Candy, the Boss, Curley, Curley's wife, Slim, and a few other ranch hands. That night one of the workers, Carlson, tries to convince Candy to have his old dog shot to put it out of its misery, but really just wants it to stop stinking out the bunkhouse. After Slim "passes verdict" on the issue, Candy reluctantly agrees, but it is evident he is very unhappy.
Later, he tells George he should have shot the dog himself. Then Curley comes in, looking for his wife. He almost gets into a fight with Slim, but instead attacks Lennie, because he dislikes him for his size. At first Lennie doesn't even defend himself, but then, growing angry, he crushes Curley's hand. Curley agrees to pretend he got it caught in a machine so he isn't embarrassed by his loss to the simple-minded Lennie, and is taken to a doctor.
The next day after some work Candy hears of George and Lennie's plan to buy their own farm, and offers a large sum of the money needed in exchange for a place to live there, as he will probably soon be fired since he lost his hand. Suddenly the dream is much closer, and the three become excited. That night, when most of the men have gone into town, Lennie childishly stumbles into Crooks' room. Crooks first tells him to leave, but then allows him to sit down and tries to get Lennie to see the terrible life he has as a black man. When Candy joins them, Crooks too says he may help on the new farm. However, Curley's wife interrupts the meeting and threatens Crooks, reminding him of his place in society.
The third day is not a working day, so most of the men are engaged in a horseshoe tournament. Lennie is in the barn, playing with a puppy Slim gave him. He accidentally kills it, and fears George's anger. Curley's wife finds him there, and tries to start a conversation. When Lennie touches her soft hair, she becomes frightened, and as he tries to keep her quiet, he accidentally kills her. Lennie runs back to the stream introduced in the first scene where George had told him to go in case of trouble. Candy discovers the body and tells George. They both know Lennie must be captured and the dream has been shattered. The rest of the men are told of Curley's wife's death and go looking for Lennie. George finds Lennie at the meeting spot, and gently tries to calm him. Then, to prevent the others from killing Lennie, he does it himself, shooting him just like Carlson shoots Candy's dog.
The title of the book comes from a line in a 1785 poem "To a Mouse" by Robert Burns ("The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men/Gang aft agley" [i.e., "So often go awry"]). This idea of unforeseeable failure applies to Lennie, George, and Candy's plan to buy a farm on which Lennie will tend rabbits. Lennie is killed by George at the end of the book, for Lennie's own good, because 1) George thinks that Lennie will do other bad stuff, 2) George knows that Curley and his men will kill Lennie anyway because Lennnie killed Curley's wife and 3) George is doing it now, without Lennie having any pain or without him knowing this is the end.
[edit] Character Sketches
[edit] Lennie Small
Lennie is "a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders." He is mentally challenged and travels with George. Lennie respects George and counts on him for leadership and companionship. A passive, timid man, Lennie is reluctant to get involved in fights, except when he perceives that someone might be threatening George. Lennie is very slow to understand what's going on and can't remember anything for very long. However, with George's tutoring and repetition, Lennie is capable of memorizing important instructions. Lennie likes to pet soft things, such as furry animals (he never forgets the rabbits) or strips of velvet cloth. This affinity leads to his downfall, when Curley's wife offers him her hair to pet. It is significant that he is attracted to women for their softness; he will be unaware of any physical or psychological attraction that he as a man will innately have for women. He more often than not creates trouble. He shared the dream of having a farm with George and growing their own crops and pets; being their own bosses.
[edit] George Milton
George is Lennie's one and only best friend. He is "small and quickwitted, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features." Every part of him is defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. A man who keeps to himself, he is slow to trust others but quick to read them. It doesn't take long for him to see that Curley is trouble or that Curley's wife is even more trouble. George seems to be the kind of man whom other men take a quick liking to, and this likability makes it possible for the other ranch-hands to accept Lennie. George harbors dreams of owning his own property and being his own boss, but wonders if he believes in his own "best-laid plans." He hates to see his friend in pain so he shoots Lennie after Lennie kills Curley's wife and runs.
