Of+Mice+and+Men

=Title:=

//Of Mice and Men//
= = =Author:= John Steinbeck

=Nationality/Ethnic Background:= Steinbeck was of both German and Irish decent.

= = =Genre and Sub-genres:= Fiction; Tragedy

=Pertinent Biographical Information:= Born in 1902, Steinbeck was the author of twenty-seven books; including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and five short story collections. He also won the Pulitzer Prize for // Of Mice and Men, // published in 1937,and two other novels //. // Upon emerging out of poverty, steinbeck's relationship with his first wife, Carol, began to suffer. Shortly after their divorce, Steinbeck married one Gwyndolyn Conger. From 1943-1947 he served in the military, returning to find Gwyndolyn confronting him about her intentions of divorce. In December 1950, Steinbeck married a stage-manager named Elaine Scott who he traveled with to Isreal. Upon his return, Steinbeck suffered from heart disease and congestive heart failure leading to his death in 1968.

=Literary Historical Period/Movement and Pertinent Background:= The Novella //Of Mice and Men// was published in 1937 during the Great Depression where lives were in ruin and migrant working was very popular. This Novella is also based sometime in the 1930's during the Great Depression, as George and Lennie try to find work as migrant workers. Depression era literature was blunt and direct in its social criticism and John Steinbeck pioneered this type of writing. Many of his stories about good working class people just trying to make it through life. A strategy of many writers during this period was strong characterization so the readers could truly connect with the Characyers. . =Major Characters, Their Relationships, Their Conflicts​:=
 * Lennie:** Relies solely on George for work, protection, and guidance. Loves everything and everyone, especially animals and soft things. He has no control over his own strength, accidentally killing the small animals he enjoys petting. He acts just like a helpless little animal, innocent and very dependent upon George. He shares George's story of a paradise-like farm with Candy and Crooks, giving them hope for a better future and something to look forward to. However, Lennie never finds that better future, as his conflicts with Curley and Curley's wife lead to his death. George continues to protect Lennie, killing him to protect others and keep Lennie from causing any further harm.


 * George**: Though he constantly complains about Lennie's companionship throughout the book, readers can see he is completely devoted to protecting Lennie, from himself and others. A sometimes angry and short-tempered man, George criticizes Lennie often, but stays focused on protecting him. He looks forward to a life where he and Lennie can be on their own. George knows that being on their own farm, would prevent Lennie from hurting others or himself. The longer they stay at Curley's farm, however, George sees that the future he dreams of will not be possible. Conflicts between Lennie and Curley lead to Lennie's death, which must come at the hands of George. George chooses to kill Lennie himself, so that he may die happily while dreaming of the farm, and not at the cruel hands of Curley.


 * Candy:** Candy is a one handed handyman on Curley's farm. His closest companion on the farm is his dog. Candy worries about his lack of usefulness getting him fired. His breaking point appears when the other farm hands make him kill his old dog, once a useful animal, but now a sick, dirty dog. Lennie and George's hopes for their dream farm bring hope back into his life, dragging him into their unrealistic dream. The fact that Candy had to shoot his dog makes George decide what he has to do about lennie in the end.


 * Curley's wife:** She is the only woman in the story, and is known as a "tart" or seductress. Pushed away by Curly's temper she spends as much time as possible out in the barn or on the ranch near the guys. She especially is interested in Lennie because he is the only man that does not understand that she is a troublemaker. Her flirtations are the end of her, as Lennie accidentally strangles her in the barn one afternoon when they are sitting together. It is very easy to see her as a bad guy and that she brought her death upon her self but she was very lonely only looking for a companion.

