Shattered Dreams: A Marxist Analysis Of Of Mice And Men

Selfishness vs. Selflessness The words selfish and selfless are two completely different words with two completely different meanings, yet they get confused quite often. In “Of Mice and Men,” some readers may envision the character George as selfish or harsh towards Lennie, however, Steinbeck portrays George as selfless. George and Lennie find themselves in penurious situations very often. This is burdensome for George considering Lennie’s mental disability, and it should be expected that George will become infuriated with him at times.

In the novella Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck incorporates many thematic ideas into his text. He includes the ideas of dreams and reality, the nature of home, and he difference of right and wrong. He develops these ideas throughout the story. The first theme incorporated is the idea if dreams versus reality. Lennie and George have a plan.

Of mice and men (final) Johns Steinbeck’s 1937 masterpiece “of mice and men” gives insight to the lives of ordinary people affected by the great depression in America, during the 1930s. In the novella the themes of loyalty and disloyalty are a key part of the plot. Steinbeck explores the seminal themes of loyalty and disloyalty by careful use of setting, structure and development of complex character constructs. Also the use of language and imagery in the novella depict the reality of the great depression for many people and the challenges they faced everyday. At the beginning of the novella author John Steinbeck opens with a description of the idyllic natural setting, where “the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green.

Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men tells of the ambitions and works of George and his dull friend Lennie who find work on a farm. The American Dream preaches equal chance for everyone to achieve prosperity and happiness, while this simply is not true for the characters. By the use of repetition of ideas and dialogue, Steinbeck conveys how social and physical inequalities impede the American dream for minorities of the Great Depression. The repetition of the characters’ goal of getting their own house, reveals the characters ambitious nature.

The Friendship of George George is a hard working man who relies on mental acuity to get the job. He has a natural leader feel to him because he commands all of the people around him. George is described as small man with dark undertones and strong and slender physical features. Despite his dark facial features, George is a man with a caring attitude and helps whoever needs him. George’s best friend is Lennie depends on him to know what to do and tell him what to do.

In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck portrays opposite personas, as George represents a smart and brave character, and Lennie acts as a follower to George, showing fear and discomfort around others. To begin, usually when you first meet someone, there is a sense of shyness. Displayed in the reading, Lennie shows he is shy when he meets Curley’s Wife, and is nervous on interacting with her. Towards the end of the story, Lennie makes a difficult decision, as he decides to kill Lennie with a gunshot to the back of the head. In George’s defense, he should kill him, as he causes so much trouble to their dream idea.

Work is an integral part of society and is fundamentally linked to achieving the idea of the American dream. Working hard is right at the centre of the American dream because it provides access to success for people like George and Lennie who have nothing. In ‘Of Mice and Men’, not only does Steinbeck uses the role of work as a metaphor for how human beings perceive the world around them, he also uses characters to provide critical comment on society. The novel begins with two men-

“We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity, and power in our society”- Nelson Mandela. The book Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck captures the reality of class division as the characters are judged upon their social status which defines who they are as a person. Steinbeck is suggesting that a person’s values are reflected by their race, as they are treated differently based on the color or their skin and a person’s gender as women have stereotypes set for them and are degraded by society. A person’s values are reflected by their race as they are treated differently based on the color or their skin.

All people have goals, but some have no chance of achieving them. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Candy, Crooks and Lennie all live on the same farm, but are faced with different circumstances holding them back from achieving what they desire. Through the characters of Candy, Crooks, and Lennie, Steinbeck shows that issues outside the control of an individual often limit the achievement of an individual’s dream. Throughout the novel, Lennie is faced with obstacles that are in the way of him attaining his ultimate goal.

Marx believed in a system where everyone was peaceful, joyful, and completely equal with everyone. Marx was more than positive that if society could get rid of all forms of private property, our natural goodness, would allow us to live in this world, glistening with perfection. Marx 's system, known as Marxism, caught the attention and support of thousands, including author John Steinbeck. Of Mice And Men is full of Marxism. Steinbeck seems to have quiet been sympathetic towards many elements of Marxism.