Essay On "Of Mice And Men" Essay

Of Mice and Men

The world is a cruel and ruthless place. Freedom, safety, happiness and satisfaction cannot be found in this world. People try to destroy the ones who are weaker than them. And the strength that they use to oppress others is often born form weakness. That finds expression in John Steibeck’s novel, ‘Of Mice And Men’.
One of the main characters, Lennie, is a big giant, but he is also very dumb. He is incredibly strong, but he cannot control his psychical strength. He is dependent on George, who is his mentor, because he is so simple-minded. He likes to pet soft things, but because he cannot control his strength, he kills all his pets, such as mice and his puppy. He stays the same throughout the novel. He does not go through any development.
George is, in contrast to Lennie, a short and tempered man. His main purpose is to protect Lennie, who is lost without him. Even though he complains about living with Lennie, he is always committed to living with his friend and protecting him. Opposite Lennie, George changes through the novel. In the beginning he is devoted to fulfilling his future dream, living a life of freedom and happiness with Lennie, on their own land. But when he shoots his best friends, he also kills his future dream and furthermore his idea of an idyllic brotherly world.
When all the men are into town, the outcasts of the ranch meet in Crooks’s room. Crooks, who is black, Lennie, who is a bit retarded, Candy, who is old and finally Curley’s Wife, who is a woman. The characters that gather in this scene are all different from the other people on the farm; however, it is in four different ways. In this scene it becomes clear, that it is human to demolish the ones who are weaker than oneself in order to feel more powerful. Even though Crooks has just told Lennie about his own weaknesses – that he is black, lonely and longs for a friend – he starts questioning Lennie about what he would do without George. He makes Lennie despairing as he...