that would never accept someone different from themselves.
Man Vs Man
Curley causes many disputes between the men compensating for his own lack of self image.Curley picks on men that are bigger in size than him.Curley picks on Lennie to prove that he is strong and can hurt a big man like Lennie (64).
2.
American Dream :The most prominent theme in this book is the American Dream.George wants his own place,to be his own place;Lennie wants a place to be happy (11),Candy wants to live a life out,Curley's wife wants to make something of herself,Crooks wants to be respected for what he's done with himself.
Brotherhood:Friendship plays a major role in the novel. The farm hands all seem to
be sympathetic to one another's situations and predicaments. Of course,
George and Lennie form the centerpiece of the importance of friendship
in the story (14).Around this center revolve the lives of the other
characters. Each of the characters lends another support during the
hardships faced throughout the story. The difficulties that the
characters face, for example, the abuse that Lenny takes from Curly, the
death of Candy's dog, the plight of the Negro farm hand, Crooks, are made
less tragic at different points in the book because of the friendship
that they feel for one another. A kind word and a sympathetic ear go a
long way to help these downtrodden characters to face their
difficulties.
The Predatory Nature of Human Existence
George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife, admit, at one time or another, to having a profound sense of loneliness and isolation. Each desires the comfort of a friend, but will settle for a stranger. Curley’s wife admits to Candy, Crooks, and Lennie that she is unhappily married (89), and Crooks tells Lennie that life is no good without a companion to turn to in times of confusion and need. The characters are rendered helpless by their isolation, and yet, even at their weakest, they seek to destroy those who are even weaker than they. Perhaps the most powerful example of this cruel tendency is when Crooks criticizes Lennie’s dream of the farm and his dependence on George. Having just admitted his own vulnerabilities—he is a black man with a crooked back who longs for companionship—Crooks zeroes in on Lennie’s own weaknesses (71)
oppression does not come only from the hands of the strong or the powerful. Crooks seems at his strongest when he has nearly reduced Lennie to tears for fear that something bad has happened to George, just as Curley’s wife feels most powerful when she threatens to have Crooks lynched.
3. George and Lennie’s Farm
The farm promises the possibility of the free, idyllic life . Candy is immediately drawn in by the dream, and even the cynical Crooks hopes that Lennie and George will let him live there too. A paradise for men who want to be masters of their own lives, the farm represents the possibility of freedom, self-reliance, and protection from the cruelties of the world.(11)
Lennie’s Puppy
Lennie’s puppy represents the victory of the strong over the weak. Lennie kills the puppy accidentally, as he has killed many mice before, by virtue of his failure to recognize his own strength (85). Although no other character can match Lennie’s physical strength, the huge Lennie will soon meet a fate similar to that of his small puppy. Like an innocent animal, Lennie is unaware of the vicious, predatory powers that surround him.
Candy’s Dog
Candy’s dog represents the fate awaiting anyone who has outlived his purpose. Once a fine sheepdog, useful on the ranch, Candy’s mutt is now debilitated by age. Candy’s sentimental attachment to the animal—his plea that Carlson let the dog live for no other reason than that Candy raised it from a puppy—means nothing at all on the ranch. Although Carlson promises to kill the dog painlessly, his insistence that the old animal must die supports a cruel natural law that the strong will dispose of the weak. Candy internalizes this lesson, for he fears that he himself is nearing an age when he will no longer be useful at the ranch, and therefore no longer welcome.(45)
4.The novel uses profane language.Steinback uses racist language and shows America to be racist (66).The novel is sexist due to its portrayal of Curley's wife as a 'tart',looloo etc (51).The novel speaks about prostitution casually.The book should not be censored or banned.The book was written for the common people and it depicts the life of migrant workers.The book connects with its readers through these little details.If these details were banned,the book would not have such an adverse affect on its readers.
5.This novella is set in California in the 1930's.This was the time of the Great Depression.The story could not have taken place elsewhere or in any other time period.The theme of the American Dream would not have been so important in another time period.The characters relate to the men during the Great Depression.In both cases people dreamed of a better life.The emotions of the characters would not have come through in any other setting (14).
6.Of Mice and Men derogatorily assigns women only two lowly functions: caretakers of men, and sex objects (52). Female sexuality is described as a trap laid to ensnare and ruin men. George and Lennie imagine themselves alone, without wives or women to complicate their vision of tending the land and raising rabbits.the novel presents women as a temptation leading to man’s fall from perfection.
7.The novel ends with George shooting Lennie.This was unexpected because this time George did not save Lennie this time.They did not runaway from their mistakes.This time George took Lennies life instead of saving it (105).