“Of Mice and Men” Plot, Context, Characters & Themes Plot: The story features two displaced migrant ranch workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, move from place to place in California in search of work opportunities in the 1930s. When they begin to work on the ranch, George and Lennie meet other characters, who emphasise the loneliness and difficulty of life for migrant workers on a ranch. Lennie’s strength becomes increasingly problematic throughout the story as it becomes clear that he does not understand how much damage he can cause. Lennie and George discuss their dream of owning their own ranch and working for themselves but this is shown to be impossible. When Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, George’s only option is to shoot him before he is caught - killing any hope they had of achieving their dream. Context: The novella was completed in 1937 during the Great Depression, a time of conflict between the American Dream of capitalist land-ownership and the unsteady economy. Steinback portrays the social alienation of migrants. He dramatizes the struggle of working people striving to become independent landowners. By the late 1930s, job security had reached its lowest ebb: mechanical combines, enabling five men to do the work of three hundred, produced over half the nation’s grain harvest in 1938. This is the situation depicted in the novella: a social climate of irregular work, low wages, squalid working conditions and emotional deprivation. We witness two types of struggle: 1) The private, local struggle of the Californian valley: two drifters trying to escape a cycle of depression by saving up for a small farm of their own. 2) The tragic, public struggle of all places and times: men challenged to discover and maintain their humanity in the face of overwhelming forces. Steinback illustrates how grueling, challenging and often unrewarding the life of migrant farmers could be. Just as George and Lennie dream of a better life on their own farm, the Great Plains farmers dreamed of finding a better life in California. Hollywood films were a form of escapism in the aftermath of the Depression, reinstating the mythical American values of individualism, classlessness and progress. Curley’s wife might have seen in their promises the chance for a different existence. The femme fatale is inherently bound up with promiscuity and the ‘rejection of motherhood’, and Curley’s wife’s actions in the barn just before her death can be seen in this way, as she encourages stroking - a sexualised action where Lennie confuses sexuality with maternity leading to his bewildered panic. Characters: George: - Associated with commitment and brotherly love - self -sacrificial - gives up much that would make his own life fulfilling - Careful decision - maker ; manages Lennie’s natural resource of strength. - Learns responsibility in the final scene - decision to kill Lennie - In order to protect him from lynching is based on the paradox of being cruel to be kind Lennie: - A symbol of humankind’s animal nature yet a primitive who responds by instinct and whose mind has never learnt how to control his body. - Victim and symbol of a world that is rarely fair, tolerant or understanding towards the weak - Great in strength but powerless without leadership - The mouse is the novel’s symbol for inevitable doom - Lennie carries his destiny in his pocket. - Strong as lion yet blessed with childish guile real person Slim: - Mule driver - permanent employee of the ranch (before mechanization, mule drivers were top of the social tree and earned good money) - Respected by his peers and superiors - Sanctions the acceptance of George and Lennie within the bunkhouse community: the ‘conscience’ of the novel and voice of truth - Understands George probably did not kill Lennie out of self - defense - Abdicates power at the close of the novel. Curley: - The boss’ son: hyper-masculine symbol of the angry, young generation of the 1930s (exlightweight boxer) - Has a grudge against men bigger than him - Ostracized from the ranch community because he represents white-collar power, but is not the boss in his own right - Rendered a laughing stock by his flirtatious wife, his short stature, and the glove full of Vaseline - Inability to create a meaningful relationship with his wife renders him part-responsible for her death. Curley’s wife: - Marries Curlet not due to love but due to her limited choices - Filled with adolescent rage at missing out at the chance of a Hollywood career - Her escape route is the Hollywood dream but her namelessness is an ironic indicator that she will never be famous - She is presented as a sexual commodity - Her overt secuality is an inversion od George’s puritanical nature - Like Crooks, she is starved of companionship and acceptance - The one who shatters the land dream Carlson: - The only African America in the book - His is the embodiment of the detached migrant worker - He pressurises Candy into having his dog shot - He carries out the business himself with evident capability - Carlson has no problem with destruction and the unintentional cruelty that is a part of his identity - He owns the Luger pistol George later uses to kill Lennie - He represents that force of destruction that is key to the modern Capitalist USA. Theme: The title of Steinback’s novel, then, is not only a reference to the poor mice that Lennie accidentally kills, but to everyone whose dreams are destroyed. The mention of mice also suggests something small and