George And Lennie's Dream example essay topic

GCSE English Coursework Assignment Of Mice and Men The novel we are studying is called Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck. It was published in 1937. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California. John was a good reader when he was younger and when he was older he wanted to become a writer. He has produced some excellent novels such as 'Cup of Gold', 'To A God Unknown' and 'In Dubious Battle' Of Mice and Men was such a success that John rewrote the novel so it could be performed as a play which opened in Broadway. It won the Drama Critics Circle Award.

30 years later John died of heart failure and he was buried in Salinas, California. The novel is set on a ranch in the farmlands of Salinas Valley, which was roughly about 30 miles from John's hometown. A brief summary of the plot would include the two main characters, George and his simple minded friend, Lennie, who grew up together and now, as adults, travel from ranch to ranch seeking work wherever they can find it. They have no friends and dream of saving enough money to buy a place of their own. But after they come to work on a ranch in the Salinas Valley their hopes, like "the best laid schemes o' mice an' men" begin to go awry.

The themes in the novel are Authority, Aspects of style, Dreams, Loneliness, and Natural World. There are 10 characters in the play, who are Candy, Carlson, Crooks, Curley, Curley's Wife, George, Lennie, Slim, The Boss and Whit, but the main characters are Lennie and George. However, it would appear from the novel that the only two characters who have a good relationship are George and Lennie. At first glance this would seem to be odd. George is small in stature yet quick-witted and intelligent. By contrast Lennie is huge with phenomenal physical strength but mentally slow and portrays child-like behaviour.

In the novel George tells Lennie "Ok. Some day- We " re gonna get the jack together and we " re gonna have a little house an' a couple of acres an' a cow and some pigs and -- " which suggests that they expect to stay together as friends for the long term future. There is also a relationship between Curley and Curley's Wife, but although a relationship exists between them this is only because they are married to each other. There seems to be no depth to this relationship. Although throughout the book Curley is constantly looking for his wife it is not because he is a caring husband but because he knows that she is always wanting to attract the attention of other men. She seems to be forever ogling and enjoying being ogled at by Curley's co-workers I have chosen to compare and contrast the characters of George and Lennie since they are very important to the story.

Very little is mentioned about their background when they were children. We are told that they were both born in Auburn. When Lennie's Aunt Clara died George takes over the job of looking after Lennie. They travel together but, unfortunately, every time they have a job, Lennie gets into some kind of trouble, which forces them to run away.

This time, they are running from a town called Weed to a ranch where they could work as ranch hands. George's physical appearance is described as small. He always had restless wary eyes. His features were strong and sharp. He is very intelligent and quick-witted. George has been used to physical hardship in the past and has a good knowledge when it comes to ranch work.

He knows how to cope with the life he leads. George has low expectations of life although throughout the book he tells Lennie of their dream for the future - namely, owning their own ranch, keeping rabbits etc. I feel that this is said purely to keep Lennie happy and George does not really believe that this will become reality. He took on a great deal when he chooses to take responsibility for Lennie. He took Lennie on partly out of pity. George is an incomplete person without Lennie although he might not show it or even be aware of it himself.

Lennie's physical appearance is described as tall, a muscular giant of a man with sloping shoulders, large pale eyes and strong hands. The strength of his hands is very important to the outcome of the novel. Although Lennie has the aspects of adult maturity, his behaviour is very child-like. Lennie is a man of great physical strength who is frequently described in animal terms. He is likened to a bear. For example "Lennie dabbed his big paw in the water" and "Lennie lumbered to his feet" which not only suggests bear-like strength superior to all others, but also the innocence, which accompanies the bear-like personality.

Although bears kill their prey they see nothing wrong with this. It is merely instinct. We can compare this to Lennie behaviour. He does not realise the damage he causes with his great physical strength and does not mean any harm. Lennie has an obsession with petting and stroking; perhaps he feels the need to be close to someone. Unfortunately this can have disastrous results e.g. when stroking the red dress of the girl.

This was taken the wrong way so he and George had to leave town. Also he thought he was stroking the puppy and Curley's wife when, in reality, he killed them. Lennie and George form a good relationship with Candy. Candy is an elderly ranch hand who lost his hand in an accident.

Candy lives in fear of being sacked since he is no longer of much use on the ranch. He promises $350 to fulfil not only George and Lennie's dream but also his own. Lennie and Candy share a love of dogs. In the story they both suffer the loss of their pet. George's character symbolizes a way of life, a life of moving from place to place without roots. He is the hero of the novel- he is good and kind but cannot do anything to improve his economic situation.

He needs Lennie as much as Lennie needs him. George needs to be needed-to have someone to depend and look up to him. It is an unusual situation. The nomadic existence of a ranch hand seldom involves having a constant friend by your side. This is commented on by the other ranch hands from time to time during the book.

Lennie is the central character who evokes our pity and sympathy. He lives a dream-a dream of a better life. At the end of the story George kills him to avoid more fearful death at the hands of others and we feel that his death is a judgement, not on George, but on the society in which they live. My conclusion is that through George and Lennie, Steinbeck makes us aware of the loneliness and isolation experienced by men who are forced into this way of life in the harsh depression years. Yet loyalty and friendship are unusual.

These two men cling together. Despite the almost hopeless economic environment they live in, they are always dreaming of a better life. This is their goal and what keeps them going through the bad times. However Steinbeck, through these characters, proves to us that the reality of their social situation means that their 'American Dream' will never be realised. The two characters are totally different people in many ways yet they are two incomplete halves of one whole one, contented person..