To what extent can "Of Mice and Men" be considered a religious allegory?

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Craig Brown 10h

To what extent can “Of Mice and Men” be considered a religious allegory?

In my opinion, Of Mice and Men can be interpreted on three main levels. On the surface, it is an entertaining tale detailing prejudice and how two men strive to obtain their dream. It could also be interpreted as a criticism of 1930’s America. However, there is a deeper meaning to the novella, as parallels can be drawn between situations depicted within the novella and tales from the bible, and the novella could be viewed as a story about the fate of man in a fallen world. These three levels intertwine, and on some occasions complement each other, for example original sin and the Wall Street crash. To answer the question, it is necessary to ascertain all of the links to religion, and to decide whether this was the main reason of writing.

The first parallel with a religious idea can be drawn between the two main characters, George and Lennie, and Cain and Abel, from the book of Genesis. When the book starts, the two main characters are forced to escape from their previous occupation after Lennie “raped” a girl. This echoes the fact that Cain has to be a “fugitive and a vagabond in the earth” after he kills Abel. (King James Bible- authorised edition). This is further emphasised in the bible as Cain, “went out from the presence of the Lord”, meaning he was cast out, as were the two protagonists of the novel.

John Steinbeck raises a religious point with the relationship between George and Lennie is also shown as Cain, “shalt rule over him (Abel)”, which resembles the fact that, in the book, George is presented as the more intelligent of the pair, and is obviously the leader. A major theme in the bible is co-existence, and the two main protagonists show this. Each has different characteristics, and strengths, and each must combine to survive. George protests that life would be easier without Lennie, but in reality he needs Lennie as a friend. Steinbeck also introduces the same question as Cain, in Genesis chapter 4 of the bible, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” by having a dominant character looking after a subservient protagonist. Steinbeck suggests that the attitude of Cain in the genesis story, “Am I my brother’s keeper”, has become universal. All of the ranch workers are shocked and suspicious by their partnership, “Ain’t many guys travel around together”. Steinbeck interprets this as part of the message of the biblical story, and the curse of Cain; distrust. This message interlinks with the criticism of 1930’s America as, on a basic level, the fact everyone is suspicious of George and Lennie travelling together is linked to the depression, and the pessimism caused by it. The two main protagonists that reflect this are Crooks and Curley’s wife, who detail the stratified society, and the fact the dream is not open to everyone, another criticism of American society. A second parallel from this passage is the curse that, “every one that findeth me (Cain) shall slay me”, which resembles the fact that, whenever George and Lennie find a ranch, they are cast out.

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The Wall Street Crash and subsequent depression also echoes the “original sin”, in the Garden of Eden story. Original sin is a Christian belief that there is a defect in our nature. God made us, but we do not always think objectively or dispassionately about others, and we use people to suit our selfish needs. It is not our fault that we have these defects, yet we have them nonetheless. In the novella, this is represented as it is not George and Lennie’s fault that they have lost their money, yet it is they who have to move from ranch ...

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