[edit] Candy
Candy, a "tall, stoop-shouldered man," is an old swamper who has made a permanent residence on the ranch. He knows that it is only a matter of time before he is fired from the ranch because of both his age and his handicap: His right hand was cut off in an accident some time before. He seeks refuge in the idea of living on the farm George and Lennie plan to buy, even offering to pay for more than half of the necessary price. His constant companion is a very old dog he's "had from a pup," an almost lame pet whose awful smell the other ranch-hands regularly complain about. Was a nice individual.
[edit] Curley
The son of the owner of the ranch, Curley is a "thin young man with a brown face, with brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair." He is a small man who likes to pick fights with big men. George's take on Curley is that fighting big men makes Curley feel more macho and controlling. Curley is frequently looking for his flirtatious wife, and seems not to trust his father's employees around her. The workers necessarily listen to him, but are not shy about their dislike for him, which seems to feed his need to prove himself. He picks a fight with Lennie, much to his misfortune. Curley is also a conceited man - he wears leather boots to show his power over the other men at the ranch, and boasts of the hand he keeps soft in vaseline.
[edit] Curley's Wife
Flirts with the ranch workers. Her early dream aspiration was to become an actress, the achievement of which was thwarted by the objections of her mother (although it is never clear whether there ever really were any letters - the promise of sending letters could well be another deception by the man to get what he wants). She is presented as and remains an unnamed character, and her degraded status personifies the inferior role to which women were relegated in early-twentieth century American society. She was reared in a childhood environment characterized by violence and suspicion, the influences of which culminated in her marrying Curley. She longs for attention, and displays her sexual attractiveness to obtain it. This became all she could identify with, and was most likely what attracted Curley, but it was this that intimidated the ranchers and caused them to ostracize her. While many may believe Curley's wife is a "tart" or a slut we would say these days one must remember that Curley's wife is most likely only 15, 16 or 17 at the oldest. Curley's wife is lonely and tries her best to have a friend. She tries to make companionship with anyone who will just exchange just a few words with her. She is so drawn to Lennie because as most young children are accepting to new friendships so is Lennie. Lennie isn't judgemental like all the other ranch workers who base what they think about her by what others tell them. She does many things to get others to look at her.
[edit] Slim
Tall, thin and quiet. Slim is both respected and admired. Everyone seeks his approval, even Curley; he seems to be content, reason and understanding. He cares about and listens to what others have to say. Slim is the kind of man that many men would want to develop into - a natural, charismatic leader. Also toward the beginning when they meet, Slim was able - almost just by being with him - to encourage George to open up about what happened in Weed.
[edit] Carlson
Carlson is presented as a nice enough person in the novel, but lacks concern for other people's feelings in that he doesn't take time to understand them. His sole drive is practicality--he represents the lack of sentiment among men in this time period. This lack of sentiment means that while his actions may not be outwardly hostile, they still create tension. Carlson's character is meant to be brutally honest, not idealistic this is why it was him who shot Candy's dog.
[edit] Crooks
Crooks is a lively, sharp-witted, black stable-hand, who takes his name from his crooked back. Like most of the characters in the novel, he admits that he is extremely lonely. When Lennie visits him in his room, his reaction reveals this fact. At first, he turns Lennie away, hoping to prove a point that if he, as a black man, is not allowed in white men's houses, then whites are not allowed in his, but his desire for company ultimately wins out and he invites Lennie to sit with him. Like Curley's wife, Crooks is a disempowered character who turns his vulnerability into a weapon to attack those who are even weaker. He plays a cruel game with Lennie, suggesting to him that George is gone for good. Only when Lennie threatens him with physical violence does he relent. Crooks exhibits the corrosive effects that loneliness can have on a person; his character evokes sympathy as the origins of his cruel behavior are made evident. Perhaps what Crooks wants more than anything else is a sense of belonging—to enjoy simple pleasures such as the right to enter the bunkhouse or to play cards with the other men. This desire would explain why, even though he has reason to doubt George and Lennie's talk about the farm that they want to own, Crooks cannot help but ask if there might be room for him to come along and hoe in the garden.
