Of Mice and Men - George and Lennie - 2356 Words

How does Steinbeck present the characters of George and Lennie? During the Great Depression of the 1930s when America was plunged into financial crisis following the Wall Street Crash of October 1929, levels of unemployment and poverty were at an all time high. In this ear life was a struggle and the mentality of society became survival of the fittest, every man for himself. Migrant workers toured the country in search of labour to provide money for food typically sent to relatives living on the bread line elsewhere in America. These men lead lonely and emotionless lives, which are reflected through Steinbeck’s portrayal of his characters in his famous, yet bleak, 1930s novella ‘Of Mice and Men.’ In the novel, George and Lennie’s†¦show more content†¦Evidentially, George does not believe the dream will ever become reality as he rhythmically reels off the words to Lennie as a matter of habit rather than optimism. That said, it is clear that although George does not believe the dream will come true he is thankful to have Lennie by his side ‘somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us’ which perhaps implies that although Steinbeck presents the pair as victims, he also presents them as lucky in the fact that they have each other and care for each other enough to build a firm relationship. To Lennie the dream is all about the rabbits he intends to keep and pet, rather than an engine of hope which drives George to continue the struggle. Lennie excites in the idea that one day he will own a rabbit hutch ‘An’ have rabbits’ because he is unable to see further than his own desires, however George dreams of simplicities such as ‘ how thick the cream is on the milk’ implying that all he would like is a stable home. Regardless of their differences in the importance of aspects included in the dream, their dream bonds them together in a shared goal which is to get a ‘stake’ so they can buy ‘a little house and a couple of acres.’ Many migrant workers shared in dreaming of a better future but had nobody to share it with as everyman was for himself, making George and Lennie’s relationship a rare occurrence. Towards the end of the first chapter,Show MoreRelatedOf Mice and Men: Lennie and George1610 Words   |  7 PagesOf Mice and Men: Lennie and George Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is the story of two simple farm hands, Lennie Small, who incidentally, really isn t very small, and his better half, George Milton, on their quest to have a place of their own, with plenty of furry bunnies, of course. Sound strange? Read on to get clued in. The book opens along the banks of the Salinas River a few miles south of Soledad, California. Everything is calm and beautiful, and nature is alive.Read MoreOf Mice and Men Importance of Friendship George and Lennie952 Words   |  4 PagesOf Mice and Men has many themes presented by Steinbeck, one of which is about friendship. The novella shows the relationship between the protagonists, George and Lennie, and showing how they try to achieve the American Dream by working together. This is in contrast to many of the other characters who are alone by themselves which seems to be the norm at the time of the Great Depression. The reader is able to look at how the need to have a companion is portrayed by Steinbeck, especially during theRead MoreOf Mice and Men Lennie Needs George More Than George Needs Lennie764 Words   |  4 PagesOf Mice and Men Essay Lennie needs George more than George needs Lennie. Both Lennie and George would be nothing without each other. Steinbeck clearly shows how important friends are and how they can support and help you in a number of different ways. Lennie needs George for basic survival and without him, Lennie’s life would not be very long. George on the other hand, needs Lennie for a purpose in life. The conclusion of the novel Of Mice and Men illustrates what life would be like for George andRead MoreLennie and George in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay1010 Words   |  5 PagesSteinbeck wrote the play Of Mice and Men in 1937 (Steinbeck). It is a play about two ranch workers who do not have the best of luck. The two workers were named George and Lennie. George was a more small bodied man. His partner Lennie was a giant among average sized people. They are on the road going place to place working numerous jobs. Lennie has a learning disability. The two work hand and hand. George is there to keep Lennie out of trouble. Lennie in a way hel ps keep George together. Sometimes it getsRead MoreOf Mice and Men Importance of Friendship George and Lennie By vcxzasd892 Words   |  4 PagesThe Importance of Friendship in Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men is a book about two men and their struggle to achieve their dream of owning a farm through their companionship.   The two men are completely different, one being a retarded fellow(Lennie), and the other, a typical ranch hand(George) who travels with him.   On the path to achieving their dream, they run into obstacles, but stick together, stressing the importance of true friendship.   Steinbeck wrote this book Read MoreLennie and George ´s Dream in Of Mice and Men by John Stienbeck706 Words   |  3 Pages1.describe Lennie and Georges dream. How is their dream representative of the dreams of migrant workers in the 1930s? A.intro paragraph 1.hook a. The Declaration of Independence; signed in 1783 describes the American dream of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness most Americans strive and work our lives towards this one goal no matter the day or age our light at the end of the tunnel is a product of this perfect American dream. 2.thesis a.george and Lennie have a dream similar to manyRead MoreHow Steinbeck Portrays the character of Lennie George in Of Mice Men1565 Words   |  7 Pagesthe story Of Mice Men, John Steinbeck creates a pair of low-class companionship as the story s main character. This pair of companionship, George and Lennie is very different from each other, nothing alike, no matter talking about their figures, personality, IQ, etc, except that they both carry the same American dream as they spend their hard days traveling together and working in the ranch. Lennie is portrayed as being childlike. He looks up on George as a parental figure: Lennie s lips quiveredRead MoreOf Mice and Men the Relationship Between George and Lennie in Chapter 1629 Words   |  3 PagesHow does Steinbeck present the relationship between George and Lennie in this chapter? The author John Steinbeck presents the relationship between the two characters, George and Lennie in different ways as they are both different characters and have different personalities. He presents it like a parent and child relationship, with George being the parent and Lennie the child. As soon as the reader is introduced to George and Lennie Steinbeck tells us that, â€Å"They had walked in singleRead MoreExplore the Way the Writer Presents the Relationship Between George and Lennie in of Mice and Men3909 Words   |  16 Pagesthe relationship between George and Lennie in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† Of Mice and Men was written in the 1937 by John Steinbeck, he other well know books as the Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden, h also received a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. This book is set in the 1930s and set in California, his home region. During this time, the USA was suffering from a great depression, this meant that it was hard to find job because the economy was very weak, so to find job the men were disposed to go anywhereRead MoreCompare And Contrast Lennie And Of Mice And Men804 Words   |  4 PagesThe story â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck is one of the winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is about two characters George and Lennie. George is very smart but short. Lennie on the other hand is the complete opposite. He is big and has a mind of a child. In â€Å"Of Mice and Men† George and Lennie have a dream to own a piece of land somewhere in California. In this story Lennie is being made sympathetic by Steinbeck so then the story is more relatable. Steinbeck is doing this