Lennie and George were the two best of friends. Although Lennie, is a main character, he is not very dynamic. “Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with tide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.” (Steinbeck 2). So Lennie was a huge man, that was the complete opposite of his best friend.
At the start of the story, the pair have recently fled from their previous job after Lennie is wrongly accused of raping a young woman, an accusation which puts his life - and quite possibly George’s by association - in danger; they are making their way towards Salinas, California, for a new job bucking barley. In the short span of a few days – and a few chapters – John Steinbeck manages to create not only a gripping, moving tale but one that offers an insightful view into the society of the time and the way it leaves so many of its members behind, unwanted and alone, for want of conformity to what is seen as good and normal and for want of ease in survival. One of the characters who portrays this characteristic of his society best is Crooks, the black stable-hand living in an isolated room adjoining the main barn of the farm, tending the horses and living in a state of general loneliness and bitterness. The source of his name is his crooked back; his real name goes unmentioned or unknown - after all, he
Throughout the course of the novel Of Mice and Men, George shows his heroism as he strives to protect his friend Lennie. While George might be short-tempered and impatient, he is a loving and devoted friend whose frequent protests against life with Lennie never weaken his commitment to protecting his friend. George’s first words, a firm warning to Lennie not to drink so much water at the stream because Lennie could get sick, set the tone of their relationship. As the story progresses, George’s sense of responsibility begins to deepen as he realizes that he holds Lennie’s fate, and ultimately his life, in his hands. During his conversation with Slim when George admits that he once abused Lennie for his own amusement, readers see that George is capable of change and growth.
Lennie is powerfully built and his strength gets him into many sticky situations throughout the book. George, however, is a smaller man who is much weaker than Lennie. In the book, Steinbeck pictures George for the reader as "small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp strong features" (Pg.2). He is Lennie's complete opposite in
Also the fact that he does not respond to the actual context of Daisy’s statement, but rather with his opinion shows his dominance. Fitzgerald evolves the character of Tom into a hulking being. The physicality of Tom is carefully outlined as, “[… a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and supercilious manner” (7). The chosen adjectives all bring attributes of Tom’s physical appearance to life. His steadfast base is unfaltering.
This novel was set during the Great Depression in which the country suffered a great economical down fall. During that time people lost their jobs and became poor. Also at that time it was a man dominated society. Therefore it was very harsh and difficult for the American male workers as they had to travel long distances to find suitable jobs. Also the American dream was a big belief each American had during the time.
To find an excellent example of a man who has, what seems to be, a lifetime of wisdom is Okonkwo from Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”. Unlike the elders among his tribe, Okonkwo is wise in his family, in his work, and in his life. This seems to be ironic in a sense, but usually the hardest of workers and strongest of body, are usually the strongest of heart and mind. Firstly, Okonkwo is wise in the way he treats his family. The man knows how to handle his many wives and children, as should be done in the Ibo tribe.
If excretes realism in the way it characterises life as a constant strain in which one must contend with numerous obstacles, like the protagonists, George and Lennie. The book identifies how men cling to the false hope of impossible dreams in as a source of comfort and security. However as the story progresses we soon learn that this is not the beat way to live your life. Loneliness is a dominant theme in Of Mice and Men. Most of the characters are lonely and searching for someone who can serve as a companion or just as an audience.
Throughout the book we are introduced to many characters that display loneliness and isolation, some more than others. Loneliness and isolation haunts most of the characters throughout the entire book. Furthermore, during the Great Depression, food prices and items increased making it more difficult to get hold of a job at the time. In some cases people would not get work at all, which is why some characters in Of Mice and Men found themselves in a very lonely and isolated environment. In Of Mice and Men, racism is displayed upon the negro on the farm.
* I have excellent ideas. * I am quick to understand things. * I have difficulty understanding abstract ideas. (reversed) * I do not have a good imagination. (reversed) * I am not interested in abstractions.