feeble pitted against something overwhelmingly strong in the shape of fate or destiny. American Dream The title of Steinbeck’s novel, then, is not only a reference to the poor mice that Lennie accidentally kills, but to everyone whose dreams are destroyed. The mention of mice also suggests something small and feeble pitted against something overwhelmingly strong in the shape of fate or destiny. People who came looking to realize their American Dream often failed and got shattered by reality. People came from almost every country and background were united by a belief that America would give opportunities denied them in their home country. Steinbeck’s novel approaches this theme by showing the American Dream is an impossible mission and an untenable fantasy. The American Dream in it’s fundamental state, capitalism in its purest form: - A desire to work for themselves not for others - A desire for material wealth and spiritual fulfillment - A desire centered on work, profit and independence Survival of the fittest George, a radical leader, attempts to lead Lennie, a symbol of the masses, to a utopia. Lennie, because he is too strong and untrustworthy, fails George and thus the utopia fails. Lennie’s death stands for more than simply a mercy killing; because Lennie is the embodiment of George’s projected frustrations, the killing of Lennie is also a symbolic eradication of those qualities in himself that George despises and a form of personal release. Steinbeck’s principal aim is to show that without the civilizing forces of companionship, we become like animals, feeding off others and spurning the weak. The story appears to be a realistic fable, where the weak animals die, rather than a traditional one in which humility generally gets the better of pride. Steinbeck is implicitly criticizing his capitalist society and the American Dream culture which cares little for society’s weakest members. Lennie, large, simple-minded and clumsy, is the character whose physical appearance is most like an animal. He was first described as looking like a bear with big paws, walking heavily. At the end of the story when George puts the gun behind his head to kill him, Lennie is identified with Candy’s old dog, who has earlier been killed in like fashion. Those who display the basest elements of nature are Curley and Carlson lacking all sensitivity for those more helpless and weaker than they are. Curley is driven to compete constantly, as if he lives in a world where only the physically fittest survive and as with lower order animals, must act only for self-gratification. They alone travel together, have a history, have responsibility and commitment to each other, and need each other. Their rise above animal nature is consistent with their rise above ego, soaring above mere self for someone else, and indeed concern for their shared future rather than animalistic survival from one day to the next. In Steinback’s novel “Of Mice and Men”, how did he successfully illustrate the theme of the novel with different characters? Theme: - American Dream Survival of the fittest the Great Depression Hollywood films Explain how it is portrayed through the characters. Like how it relates to the characters. - George and lennie Curley and Carlson Curley’s wife The animals Maybe 2-3 paragraphs with 500-800 words. First talk about the theme. And then talk about the characters. And how they relate to the theme. There are two strong themes being portrayed in the book, including the American Dream and also the survival of the fittest. For the American Dream, I think that it relates to Lennie. The title of Steinbeck’s novel, then, is not only a reference to the poor mice that Lennie accidentally kills, but to everyone whose dreams are destroyed. The mention of mice also suggests something small and feeble pitted against something overwhelmingly strong in the shape of fate or destiny. People who came looking to realize their American Dream often failed and got shattered by reality. People came from almost every country and background were united by a belief that America would give opportunities denied them in their home country. Steinbeck’s novel approaches this theme by showing the American Dream as an impossible mission and an untenable fantasy. The American Dream in it’s fundamental state, capitalism in its purest form. The American dream is not only a desire to work for themselves not for others, it’s also a desire for material wealth and spiritual fulfillment. I think that the American Dream is also a desire centered on work, profit and independence. Meanwhile, the survival of the fittest relates to both George and Lennie. George is a radical leader who attempts to lead Lennie, he is a symbol of the masses, to a utopia. Lennie, because he is too strong and untrustworthy, fails George and thus the utopia fails. Lennie’s death stands for more than simply a mercy killing; because Lennie is the embodiment of George’s projected frustrations, the killing of Lennie is also a symbolic eradication of those qualities in himself that George despises and a form of personal release. Steinbeck’s principal aim is to show that without the civilizing forces of companionship, we become like animals, feeding off others and spurning the weak. The story appears to be a realistic fable, where the weak animals die, rather than a traditional one in which humility generally gets the better of pride. Steinbeck is implicitly criticizing his capitalist society and the American Dream culture which cares little for