Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a novel of several moods, however, the dominant tone of this novel is that of heartrending.
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cleorozay (student)
Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a novel of several moods, however, the dominant tone of this novel is that of heartrending. This mood is developed through the unconquered dreams of the main characters. There are also other moods evoked through the actions of the characters: reflecting sorrow, shame, and brutality. The novel ends on a tragic note, consequently, the concluding mood is undeniably one of depression and frustration. Following, are two paragraphs that will confirm why this novel is heartrending. Different conflicts or events can bring out certain characteristics in people. The novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck has numerous conflicts that bring out the protagonist's innermost characteristic, kindheartedness. George brings out this characteristic through the conflicts between Lennie and himself. Judging him from most of his words, he does not seem like a caring person, however, it is through his actions that verify that he is. One example of this man versus himself conflict is when George has to
kill Lennie. However, the main conflict of this novel is man versus man, which basically goes on throughout the entire novel, while George watches after Lennie; The majority of George's time is devoted to looking after Lennie, whose faults prevent George from working toward his dream, or even living the life of a typical rancher. Based George's selflessness, and devotion to Lennie, George Milton is an extremely compassionate person. Throughout the book, George has explicitly whined that Lennie is a real pain. He dreams of what he could do if not caring for his mentally handicapped friend, and pictures himself ...
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kill Lennie. However, the main conflict of this novel is man versus man, which basically goes on throughout the entire novel, while George watches after Lennie; The majority of George's time is devoted to looking after Lennie, whose faults prevent George from working toward his dream, or even living the life of a typical rancher. Based George's selflessness, and devotion to Lennie, George Milton is an extremely compassionate person. Throughout the book, George has explicitly whined that Lennie is a real pain. He dreams of what he could do if not caring for his mentally handicapped friend, and pictures himself not burdened by Lennie."' You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out.' His voice rose nearly to a shout. 'You crazy son-of-a-bitch. You keep me in hot water all of the time.'" Through this passage, you can clearly see George's feelings towards Lennie; he gets sick of having to deal with a man with the mentality of a child. However, in the innermost part, he really cares for him because he never truly leaves him, he watches out for him and guides him through life. Imagine if you had just gotten the part of a play that you have been waiting all of your life to get, you feel as if your dreams had just started to take its roots; when suddenly, your friend messes up his role and is fired, and as a result, you to have to leave too, so he won't be alone, well, that is the case with Lennie and George. You have to be as incredibly strong minded and kindhearted as George in order to take care of not only yourself, but also a man with the mentality of a child as well. Consequently, most people go crazy having to repeat themselves more than three times, as for George whom had to repeat himself constantly, and at times, that still did not cut it. This brings me to the next major conflict of the novel, man versus himself. At the end of this novel, when George comes across another crisis that Lennie has caused and, he finds himself stuck, because, for the first time, he can't get Lennie out of the awful situation that he has got himself into, leaving him no other choice but to kill his dearest companion. "George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie's head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied." Through this passage, you can see that George was struggling, not wanting to kill Lennie, however, he unfortunately had to kill him for everyone's benefit, including his own. This situation resembles cheating on a test; you do not want to cheat, but you would be in trouble by your parents if you do not pass. George had to protect Lennie one last time; as much as it would hurt, George knew that if he did not kill Lennie himself, Curley and the rest of the workers at the ranch would have found Lennie and given him a more painful and severe death George gave him. Based on George committing an act that will haunt him for the rest of his life, just to give his dearest companion Lennie a more serene death than a brutal one proves that, at heart, George is an extremely empathetic person. The American Dream is written into the Declaration of Independence: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Lennie and George’s dream of owning a farm and living off the “fatta the lan” symbolizes this dream. Of Mice and Man shows that for poor migrant workers during the Depression, the American Dream became an illusion and a trap. All the ranch hands in Of Mice and Man dream of life, liberty, and happiness, but none ever gets it. As Crooks says when he hears of Lennie’s dream to own his own farm, “Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.” At the same time, while the dream may never be realized, Of Mice and Men suggests that in order for life to be full and meaningful, it must contain dreams. George and Lennie never achieve their dream, but the dream holds their remarkable friendship together. Their dream is real because it’s real in their imaginations. The dream keeps Lennie happy and stops George from becoming “mean” and lonely like most ranch hands. The dream gives them life, even if life never allows them to achieve their dreams