[edit] Foreshadowing
In the book there is a a lot of foreshadowing going on. For example, Lennie's kills get more important as the book goes on, from a mouse to a pup to Curley's wife, showing a clear pattern. Another is when Candy's dog is shot, which foreshadows the ending where George shoots Lennie, but one note must be that Candy says he should have shot the dog himself, so this applies to George in the end, as he copies the action onto Lennie. Another example of foreshadowing is George tells Lennie that if he gets into trouble to come back and hide in the bush, this tells us that most definitely Lennie will get into trouble. Also, George warns Lennie of Curley's wife and tells Lennie that she will cause trouble, this leads to Curley's wife causing trouble for Lennie and all the men. The men refer to Curley's wife as a rat trap and Lennie's love for mice leads to the accidental killing of Curley's wife for Lennie kills all the mice he's ever owned.
[edit] Symbolism
An interesting example is Candy's dog, suggestive of the senescent American dream that wants rejuvenation (symbolized by one of Slim's pups). Candy's dog also is symbolic of his love and friendship towards another animal. In a way, the useless old dog is a reflection of Candy and his old, handicapped state. The death of Lennie and Candy's dog seem similar. Both seem to have a test to spare the one's they love. Candy must spare his dog from the pain of staying alive. George must spare Lennie from the wrath of Curley.
[edit] Themes
[edit] Weakness and Human Nature
Throughout the story we come across weakness in characters. These characters prey upon those weaker than themselves as part of their human nature. Examples of this include Curley's wife's threat to the crippled Crooks: 'you keep your place then, Nigger. I could have you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny.'; Crooks' taunting of Lennie, zeroing in on his most sensitive fears: that George will abandon him to pursue the 'swell time' he says he could have without Lennie in his life; and that Lennie's dream of a life with George and the rabbits is never going to happen. It is these malicious attacks of the weak, upon the weak that support the claim that the most strong, hurtful and soul destroying forms of oppression are born of weakness.
[edit] Loneliness and Isolation
Isolation is shown in many ways. For one the towns name Soledad when translated it means Isolation. Despite living together communally as a small group with similar needs, the ranch workers do not form meaningful friendships of any lasting significance. They are timid and reluctant to initiate or recognize social contact. They move from ranch to ranch like wandering nomads in constant search for work. The opportunity to create relationships becomes lost in the drive to promote basic survival.
Curley's Wife is also very lonely. She is married, well-off and surrounded by people - yet she is depressed and lonely, lacking female friends to share her interests. She lacks any human contact and conversation as she said that not even Curley talks to her much.
Other lonely characters include Crooks, who is relegated to an inferior social status by others not of his race, and Candy, whose age and physical disability place him outside the circle of acceptance of the society he interacts within on a restricted level.
George and Lennie are the exception to this: at the beginning of the novel George talks about how they are different to other ranch-workers; as Lennie puts it "cos I got you an' you got me."
The ranch itself is a desolate and isolated area, separated by many miles from any town or city. Its isolation is dramatized by the absence of any means of transportation connecting it to the next town ten miles distant. It can be reached by infrequent visitors such as George and Lennie who come to it by means of a dusty, untended dirt road that is barren of directional signs.
[edit] Unfulfilled Dreams
George and Lennie's dream is to have their own little place in the country, able to do what they want when they want and have nobody ordering them around. Candy eventually joins in this dream, offering to pay for most of it, and Crooks also fleetingly wishes to join but bows out, from fear and the realization that his dream will never come true.