society’s weakest members. Lennie, large, simple-minded and clumsy, is the character whose physical appearance is most like an animal. He was first described as looking like a bear with big paws, walking heavily. At the end of the story when George puts the gun behind his head to kill him, Lennie is identified with Candy’s old dog, who has earlier been killed in like fashion. Those who display the basest elements of nature are Curley and Carlson lacking all sensitivity for those more helpless and weaker than they are. Curley is driven to compete constantly, as if he lives in a world where only the physically fittest survive and as with lower order animals, must act only for selfgratification. They alone travel together, have a history, have responsibility and commitment to each other, and need each other. Their rise above animal nature is consistent with their rise above ego, soaring above mere self for someone else, and indeed concern for their shared future rather than animalistic survival from one day to the next. 12/3/2022 Discuss Steinbeck’s descriptions of the natural world. What role does nature play in the novella’s symbolism? -a forest in rural California, at the base of “golden foothill slopes.” -The serene and beautiful clearing -a farm where they would grow their own food -a sense of perfection of a world -possibility of freedom and protection from the cruelties of the world -dead mouse in Lennie’s pocket -his childish behavior is as helpless as a mouse -field mice to Candy’s dog -compare the way Lennie drinks water from the pool to a horse - “A water snake slipped along in the pool, its head held up like a little periscope.” - This simile, in which the narrator compares the water snake’s head to a submarine’s Novella is a forest in rural California, at the base of “golden foothill slopes.” Steinbeck’s descriptions show a sense of perfection of a word. According to Steinbeck’s descriptions, there is a farm where they would grow their own food in the natural world. The serene and beautiful clearing of nature play is also written down. There is a possibility of freedom and protection from the cruelties of the world in the Novella. Referring back to the theme where the dead mouse was in Lennie’s pocket, it actually refers to his childish behavior as helpless as a mouse. It’s also related to the field mice to Candy’s dog. The description also compares the way Lennie drinks water from the pool to a horse, it’s shown by the quote, “A water snake slipped along the pool, its head held up like a little periscope.” This simile, in which the narrator compares the water snake’s head to a submarine’s. The novella is about a forest in rural California, at the base of “golden foothill slopes”. George and Lennie wanted to own that farm and to have freedom in that farm. Steinbeck’s description about the farm is the serene and beautiful clearing. According to Steinbeck’s descriptions, there would be a farm where they could grow their own food in the natural world. That was all George and Lennie wanted, they had been dreaming of going out and owning their farm without bearing any cruelty of the world. Steinbeck’s descriptions show a sense of perfection of a world. There is a possibility of freedom and protection from the cruelties of the world. Back to the theme, the American Dream, the Americans here refers to George and Lennie. They had suffered a lot and had been wanting to own their farm, and the farm was described by Steinbeck as their dream farm by imaginary. Referring back to the dead mouse which happens to be in Lennie’s pocket, it actually refers to his childish behaviour as helpless as a mouse. It’s also related to the field mice to Candy’s dog. The description also compares the way Lennie drinks water from the pool to a horse, it’s shown by the quote, “A water snake slipped along the pool, its head held up like a little periscope.” This simile, in which the narrator compares the water snake’s head to a submarine’s. Reference link: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen/metaphors-and-similes/ https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen/symbols/ https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen/section1/ Globalization as another word for Americanization Opposition - Globalization doesn’t necessarily mean Americanisation because globalization helps countries leverage different types of resources and thereby create efficiencies （ex: trade, Alibaba) - Many countries apart from the US, have been instrumental in the efforts to reduce boundaries. (because they can’t achieve dominance over the rest of the world.) - An example is China providing various commodities and manufactured goods to almost the entire world. It is one of the biggest exporters of various commodities and goods for many years now. (But it still hasn’t been globally accepted as a globalized country) - India is another example which provides software services to many countries including the US itself. The IT services - - industry has evolved massively providing jobs to millions of people (Ex. ) Germany and Japan have been extremely influential when it comes to Technology and innovation. E.g, the best of the white goods are usually manufactured and designed by these nations. (ex: Ikea, Panasonic) So it isn’t just America that makes up globalization, it’s a lot of countries in the world Example of globalization: The trading of commodities such as coffee, it origins from Ethiopia Globalization is a multi-directional trend whereas Americanization is a