Analysis of "Of Mice and Men"

Analysis of Detail

From his paragraph, John Steinbeck sets the scene in Of Mice and Men through his use of imagery as he describes the natural world as a parallel to later events in the novella.

One of part of a quote, "runs deep and green," is a parallel to the characteristics of George and Lennie. "Green" symbolizes new life or through a different point of view it could symbolize sickly. Either way, Lennie is immature like a young child, and sickly because of his mental illness. "Deep" describes George. Deep provokes the thought of strength, lively, or dangerous. By having the ability to care for Lennie, George shows strength. George also is lively and dangerous by the ways he takes up for Lennie and the way he speaks.

"Slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains," foreshadows the conflict in the story. "Rocky" means unstable or dangerous. The struggles that Lennie and George are currently facing cause them to be unsure of their next moves. "Mountain" in the quote is in the future; the mountains are after the slopes. Mountains symbolize challenges. Lennie and George's future is ahead of them and will be hard if they still strive to own their own land.

"Leaves lie deep and so crisp" represent George and Lennie's goal. George tells Lennie about them owning their own land and crops one day, knowing this will be a dangerous road and will take both of them being strong to achieve. "Deep" symbolizes the dream. "Crisp" can be paralleled to their own land. Owning the land will be new and fresh to George and Lennie.

"A path beaten hard by boys" and "beaten hard by tramps" means different people are coming down a familiar, well known, or a "beaten" path. The farm workers are all very different; different races, genders, and ages. However, each are struggling to reach the same goals and are going through the same things. Just like George and Lennie, Candy and Crooks dream about owning their own land or work for someone who has worked hard to be able to own the property. Candy's wife admits she had a dream, but never reached it. The failed dreams of each character could be "beaten hard" by another.

"The limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it," parallels to the dreams of the characters. The same dream of each person, the dream of owning their own land and having freedom, has been "worn smooth", and also the failure of the dream has been "warn smooth."

Analysis of Point of View

The third-person objective point of view solidifies the solitary lives these men lead.

From the passage on page 68, "Crooks did not see him...on raising his eyes...a scowl came on his face," shows that Crooks is a little angry that someone has come into his room because it's not normal and not what he is used to. He obviously has no relationships. Since his reaction was not a smile, it can be assumed that Crooks is not looking for or wanting any friendships or relationships at this time. "Lennie smiled helplessly in an attempt to make friends," shows that Lennie knew he was intruding on Crooks space, but was just trying to create a relationship. From this quote, Lennie's actions show he does not have any relationships, but longs to have one.

The passage on page 107 also defends shows the loneliness these men faced. "Slim's voice shouted, 'George. Where you at, George?' But George sat stiffly on the bank..." From this quote, George is not only sitting alone but he is alone mentally alone. The others guys do not understand why he wouldn't answer quickly or excitedly after such a thing happened. "And Carlson said, 'Now what the heck ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?'" shows that first that Carlson isn't very considerate of others feelings and doesn't know how to understand other's pain or their emotions. Along with Carlson, the other men seem to take Lennie's death lightly where George takes it very hard.

Analysis of Tone

The hopeful and despair tones in Steinbeck's passage reflect his ability to create a story with such mixed feelings. Two of the contradictory quotes in the novel which show the opposite tones of the book, hopeful and despair, are when George and Lennie compare themselves to the other men like them." George went on, 'With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a dang about us. We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin' on our jack jus' because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they rot for all anybody gives a dang. But not us.' Lennie broke in. 'But not us! An' why? Because...because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why.'" George gives hope to Lennie by telling him they will always have each other. On the other hand, George also describes the other men like them. "...he said them many times before, 'Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. They come to a ranch an' work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they're pounding in' their tail on some other ranch. They got nothing to look ahead to." The thought that each man is lonely is despairing, but the thought of Lennie and George having each other is hopeful.

George and Lennie's dream is repeated throughout the book which gives hope, but Crooks response to their dreams gives a feeling of despair. "Lennie said, 'Tell about that place, George.' ... 'Well, it's ten acres,' said George. 'Got a win'mill. Got a little shack on it, an' a chicken run. Got a kitchen, orchard, cherries, apples, peaches. 'cots, nuts, got a few berries. They's a place for alfalfa and plenty water to flood it. They's a pig pen' ... 'An' we could have a few pigs. I could build a smoke house like the one gran'pa had, an' when we kill a pig we can smoke the becon and the hams, and make sausage an' all like that. An' whent 'em salmon run up river we could catch a hundred of 'em an' salt 'em down or smoke 'em. We could have them for breakfast..." As Lennie describes this place to Crooks, Crooks gives a response that completely changes the mood of the reader. "'You're nuts.' Crooks was scornful. 'I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an' on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an' that same dang thing in their heads. Hunderds of them. They come, an' they quite an' go on; an' everydang one of 'em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God dang one of 'em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever'body wants a little piece of lan'. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody ever gets no land. It's just in their head..."

George tells Lennie many things to keep him happy and enjoying life, but George and the other men know that the hope built up inside Lennie will not stay because after all, all poor men are the same.

Theme

The quote, "I am my brother's keeper," is the theme of the novel Of Mice and Men.