Curley's wife also has dreams, dreams of becoming an actress and going to Hollywood. Her dream is also not possible and she ends up married to Curley and feeling utterly miserable and alone. Curley's wife also wants someone to talk to and companionship, as she is lonely on the ranch and has no one to talk to so flirts with the workers.
The theme that I will examine first is Loneliness, All the characters are extremely lonely and unhappy with their lives (except Slim, who is the only character that seems to be confident and happy with his life), and none of them can escape this unhappiness Because of the period the novel is set in, it is obvious that the men are a mobile workforce and never have the chance to lay down roots. To study the technique of loneliness in “Of Mice and Men”, we will study loneliness in Crooks, Candy and Curley's wife.
Crooks is a black man that experiences isolation because in those days black people were looked at and treated differently from white people. The quote "A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't matter no difference who the guy is, longs he with you. I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick" was his means of finding a personal connection to Lennie. Like Lennie, Crooks has a 'relationship' with loneliness. Crooks is rejected from every group of people and cannot socially interact with others, just like Lennie who can’t socially interact properly because of his mental-disability. "Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm Black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, you all stink to me!" Crooks is lonely because he is black; others treat him unfairly because he is different from them given that he is black. Crooks isn’t allowed to play games with white people such as card games. He is treated unfairly and acts the same way towards the white people who have treated him differently. Even if all people are miserable when they are lonely, the consequences of friendship can be even worse. When one of the members of a friendship is removed, it causes misery and pain; when Candy lost his dog, he kept thinking about him, and felt terrible because he kept thinking that he should have shot his dog himself, and looks for friendship elsewhere. When George had to shoot Lennie, he felt terrible, because he had just shot his best friend, his lifetime companion, his only friend in the world. Because of this, he has to live the rest of his life, in guilt, alone and knowing that he killed his only friend.
Candy, like Crooks is also different from everyone else because his age and physical disability make him different from the rest of the men on the ranch, but he always tries to talk and play games with them as much as he can. Candy’s best friend in the world, is his dog, which he cannot even talk to. However, when his dog dies, he has to look for a different friendship. He hopes that these friends can be George and Lennie. Because of his age and disability, he feels as if he is useless “They’ll call me purty soon”. Candy thinks that nobody wants to be friends with him because of this disability. Eventually, he tries to find friendship by trying to join the dream of George and Lennie. Candy offered his help to become a part of George and Lennie's friendship and dream, this is one of Candy's attempts to find a place in the world by making himself useful to someone, by doing the things he could do to show that he is in fact useful and could bring a lot in the dream as well and the friendship “I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some” “you’ll let me hoe in the garden…An’ I’ll wash the dishes an’ little chicken stuff like that”. After Candy lost his dog, he felt much more lonely than he was before. The dog was something that Candy had owned and shared his life with. Candy and his dog had the same relationship that George and Lennie had shared for so many years.
Curley's Wife's loneliness has a different reason for being lonely; her husband causes it. Even though Curley's wife is mentioned quite a lot, nobody asks what her name is. Nobody wants to talk her because people are afraid of Curley; he is jealous and would start a fight with anyone who tried to talk to her. She does not like Curley, and he doesn’t talk to her at all because of it, and there's no one in her life she can share her feelings with, and longs for a good friend. She dresses the way she does, to gain the attention of the ranchers and to help her loneliness. Doing this gives her a feeling of relief and makes her feel wanted so she can share her Thoughts and memory’s with, she notices that Lennie finds her “purty” and tries to talk to him and get close to him a few times. She also makes sure that Lennie is listening to her when she speaks "You listenin'?", since she is not used to talking to anyone, she wants to be sure that what she is saying is being heard. Her death could be thought of as a negative thing, but as a positive thing as well because it ended her Loneliness; being the only woman in the ranch and having married a man like Curley. But now that she is dead, she will not have to worry about being lonely ever again.
[edit] References
- Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Covici-Friede, 1937.
[edit] See also
- John Steinbeck in Wikipedia.
