During this era, there were a lot of white migrants who were looking for the harvesting job, and Steinbeck writes about them in Of Mice and Men (“Historical Context’ 1). Another case in point of impurity is psychological corruption. From this tense society, the characters in Of Mice and Men have psychological corruption issues. The main character George and Leonie had dream to own their own farm, but the story ends with their dream vanished after George shoots Leonie (“Themes” 1). Their American dream had vanished with their psychological corruption issues.
George, regrets shooting Leonie, and Leonie, is overcome by fear after killing Curlers wife. Their story illustrates their lonely lives. ‘The alternative to the companionship that George and Leonie hare is loneliness” (themes” 1). Secondly, Of Mice and Men illustrates the honesty of living conditions within the American cultural society of his day. The honesty quality seen in Of Mice and Men goes back to Steinbeck himself. Three of Steinbeck novels were set in the Salina Valley. Steinbeck birthplace, and hometown, Salina Valley, California, is where this story is also set.
He wrote this novel to express his personal perspective of life as he knew it in his era. As a very young man, he was a very hard worker and held a variety of jobs that led to his writing career “John” 5). Another example for honesty in the novel is Steinbeck thematic visions. Steinbeck novel illustrates his thematic visions. According to the journalists, “at the center of Steinbeck thematic vision is a dialect between contrasting ways of life: between innocence and experience, between primitivism and progress, and between self-interest and commitment to the human community’ (“John” 1).
His life experiences shows honesty in the novel. His life’s experience, during the Great Depression, helped him to illustrate the American cultural living conditions more honestly. His major biology helped him a lot to write about view of humanity more vividly (“John” 4). As he studied, his view of humanity was developed into his writing, which showed the life struggles of the people of that time. In Of Mice and Men, “Steinbeck characters usually live in harmony with nature until such malevolent political or natural forces as progress, scarcity, or drought upset that balance” Noun” 4).
Steinbeck was involved in the Great Depression, when he wrote Of Mice and Men (“Historical” 2). It was this social economic climate that inspired Steinbeck to write this story about George and Leonie. Thirdly, another aspect of a classic novel is its quality of truth. Of Mice and Men illustrates truth in the lessons it teaches through the relationship between George and Leonie in their social economic environment. George’s and Lien’s American dream, of owning their own farm perishes after George kills Leonie.
Additionally, image of farm for them, it was too idealized (“Themes” 1), their American dream was at risk from the beginning of their relationship. Even if they achieve their dream, getting their own farm, it would not be easy for them to maintain the farm as what they dreamed (“Theme” 1). Actually, their dream, having their own farm was doomed from the beginning of the story, live on the lonely, homelessness, and economic poverty, it would not work for George and Leonie (“Themes” 2).
The writer, “Steinbeck depicts George and Leonie as two innocents whose dream conflicts with the realities Of a world dominated by materialism and greed” (“Plot” 1). The extraordinary friendship George and Leonie had made them to distinguish from the other laborer and the lonely migrants (“Plot’ 1 Even though they had extraordinary friendship, it was not enough for them to realize that it is not enough for hem to have their own farm (“Plot’ 1). Another truth in the novel is compassion Steinbeck shows compassion toward the victims of this era.
Steinbeck also wrote with compassion for the victims of these chaotic forces (“Themes” 1). The struggles, “during the late sass, California was struggling not only with the economic problems of the Great Depression, but also with severe labor strife (“Historical” 1), and Steinbeck illustrates this well with Corey, the owner’s son, in the way he treated the laborers. The tensions between the characters show the class of American society and the American capitalism (“Themes” 2). And another truth the novel shows is George and Leonie is friendship.
Without their friendship, during this time, George would have been doomed to be alone. Steinbeck tells “most importantly, without this friendship, neither George nor Leonie, alone, could sustain the dream; much less see it become a reality. The friendship lends hope to the dream, but the reality of their brutal life destroys the dream and the friendship (“Theme” 3). The truth of relationships during such a chaotic and poverty stricken cultural society made life very difficult and motivated people to dream about a better life that would eve them hope to keep facing their problems.
Next, the loveliness in the writing style Of Mice and Men is clearly understood in the relationship between George and Leonie. Their loyalty to each other is lovely as their characters are developed in the novel. George commits himself to caring for Leonie in spite of obvious challenges in their lives at that time. George is constantly loyal to Leonie throughout the novel, even though Leonie is retarded and slow: he keep shows faithful toward Leonie (“Themes” 3). After Leonie accidentally kills Curlers wife, George told IM to go to the place where they had been in the beginning of the novel.
George, then, goes to meet Leonie. While Leonie was chanting about their dream, George shot him out of compassion for Lien’s mental state. At the end of Of Mice and Men, “although the dream perishes, the theme of commitment achieves its strongest point in the novel’s conclusion. Unlike Candy, who earlier abandoned responsibility for his old dog, allows Carlson to shoot the dog, George remains his brother’s keeper. In his acceptance of complete responsibility for Leonie, George demonstrates the commitment accessory to join the ranks of Steinbeck heroes” (“Theme” 3).
Another example of loveliness is foreshadowing. The foreshadowing gives the idea Of what will happen next. The shooting of Candy’s Old dog by Carlson foreshadows the shooting of Leonie by George. And, also, ‘the frequent appearances of Curler’s wife foretell future violence” (theme” 4). Although the subject matter is very sad and violent Steinbeck words are lovely in describing the relationship between Leonie and George. Fifthly, even though Of Mice and Men have some injustice, it is still considered as classic. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck tells a story’ about
George who takes the law of human rights into his own hands based on his limited perspective of a better life for Leonie. This theme is clearly one of injustice. The critic says, “Steinbeck novel was a sympathetic portrayal of the lives of the poorest class of working people, while exposing society’s injustice and economic inequalities in the hope of improving their situation” (“Theme” 2). George’s sentiment of commitment to care for Leonie was based on the right thing to do at the time he committed to Lenin?s aunt.
His commitment could be interpreted as justice but, in the end, George was unjust in taking he law of respecting mankind into his own hands by killing Leonie. Of Mice and Men depicts, “Lien’s mental retardation also symbolizes the helplessness of people in a capitalistic, commercial, commutative society’ (“Theme” 2). Also Of Mice and Men shows separation from others, “Lien’s mental limitations also serve to illustrate another way in which people separate themselves from one another Scathe” 2).
In Steinbeck is writing, “despite Lien’s potential for hurting people, however, Steinbeck makes it clear that it is the malice, fear, and anger in other people that are to blame for Lien’s violent action” (“Theme” 2). Although, Leonie accidentally commits a violent crime, George makes the decision to spare Leonie of the negative consequences by killing him, which in the eyes of society, he expressed an injustice. Sixthly, Of Mice and Men has been a good report.
Of Mice and Men is the result of his research into the social economic American culture of the day. The journalist says, “The novel’s continued popularity over the decades clearly shows that it has transcended its historical times” (“Historical” 2). This novel has been read and approved by many people over the past generations since 937. It clearly is a classic due to its quality of having good report. Another reason that proves it is good report is Novel prize he wins in literature.
