She was born evil and she dies evil. She never has the chance to change her fate because she never realizes the evil within herself. She likes the power she gets over someone when she blackmails them using their darkest secrets and once she exploits those secrets. Steinbeck intended for her to be a force of evil seen in people’s lives. “To a monster the norm must seem monstrous, since everyone is normal to himself” (Steinbeck 75).
Steinbeck writes about them in a way causing readers to like them, even just a little, regardless of their actions. Readers are prompted to look at Mack and the boys lives differently. Steinbeck presents them and their situations in a way that causes readers to consider other hidden variable and circumstances, instead of society’s usual way of jumping to conclusions. On the surface level, most of Mack and the boys’ actions would be unwanted and probably reprimanded by today’s society, but Steinbeck is urging readers to give people they would normally deem as lazy or troublesome the benefit of the
John Steinbeck uses animal imagery in his novel Of Mice and Men to describe many characters such as Lennie, Curley, and Candy to give them a relationship with an animal, by doing so, Steinbeck gives them animal characteristics. This gives the reader a choice of how they want to perceive them based on the past and knowledge. What Steinbeck is trying to interpret with animal imagery is perception, everyone has their own conception and can view things based on knowledge and experiences. The working class of those times were dense people they would normally work and have a routine evolved around working, affecting their knowledge which in larger is affecting their point of view on things. Steinbeck uses many characters to generate animal imagery and show the different conceptions people have.
This creates the effect that steinbeck is clear about the importance of sin in everyone’s lives. Later in the first two parts in the book, Steinbeck suggests that, “man’s freedom was boiling off,” (Steinbeck, 129). This is important to account in terms of the theme of the indulgence of sin because the New Testament, brings in Jesus and his journey to ridding the world of sin and offering forgiveness. The second part of East of Eden is similar in that way because it shows the fact that there is freedom with sin. Steinbeck returns to the idea of, “the word timshel—’Thou mayest’—that gives a choice.
Steinbeck uses very mean and pessimistic diction to portray the humans as destroying and unhelpful. The author does that, by mentioning the outcome of the humans using the forest, unlike with the animals. The outcomes are generally negative, which leads to a bad representation of humans. For example Steinbeck states that the ground is “beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches”. The author uses “beaten hard”
Using symbolism, dialogue, and plot arrangement, Steinbeck demonstrates that humans are often falsely hopeful, deluding themselves into believing they will eventually fulfill their desires. Steinbeck employs symbolism to show that humans are unrealistic with their dreams. Lennie has an obsession with petting small, furry animals, and when George notices this abnormality, Lennie defends himself, saying, “Uh-uh. Jus’ a dead mouse, George. I didn’t kill it.
When the boys were talking amongst themselves, Hazel said, “‘I bet Mack could of been president of the U.S. if he wanted,’ he said. ‘What could he do with it if he had it?’ Jones asked. ‘There wouldn’t be no fun in that.’”(Steinbeck 84). Ironically, those whose lives are lacking by worldly measures are often those who posses a unique sense of contentment and satisfaction, displayed in the fact that Mack could have had anything materialistic he wanted but chose a lifestyle suited to his personality. Whether they realize it or not, Steinbeck illustrates how many people bring their misery upon themselves, as they force themselves into long hours, strenuous jobs, or other situations, to achieve materialistic goals, bringing to mind the age old adage; “money can’t buy
Furthermore, Steinbeck helps us, by dehumanizing Crooks, living in a barn, to animals, to visualize how poorly Crooks is treated. To prove this, Crook says, “ ‘Cause I’m black.
Even though Steinbeck demonstrates few instances where humans are genuinely enjoying life, he skillfully presents to the reader mankind’s deceptiveness and ignorance which attribute to getting Steinbeck's word across; human suffering during this time was inevitable. Steinbeck is accurate when he introduces the intelligent, yet cunning aspect of man. People would deceive and lie to one another for either the purpose of profit or self-benefit. Throughout the whole novel, the Joad family is deceived; on some occasions, it was for the better of the struggling family. For example, Pa Joad enters a diner for the purpose of buying a loaf of bread but ends up asking about the price of some candy.
Steinbeck’s purpose was to demonstrate how doubles are possible in the same person, and if people are opposite, they will attract and pass on their good or evil qualities with each other. Also, the author suggests that good cannot exist without evil because there would be no spectrum of one’s personality. Caleb Trask is a risky guy, but through John Steinbeck’s use of Genesis, positive connotations, and diction surrounding his name, readers already have an image of him being a weak, pure, and too contrasting to other