GCSE English Coursework Assignment
Of Mice and Men
The novel we are studying is called Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck. It was published in 1937. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California. John was a good reader when he was younger and when he was older he wanted to become a writer. He has produced some excellent novels such as 'Cup of Gold', 'To A God Unknown' and 'In Dubious Battle' Of Mice and Men was such a success that John rewrote the novel so it could be performed as a play which opened in Broadway. It won the Drama Critics Circle Award. 30 years later John died of heart failure and he was buried in Salinas, California.
The novel is set on a ranch in the farmlands of Salinas Valley, which was roughly about 30 miles from John's hometown. A brief summary of the plot would include the two main characters, George and his simple minded friend, Lennie , who grew up together and now, as adults, travel from ranch to ranch seeking work wherever they can find it. They have no friends and dream of saving enough money to buy a place of their own. But after they come to work on a ranch in the Salinas Valley their hopes, like "the best laid schemes o' mice an' men" begin to go awry. The themes in the novel are Authority, Aspects of style, Dreams, Loneliness, and Natural World. There are 10 characters in the play, who are Candy, Carlson, Crooks, Curley, Curley's Wife, George, Lennnie, Slim, The Boss and Whit, but the main characters are Lennie and George. However, it would appear from the novel that the only two characters who have a good relationship are George and Lennie. At first glance this would seem to be odd. George is small in stature yet quick-witted and intelligent. By contrast Lennie is huge with phenomenal physical strength but mentally slow and portrays child-like behaviour. In the novel George tells Lennie "Ok. Some day- We're gonna get the jack together and we're gonna have a little house an' a couple of acres an' a cow and some pigs and --" which suggests that they expect to stay together as friends for the long term future. There is also a relationship between Curley and Curley's Wife, but although a relationship exists between them this is only because they are married to each other. There seems to be no depth to this relationship. Although throughout the book Curley is constantly looking for his wife it is not because he is a caring husband but because he knows that she is always wanting to attract the attention of other men. She seems to be forever ogling and enjoying being ogled at by Curley's co-workers