=Brief Plot Summary: = The book begins with George and Lennie, migrant workers, traveling to a farm in Soledad California, where they're supposed to start work soon. The story begins with George describing the farm he and Lennie dream of working together on. George yearns to be his own boss, and to have a place where Lennie can live without worrying about being ridiculed for his mental handicap. When they arrive at the farm, George instructs Lennie not to talk, because he worries about what the boss will think of Lennie's mental state. Though strong as a man, Lennie has the mind of a young boy. After they are hired, they're introduced around; to Candy, the one handed handy man; Curley, the cruel son of the boss; and Curley's wife. Lennie later tells George how pretty he thinks Curley's wife is, but George instructs Lennie to stay away from her, as he believes trouble would be a result of their relationship. George and Lennie then meet Slim, a mule driver on the ranch who is greatly respected, and Carlson, another ranch hand. The next day, George confesses to Slim that he and Lennie have been friends for years, and that Lennie has gotten the two of them in trouble many times. Slim offers to give Lennie one of his puppies that his dog just gave birth to. After this Carlson suggests Candy kill his old dog once and for all, Sadly Candy does so killing his closest companion. Candy later overhears George and Lennie's discussion of their dream farm, and offers to put in money towards it if he can live there with them too. They agree, and tell no one else. Curley then enters the barn, frustrated about his "lost" wife, and picks a fight with Lennie, who crushes Curley's hand. Slim warns Curley not to fire George and Lennie. The next evening, Lennie is hanging out with Crooks, the black stable hand who is always left alone. Curley's wife enters, and tries to flirt with them. She sees marks on Lennie's face, and suspects that he was the one who hurt Curley, not machinery like Curley had told her. The next morning, when Lennie is alone in the barn, he pets his new puppy to death. Curley's wife finds him, and trying to comfort him, allows Lennie to stroke her hair. He pulls too tightly, and when she yells out, he tries to muffle her voice, accidentally breaking her neck. Scared Lennie flees to a pond where he was told by George to hide. After Curley's wife's body is found, George flees to find Lennie, and makes an attempt to comfort him by telling him about their dream farm again. Knowing what he must do while Lennie has his back turned Georghe shoots him. This can be compared to when Candy is forced to kill his dog. After this Slim comes to comfort George and they decide to travel together to another place to work ending the story.

=Motifs (Recurring Images, Ideas, Figures of Speech, Symbols, Colors) & Their Thematic Significance:=

**__Mice__,** __**Candy's dog:** F__ate of anyone who has outlived his or her purpose
====**T__he Heron that plucks water snakes from the stream__, __Curley's boots__, __Lennie's puppy and the mouse:__** Shows the victory of the strong over the week and Lennie's failure to recognize his own strength, leads to ultimate downfall====

__**Curley's wife:**__ The corrupting power of female sexuality.
=Other Significant Thematic Elements (Significant Character's Names, Significant Quotations, Significant Actions/Events):= ====__"__Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world." In this quote, George is describing to Lennie that while ranch-hands may be lonely, traveling workers with no place to settle down, they'll be different. By telling Lennie the story of their dream farm, he comforts him (and himself) into believing in a better future, where they can make their own decisions. This story of the dream farm that George tells to Lennie throughout the book represents the American Dream and hope for a better future that was especially prominent during the Great Depression. __ Candy's dog __ represents the fears of Candy and others that once they've "expired," and become no longer useful, others will try to get rid of them. The dog also represents the strong overpowering those weaker than them, and that the strongest and fittest will survive. Candy also regrets not killing his dog himself, fearing the loss of the animal as a prediction of him soon being unwelcome at the ranch. George realizes this later in the book, as Curley and his men prepare to go out and find Lennie after he kills Curley's wife. George wants Lennie to die happy, dreaming of their ranch, and so knows he must kill Lennie himself. ====

= = =Major Themes:= ====The impossibility of the American Dream (after having to shoot Lennie, George realizes that the dream they had together and shared with Candy was far out, and a nearly impossible, now definitely impossible, thing to reach), the predatory nature of human existence (strong overpowering the weak), idealized male friendship (George's willingness to do anything to protect Lennie, and Slim's understanding of George's actions with Lennie at the end of the book)==== ====The powerlessness of people during the Great Depression: Economic powerlessness that makes Curley above all the other men even though they are all much better men than Curley is. Social Powerlessness forces Lennie to be completley dependent on George for everything, and Crooks is also powerlessness because he is colored. ====