George And Lennie example essay topic

'The best laid schemes o'mice and men Often go awry And leave us nought but grief and pain For promised joy!' -Robert Burns Writers throughout history have often written about the plight in which the American people have had to endure. John Steinbeck, an influential author during the 1940's and 1930's, focused primarily on the lives and problems of migrant workers. His novels hit close to home, not only for himself, but for thousands across the nation. Steinbeck received inspiration, as well as the title, for his novel Of Mice and Men from a Robert Burn's poem. This poem is the underlying frame of his book. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck champions the underdog who, though denied access to the American dream, develops his own coping mechanisms for survival.

Of Mice and Men centers around the nomadic lifestyle of two Californian migrant workers; Lennie, who is mentally retarded, and George, who serves as Lennie's protector and provider. Lennie's condition seems to be a constant threat to the pair's jobs. The book opens with George and Lennie walking to a new ranch. The reader finds out later that Lennie's love to touch soft things lost them their last jobs. They finally arrive to the ranch to find friendly, and then not-so-friendly faces. One of Steinbeck's purposes for writing Of Mice and Men is to illustrate the trials and tribulations certain individuals must overcome.

For Crooks, the African-American stable buck, it is the oppression he faces because of the color of his skin. Steinbeck quite frequently states the harsh conditions under which Crooks must live. 'Little skinner name of Smitty took after the ni er. Done pretty good, too. The guys wouldn't let him use his feet... If he could used his feet, Smitty says he would a killed the ni er.

' (20) This quote is a prime example of how African-Americans were viewed. However, Crooks holds to some dignity. 'I ain't sure I want you in here no more. A colored man got to have some rights even if he don't like 'em. ' (82) Lennie, a main focus of the novel, is a main character for a reason. Steinbeck uses Lennie's character in order to show how American society attempted to ignore mental retardation and continued to live in ignorance about the disability.

Steinbeck portrays Lennie as a constant burden on George. He is the cause of their having to switch jobs. George feels he must speak to bosses for Lennie, because Lennie is not able to speak intelligently for himself. This causes suspicion in the boss, and anger in Curley, the bosses son. He mistreats anyone that does not fit his view of the model American, which would include Crooks and Lennie. Curley acts as the instigator throughout the entirety of the story.

The reader sees this when Curley finally attacks Lennie. However, Lennie breaks Curley's hand, only after George must tell him too. In keeping with Burn's poem, Steinbeck concentrates on the American dream, which is so carefully planned but always out of reach. Every character suffers from this disease, this inability to achieve his / her dream. Curley's wife misses her chance to fulfill her dream as an actress, resulting in her miserable life on the ranch. Crooks is unable to achieve his equal status among the men of the ranch.

Even Slim, the well respected skinner, does not have anything to call his own and most likely will remain a ranch worker until his death. However, Slim, unlike the other characters, does not set a dream for himself. He has already come to the conclusion that scheming for a better life only leads to disappointment. George and Lennie, too, have a dream. 'All kin's a vegetables in the garden, and if we want a little whiskey we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk. We'd jus' live there.

We'd belong there. There wouldn't be no more running' round the country and gett in' fed by a Jap cook. No, sir, we'd have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house. ' (57) This is how George describes his dream. Lennie's only dream is to stay with George and be able to tend to rabbits, which the two plan to have on their farm someday. However, foreshadowing allows the reader to see that George and Lennie are never going to achieve this dream.

' I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an' on the ranches, with their bundles on their back an' that same damn thing in their heads... They come, an' they quit an' go on; an' every damn one of 'em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of 'em ever gets it. ' (74) A large part of George's dream lies around Lennie.

With this in mind, Steinbeck makes it obvious that George will go on wishing in vain. Closure is finally brought to the matter at the end of the story. Once again Lennie's urge to touch soft things has caused a problem, however, this time Curley's wife is dead with a broken neck as a result. Although this is an accident, the ranch men set out to hunt down Lennie. George is then forced with a decision, survival or his dream. In the end, George shoots Lennie, thereby shooting away his dream which he strove for all his life.

George and Lennie's companionship act as a coping mechanism for their denial to their dream. 'I ain't got no people... I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time they get mean.

They get want in' to fight all the time... ' Course Lennie's a God damn nuisance most of the time... But you get used to go in' around with a guy an' you can't get rid of him. ' (41) Lennie is all George has and vice versa. They differ from all the other migrant workers in that they have each other. They have someone they can depend on.

Even though George repeatedly remarks his life would be better without Lennie, it is fairly evident just how emotionally attached to Lennie he is. Steinbeck uses George's solitaire games as a metaphor. Solitaire means alone, representing the loneliness of the other migrant workers. However, when George is forced to shoot Lennie, not only is he throwing away his dream, he is throwing away his companion, his coping mechanism. After reading this book, one is able to see how Steinbeck based his story on that one stanza from Burns's poem.

Everyone has some sort of dream, something they hope to accomplish. But no matter how much one plans or schemes, it's never enough. As Steinbeck showed his reader, in the end, things come crashing down. All anyone can do is find a way to tough it out, in Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie were each others shelters from the storm. Their companionship filled the gap the unfulfilled dream created. 'Because... because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why.

' (14) Unfortunately, Steinbeck makes a point of showing that this, like most things in life, must come to an end.