Single-directional trend, it's quite self explanatory. Articulate, speak clearly and a little bit slower. I also want you to speak to make a point and impress. I want to speak with confidence and belief in your arguments. Make sure you add examples to support your claims. And explain it well. In countries outside of the United States, Americanization or Americanisation is the influence American culture has on the culture of other countries, such as their popular culture, media, cuisine, technology, business practices, or political techniques. The term has been used since at least 1907. While not necessarily a hostile term, it is most often used by critics in the target country worried about the tendency. Americanization has become more prevalent since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-91, and especially since the advent of widespread high speed Internet use starting in the mid-2000s. In Europe, in recent years there is growing concern about Americanization through Google, Facebook, Twitter, Apple Inc. and Uber, among many other Internet-oriented corporations based in the U.S. European governments have increasingly expressed concern regarding privacy issues, as well as antitrust and taxation issues regarding the new American giants. The Wall Street Journal in 2015 reported "deep concerns in Europe’s highest policy circles about the power of U.S. technology companies." Within the United States, the term Americanization refers to the process of acculturation by immigrants or annexed populations (e.g. the Californios) to American customs and values. Hollywood (the American film and television industry) since the 1920s has dominated most of the world's media markets. It is the chief medium by which people across the globe see American fashions, customs, scenery and way of life. In general, the United States government plays only a facilitating role in the dissemination of films, television, books, journals and so on. However, during the occupation of Germany, Italy and Japan after World War II, the government played a major role in restructuring the media in those countries to eliminate totalitarianism and promote democracy, against communism. In Germany, the American occupation headquarters, Office of Military Government, United States (OMGUS) in 1945 began its own newspaper based in Munich. Die Neue Zeitung was edited by German and Jewish émigrés who fled to the United States before the war. Its mission was to destroy Nazi cultural remnants, and encourage democracy by exposing Germans to how American culture operated. There was great detail on sports, politics, business, Hollywood, and fashions, as well as international affairs. Copies of American-based TV programs are re-broadcast around the world, many of them through American broadcasters and their subsidiaries (such as HBO Asia, CNBC Europe and CNN International). Many of these distributors broadcast mainly American programming on their TV channels. In 2006, a survey of 20 countries by Radio Times found seven American shows in the ten most-watched: CSI: Miami, Lost, Desperate Housewives, The Simpsons, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Without a Trace and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. American films are also extremely popular around the world, often dominating cinemas. Out of the top-50 highest-grossing films of all time, 35 of them were made in the United States, with the top-3 all being American. Often part of the negotiating in free trade agreements between the U.S. and other nations involves screen quotas. One such case is Mexico, which abolished screen quotas following the establishment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the U.S. Recently South Korea has agreed to reduce its quota under pressure from the U.S. as part of a free trade deal. How does Of Mice and Men explore poverty? - Explore characterisation, setting, and/or theme in relation to the global issue(s) you identify You may focus solely on one issue or consider up to three issues. Examples of Possible Global Issues ● Culture, identity and community ○ globalization, immigration, class, race, gender, cultural conflict, mental health, individual vs community, religion ● Beliefs and values ○ ethics and morals, interpersonal conflict, prejudice, stereotypes ● Politics, power and justice ○ equality, justice, peace, status, discrimination, privilege, poverty, human rights, access to education and opportunities Suggested Length Five paragraphs - introduction, three P-E-E(ZE) body paragraphs and conclusion Maximum 1,000 words. Steinback wrote “Of Mice and Men” during the Great Depression era in 1937. Between the American Dream of capitalist land-ownership and the unsteady economy, there is a time of conflict. The social alienation of migrants is portrayed in the book by Steinback. The theme of the book is about the struggle of working people striving to become independent landowners. The title of the book, “Of Mice and Men” is related to Lennie who killed a mouse. It's not only about the mice who were killed, it’s also a reference to all whose dreams are destroyed. The novel successfully depicts the ethics and morals, as well as prejudice of people during the Great Depression through the interpersonal conflict and stereotypes of the characters in the book. The most significant and representative stereotype of the story is the character of Lennie. As representatives of poor ranch workers back then during a period of high unemployment, George and Lennie came to California