This historical time period inspires writers such as John Steinbeck to write and inform others about the hardships of the 1930’s. Steinbeck centers Of Mice and Men to exhibit how life’s difficulties inhibited the American Dream. The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and many acts of inequality made an impact on the American Dream in this time period. John Steinbeck tells about the American Dream using rhetorical devices such as parallel structures, paradox and pathos.
In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the use of parallelism is seen to show how disabilities can destroy the American Dream. People with disabilities in society, such as Candy’s dog and Lennie, have a harder time fulfilling their dreams or getting employed. Disabilities were treated differently and were not treated equally in society. If people were found to have a physical or mental disability, they would be put in special hospitals. Lennie and Candy’s dog represent this hardship for they represent a useless tool in society. Lennie’s dog was not needed anymore just because he “[...] stinks
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A lot of people fail trying to achieve their happiness. Readers feel emotional during Lennie’s death. When using pathos, readers can feel sad about his death, knowing that the American Dream can not be achieved for him. Pathos can bring out emotions in readers. They also felt a sense of sorrow after Lennie’s death although we at the same time feel relieved that he was killed by a true companion versus an enemy. George made the decision of putting a “[...] muzzle [...] close to the back of Lennie’s head” (Steinbeck 106). Lennie and George tried to achieve happiness, but met some obstacles on the way, changing their ability to reach their dreams. Other characters and the harsh time period affected their mindset and their dreams. Therefore, their goals can’t be met. The death of Lennie or unfair treatment can resemble the shattering hopes for the American
They’ll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog”(72). Crook’s explanation of punishment for Lennie if he were to defend George uncannily resembles action taken against a troubled dog. Steinbeck's focus on figuratively and symbolically describing Lennie’s treatment as animal-like correlates to the jarring conduct of America’s elite towards the
Of Mice and Men Literary Analysis Essay 2017 The famous author, Harry Nilsson writes, “Dreams are nothing more than wishes and a wish is just a dream you wish to come true.” In John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men, he develops a story of people living through the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, a very heartbreaking event happened, which was the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl destroyed families and homes.
Of Mice and Mental Impairment Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a fiction novella set in the time of the Great Depression. It follows George Milton and Lennie Small, two itinerant workers with the same dream; they hope to someday get a farm of their own. However, Lennie has a severe mental disability, so George constantly has to tend to Lennie and help him get out of messes. In the novel, George and Lennie travel to their new job on a ranch in Salinas Valley, California.
(Steinbeck, 91) As a result, whatever convenience Lennie had had, became lost. He ran away, and hid. Once the other ranch hands discovered his folly, they chased him down with George running ahead. After laying out the dreams that he, Candy and lennie would never achieve because of Lennie’s vanished usefulness, George “raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head.
People of his type would often end up in a mental institution and get treated like an animal. Slim, the wisest of Steinbeck’s characters points out the detriment this could have on Lennie when he says, “An’ s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain’t no good, George” (Steinbeck 97). With Slim stating that, we know that people with handicaps are looked down upon in this time era.
Ableism is a dynamic represented in Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men. Lennie a character in the book, is characterized by his mental limitations. Steinbeck writes, “ ‘Jus’ tell Lennie what to do an’ he’ll do it don't take no figuring. He can’t think of nothing to do himself, but he sure can take orders.’” This shows that Lennie has limited capacity to think for himself.
"We're born alone we live alone die alone. Only through love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone” Orson Welles. In John Steinbeck's novel, “Of Mice and Men”, Steinbeck focuses on the struggle of having a disability while struggling to get by during the American Great Depression on a Californian ranch life. Even though one may have to live around their disability, they do not let that become a big stepping stone in the life, whether they know about it or not. In John Steinbeck's novel, “Of Mice and Men”, Lennie Small, Carlson and Crooks are three great examples of how they keep living their lives despite the facts that they each have a disabilities to their lives.
Natalia Katsiashvili Iris J. Crankfield Honors English 9 4A 23 January 2023 Of Mice And Men Critical Lens Essay Of Mice and Men, a novella by John Steinbeck uses disability as a catalyst so the readers can understand the importance of Ableism during the 1930s. George Milton and Lennie Small, two migrant workers who travel from place to place in California in hopes to find a new job to survive. It’s hard for them to find a job as Lennie is mentally disabled which causes some roadblocks in the process. This story was written during the Great Depression in the 1930's.
Even by working hard, people don’t always get what they want. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Lennie and George are two friends who are traveling to find a job, so they can finally earn money and live their dream life. They find the farm, and they had a hard path in the future to get their dream. Whether they will reach it is the real question. John Steinbeck developed the impossibility of the American dream in the 1930s by showing that people worked hard for their dreams, if they can’t physically do work they aren’t interesting to people, and people following their dreams become selfish.
Mental and physical disabilities are shown through how the different characters interact with their environment. Disabilities can create obstacles in a person's life but they also allow for other people to create an identity for them. Steinbeck shows that disabilities can create a political statement. They all had dreams to be something better than what they were but the tag that society gave them they were unable to pursue their thoughts and ideas. All these characters possed the same characteristic of being hopeless but in reality if they were given hope they may have been able to achieve their ambitions, prospects, and
With Lennie’s mental disability, fending for himself is not always possible thus he has to rely on George’s help for everyday tasks. “‘What you gonna say tomorrow when the boss asks you questions? … I ain 't gonna… say a word’” (Steinbeck 15). This quote exemplifies Lennie’s dependency on George.
In the novel “Of Mice and Men” John Steinbeck portrays the theme of social injustice throughout the story in the lives of several characters that include Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and the stable buck, Crooks. All of these characters are mistreated in some way, shape or form. The hardships that these characters faced help guide us to see the social injustice that is prevalent in the story. Lennie is a victim of social injustice due to the fact that he is mentally disabled. He is not treated fairly when he was accused of rape.
Lennie did not obtain this knowledge and had to plead and beg to have the puppy and bring him back
John Steinbeck is a famous American author. He wrote many books that takes place in the Salinas River Valley during the Great Depression. His most famous book, Of Mice and Men talks about the failure of the American dream. John Steinbeck uses George, candy, and Curley’s wife to show the failure of the American dream. To begin, John Steinbeck uses George to show the failure of the American dream.
The book Of Mice and Men is full of puzzling examples of the human condition, from Lennie and his mental disability to Curley only caring about his social appearance. With characters like these two, the book exploits the human condition that concerns circumstances life has given you. John Steinbeck brings to life what being a laborer in the American depression meant to the men and one woman who had enough personality to stand out. Steinbeck shows the human condition of men while they survive in the American depression.