Transcript themes of mice and men
Themes –
Of Mice and Men
Friendship Loneliness Power Needless Violence Dreams Cycles Social Protest / Intolerance Nature
Friendship and Loneliness
How are George and Lennie unusual?
What are the lives of the other men like?
Friendship and Loneliness
George and Lennie are unusual because they ‘string along together’, even though their friendship is threatened by Lennie’s behavior. The other characters tend to be alone, isolated, because of their lifestyle.
What do you think Steinbeck is saying about the importance of friendship in the novel?
Loneliness
Who are the lonely characters?
Describe them. Why are they lonely?
Loneliness
A natural result of the kinds of lives these farm workers lead Candy is lonely because he’s old & crippled; has the dog as companion at first, but then when the dog is killed he has no one.
George is lonely, too, even though he has Lennie; their friendship can’t be truly equal because of Lennie’s disability. He is then left alone at the end.
Loneliness Con’t.
Curley’s wife is lonely because she doesn’t fit in; has no one to talk to; Curley shows no interest in her; the other farm hands just think she’s a flirt.
Curley is also lonely; everyone hates & fears him because of the way he acts. He chose a wife who was completely wrong for the life he leads.
Loneliness Con’t.
Crooks is also isolated because he’s different & keeps his distance from the others. They are cruel to him because of his race. When he does allow himself to be drawn into George & Lennie’s dream; it falls through almost immediately.
Power
Who has power over whom in the novel?
What are the effects of this power?
Power
The novel explores the issue of power through the character of Curley and the influence he has over the ranch hands and his wife. George also wields power over Lennie.
How does George have power?
How does he use this power?
Needless Violence
Describe the situations of needless violence.
Which characters act violently?
Is Lennie violent? George?
Needless Violence
Candy tells how the boss gave them all whiskey and set up the fight in the bunkhouse.
Curley is the most obviously violent character because: There is always tension when he is around. He always picks on “big guys”, which is trouble for Lennie. He is cruel like when he screams he’ll “shoot him in the guts.”
Needless Violence, cont.
Lennie – His violence is unintentional; it is an uncontrollable force that is powerful & thoughtless – like an animal.
The threat of violence against Lennie is what ultimately leads to George’s actions at the end of the novel.
Dreams and plans
What characters have dreams for the future? Describe those dreams and plans. Why are these dreams important to the characters?
What happens to those dreams?
How does the title of the book relate to this theme?
Dreams and plans
Many of the characters in the novel have dreams and plans for the future. George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks and Curley’s wife all aspire to something. For these characters, it is these dreams which keep them going. The title of the novel is taken from a Robert Burns poem which says; “The best laid schemes o’ mice and men ‘often go wrong’.”
What are the dreams of the various characters?
How do they go wrong? Why do you think Steinbeck chose this title?
Dreams (American Dream-freedom)
One of the ways the characters combat loneliness and the hopelessness of their lives.
Farm – is shared at first by George and Lennie, then briefly includes Candy and Crooks.
Crooks says “seems like ever’ guy got land in his head” An antidote to disappointment and loneliness for them
Dreams cont. (American- home/land)
Curley’s wife has a fantasy of being a movie star and living a life of luxury. She is not satisfied with life because the reality will never live up to her dreams, None of the characters ever achieve their dreams.
When they have something to strive towards, it gives their lives purpose and meaning.
Cycles
What is a cycle?
Think about the way the book begins and ends.
Find examples of the ways Of Mice and Men is cyclical.
Why do you think Steinbeck chose this cyclical style? How does it reflect the monotony of the characters’ lives?
Cycles
Cycles are repeated ideas or patterns – activities that happen over and over.
Much of the plot in the novel is cyclical, as are the lives of the characters. The story opens and closes in the same place, the men’s lives are a routine of work – earn money – spend money in the flop-house – work. Many of the chapters begin and end in similar ways.
Social Protest/Intolerance
Think about the society in the book. Describe it.
What is wrong with this society?
Are there injustices?
What is Steinbeck trying to say with this novel?
Social Protest/Intolerance
The novel describes a society in which it is extremely difficult to move up and out of one’s position. The ranch hands are trapped with little hope of improving their lives.
The ranch hands are alienated from the land they cultivate, because it’s not theirs.
They are alienated from one another, because of the expectation of independence.
Social Protest/Intolerance
Those who do not fit the norm of the ranch hand are brutally shunned. Prejudices against race, sex, age, and disability are all shown.
Crooks – black man in “white” world Curley’s wife – woman surrounded by men Candy – old man surrounded by younger men Lennie – mentally challenged in “normal” world
Nature
How does Steinbeck use nature in the novel?
Do we see any characters described as something other than human? Similes or metaphor?
Are animals used to foreshadow or symbolize a greater theme?
Nature
World is shown as peaceful, but threatened by the actions of men.
Beginning of novel shows creatures at the pond disturbed by the arrival of George and Lennie.
The ranch and buildings are stark and bleak (created by men) compared to the beauty and complexity of nature.
The animals/natural world are used to symbolize or to foreshadow events in the story.
Snakes and lizards – doom and death Heron eating water snake - death
Nature
Animal imagery is used to introduce Lennie and associations with that animal, such as the bear metaphor – Legendary strength. Bear hug – over-enthusiastic hug and therefore painful – pre-cursor to incident with Curley’s wife. Bear-baiting is effectively the catalyst which propels the plot towards its tragic conclusion.
Nature
Lennie and mice both vulnerable – mice physically, Lennie emotionally Lennie’s childlike “blubberin’” when the mouse is thrown away is further evidence of his emotional vulnerability Lennie is easily susceptible to exploitation.
Multi-colored rabbits at the end of first chapter used to eliminate possibility of any aspect of dream having any realistic meaning – fantasy world of the imagination only
Nature
Rabbits run for cover when situation becomes dangerous. Parallels with description of how “we got to hide in a irrigation ditch all day and…sneak out in the dark.” Probability of this happening again with tragic result.
Tranquility of setting is deceptive. Rabbits presented as innocent, cute and playful in their natural setting, but hint of calm before the storm with hallucinatory, grotesque rabbit of last chapter.