looking to realize their American Dream. But as many people often failed, they too got shattered by a reality as helpless as the story ended like a tragedy. As the story proceeds, “ “ Steinbeck’s novel approaches this theme of poverty by showing the American Dream as an unattainable mission. The American Dream in its fundamental state, capitalism in its purest form. Poor people were suffering from capitalism as it proved to be a pure failure when the Wall Street Market Crashed in 1929. Of Mice and Men also connects to the interpersonal conflict and the stereotypes by telling the story of two migrant ranch workers George Milton and Lennie Small; and the people that they were acquainted with in the Great Depression Era in 1937. The two moved from place to place in California to search for work opportunities. They dreamed of owning a farm in a forest in rural California and to have freedom in that farm. Steinbeck’s description about the farm is the serene and beautiful clearing. According to Steinbeck’s descriptions, there would be a farm where they could grow their own food in the natural world. That was all George and Lennie wanted, they had been dreaming of going out and owning their farm without bearing any cruelty of the world. Steinbeck’s descriptions show a sense of perfection of a world. There is a possibility of freedom and protection from the cruelties of the world. Back to the theme, the American Dream, the Americans here refers to George and Lennie. They had suffered a lot and had been wanting to own their farm, and the farm was described by Steinbeck as their dream farm by imaginary. Referring back to the dead mouse which happens to be in Lennie’s pocket, it actually refers to his childish behavior as helpless as a mouse. It’s also related to the field mice to Candy’s dog. The description also compares the way Lennie drinks water from the pool to a horse, it’s shown by the quote, “A water snake slipped along the pool, its head held up like a little periscope.” This simile, in which the narrator compares the water snake’s head to a submarine’s. Sample: The novella was completed in 1937 during the Great Depression, a time of conflict between the American Dream of capitalist land-ownership and the unsteady economy. Steinback portrays the social alienation of migrants. He dramatizes the struggle of working people striving to become independent landowners. By the late 1930s, job security had reached its lowest ebb: mechanical combines, enabling five men to do the work of three hundred, produced over half the nation’s grain harvest in 1938. This is the situation depicted in the novella: a social climate of irregular work, low wages, squalid working conditions and emotional deprivation. The story features two displaced migrant ranch workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, move from place to place in California in search of work opportunities in the 1930s. When they begin to work on the ranch, George and Lennie meet other characters, who emphasize the loneliness and difficulty of life for migrant workers on a ranch. Steinback illustrates how grueling, challenging and often unrewarding the life of migrant farmers could be. Just as George and Lennie dream of a better life on their own farm, the Great Plains farmers dreamed of finding a better life in California. The title of Steinback’s novel, then, is not only a reference to the poor mice that Lennie accidentally kills, but to everyone whose dreams are destroyed. The mention of mice also suggests something small and feeble pitted against something overwhelmingly strong in the shape of fate or destiny. George, a radical leader, attempts to lead Lennie, a symbol of the masses, to a utopia. Lennie, because he is too strong and untrustworthy, fails George and thus the utopia fails. Lennie’s death stands for more than simply a mercy killing; because Lennie is the embodiment of George’s projected frustrations, the killing of Lennie is also a symbolic eradication of those qualities in himself that George despises and a form of personal release. Steinbeck’s principal aim is to show that without the civilizing forces of companionship, we become like animals, feeding off others and spurning the weak. The story appears to be a realistic fable, where the weak animals die, rather than a traditional one in which humility generally gets the better of pride. Steinbeck is implicitly criticizing his capitalist society and the American Dream culture which cares little for society’s weakest members. Lennie, large, simple-minded and clumsy, is the character whose physical appearance is most like an animal. He was first described as looking like a bear with big paws, walking heavily. At the end of the story when George puts the gun behind his head to kill him, Lennie is identified with Candy’s old dog, who has earlier been killed in like fashion. Those who display the basest elements of nature are Curley and Carlson lacking all sensitivity for those more helpless and weaker than they are. Curley is driven to compete constantly, as if he lives in a world where only the physically fittest survive and as with lower order animals, must act only for self-gratification. George and Lennie alone travel together, have a history, have responsibility and commitment to each other, and need each other. Their rise above animal nature is consistent with their rise above ego, soaring above mere self for someone else, and indeed concern for their shared future rather than animalistic survival from one day to the next.
