Mice of Men Essay

Submitted By Kylesandlin
Words: 949
Pages: 4
Open Document
English 9
10 December 2012
Lennie has feelings
People have always had a need to interact with other people in order to feel appreciated and loved due to their inherent loneliness. Isolation from other humans or objects that reflect the same ideas and values, lead people to be unhappy and feel unworthy to interact within society. The theme of loneliness is prominent in the novel “Of Mice and Men” illustrated though the actions and characterization of Lennie. Throughout the story Lennie’s loneness is exemplified through his search for animal companionship due to his inability to relate with humans within the novel.
Throughout the novel, Lennie looked to women characters for companionship, however they all rejected him in some manner. During the novel Lennie is searching for someone understand him and he “reaches out to this red dress” (Steinbeck 41). The color red symbolizes love, and Lennie is drawn to that color of dress because of the emotions that he associates with it. The action of him reaching out to a red dress illustrates his desire for love and companionship towards anyone, even a complete stranger. Once he is touching the dress, “he holds on” and doesn’t let it go (41). Lennie is trying to hold onto something tangible to cure his loneliness and when the girl “sqwakes” for him to let go, he holds on even tighter because he is afraid of losing he chance for companionship (41). It is not the dress he doesn’t want to let go of, but the ideas of having someone that understands and appreciates him, which is his inherent right as a human being. When Curely’s wife tells Lennie that he is “nuts”, it illustrates her lack of compassion and understanding of towards Lennie. Her lack of understanding ultimately leads to he demise because of her inability to value Lennie’s need for companionship over her own. Women don’t want him because of his disability. Lennie’s lack of companionship from women causes him to feel unwanted and leads him to look for friendship form men within the novel. Other men look down upon Lennie due to his mental disability and are threatened by his size. Like when curley get mad at the people in the bunkhouse he searches for someone lower than him to get his anger So Curley slashes Lennie with his left (63). This symbolizes that Curley wants to display his manliness through fighting to try and makeup for his small size. Also Curley wants to fight because of Lennie’s mind capacity. He feels like he will show his dominance to other people if beats up someone bigger and stronger than him. George feels Lennie is inconvenience not a companion but he feel like he could “live so easy”(7). This symbolizes Lennie’s mental disability is a burden to George but George cant leave Lennie because he knows Lennie cant survive without him. So he is stuck with Lennie even if Lennie makes it a harder life for George. Near the end of the novel George shoes his true colors. He has built up all this frustration and anger with Lennie so he puts the barrel of the gun to back of Lennie’s head and “pulls the trigger”(106). The barrel to the back of Lennie’s head symbolizes that George doesn’t want to make any mistakes, so shoots Lennie in the back of head because Lennie would not survive and George wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. Another reason he shoots Lennie and doesn’t let Curley shoot him is because he knew where
Show More

Related Documents: Mice of Men Essay

Symbolism In Of Mice And Men

In the novel, “Of Mice and Men”, there are many objects of symbolism. Throughout the book, there is symbolism through people, animals and objects. These symbols create a deeper meaning, and a better understanding to the themes present in the novel. The mice, rabbits, dogs, Curley’s wife, and even George and Lennie’s dream farm represent symbolism for the duration of the book. The literary critic, A Teachable Good Book: Of Mice and Men, argues that “the characters, too, are simple yet significant…

Words 1015 - Pages 5

Of Mice And Men Essay

Of Mice and Men Literary Analysis Everyone at some point in their life has been or knows someone who has experienced loneliness. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the author Mr. Steinbeck incorporates many different themes. A major theme is how loneliness affects everyone is some type of way wether it is one of our main characters in George, a female in Curley's wife, or some one of a different race in Crooks. This comes to show loneliness affects everyone regardless of age, sex,…

Words 765 - Pages 4

Of Mice and Men and Assessment ‘of Mice Essay

English- Control Assessment ‘Of Mice and Men’ Of Mice and Men is a short novel written by the author John Steinbeck, in which he explores the themes of friendship and loneliness. Following the lives of the 1930s ranch workers, and the hope of achieving the ‘American Dream’ and how events can conspire against the realization of ones dreams. For, Steinbeck’s characters, the dream of land represents independence and honour, George and…

Words 507 - Pages 3

Of Mice and Men Essay

Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men is a book written by John Steinbeck in 1937. The book Of Mice and Men is about two men named George and Lennie. George is a smart but smaller man, whereas Lennie is very big and strong but has a mental disability. They find work at a ranch but soon find themselves in a dangerous situation when Lennie has accidentally killed the wife of Curley, who is their boss’s son. Curley vows to kill Lennie, but before he is able to do so George chooses to take the life of his…

Words 739 - Pages 3

Of Mice and Men Essay

Tammy Truong Period 4 10/11/2011 Mr. Sabbagh In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, he introduces his audience to a band of characters that all want one thing: “The American Dream.” In this 1950s, the American dream was owning a house, having a dog, two kids, and a loving wife. During the 1930s, the dream was quite different –surviving was the dream. Using characters such as Lennie and George, as futile as it is, is extremely powerful because even though there is no chance that they can fulfill their…

Words 867 - Pages 4

Of Mice and Men Essay

Rehat Sekhon Mrs. Phillips English 9H 12 November 2013 The Friendship of George and Lennie Have you ever wondered what it’s like to loose your best friend? In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, friendship is an important theme. The friendship of George and Lennie is especially displayed. George and Lennie are best friends and are traveling together. They have known each other for a long time. George knew Lennie’s Aunt Clara before…

Words 829 - Pages 4

Loneliness In 'Of Mice And Men'

famous book in 1937 by the name of “Of Mice And Men” .This book is a story about 2 male adults by the name of George and Lennie, Lennie however is child-like. George is devoted to Lennie because Lennie is immature and behaves like an 3 year old. John Steinbeck explains that George and Lennie move from place to place in search of a new job that would make their dream come true.The following essay will be about: who the loneliest characters in the book “Of Mice and Men”. Curley’s wife is a…

Words 549 - Pages 3

of mice and men Essay

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Of Mice and Men (disambiguation). Page semi-protected Of Mice and Men OfMiceAndMen.jpg First edition cover Author John Steinbeck Cover artist Ross MacDonald Country United States Language English Publisher Covici Friede Publication date 1937 Pages 187pp. Of Mice and Men is a novella[1][2] written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937…

Words 4351 - Pages 18

Of Mice and Men Essay

Warfield Pre-AP English II 21 October 2012 Of Mice and Men Every writer reveals their novel’s characters in different ways. Authors decide to show the characteristics of characters through either indirect or direct characterization. John Steinbeck wrote the famous book Of Mice and Men which is one of American literature’s tragic stories. Steinbeck does a good job in using indirect characterization to describe George Milton in his book Of Mice and Men. I would like touch on the subject of George Milton…

Words 344 - Pages 2

Of Mice And Men Analysis

Of mice and men The story “of mice and men” by John Steinbeck is about the great depression times. Times when people worked eleven hours or more. Back when people hustle work when possible, people lived on a hand to mouth life. When Lennie was kicked out of weed, Lennie and George went a few miles south where there are green hillsides, golden sands in the sunlight, and warm waters. George and Lennie worked in a field bucking barley under the hot sun. This area had plenty of sunshine but…

Words 325 - Pages 2