English Essay Explore the way that John Steinbeck presents the relationship between Lennie and George in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’? ‘Of mice and men’ takes place during America’s great depression in the 1930s. John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California and lived through the time of the great depression. He spent some time himself working on a ranch so he understood what life on a ranch was like. In this essay I will be exploring the ways John Steinbeck presents the relationship between George and Lennie, two men with very different characteristics, who together make a good team.
29/9/11 Character Analysis- George George is one of the two characters in the first chapter of ‘Of Mice And Men’. The other man (his best friend) is called Lennie. They traversed together from ranch to ranch to find work. They are called migrant workers. This makes sense because the author John Steinbeck writes about social novels dealing with the economic problems of rural labour.
In the old industries (e.g. raw material industries) there was a low demand because of all the new industries introduced in the 20s. Poor wages and the demolishment of trade unions led to them not having disposable income to spend on luxuries. Also, Black people were continued to be discriminated against, and lived in poverty. Trade The US has not been selling the left over products (due to over-production) to other countries around the world.
How does Steinbeck use the opening setting to engage the reader? ‘Of Mice and Men’ was published in 1937 and was written by John Steinbeck. He drew some of his ideas from his work experiences (manual and unskilled) whilst supporting himself through college. His circular novella follows the lives of George Milton and Lennie Small who were two itinerant workers searching for jobs during the ‘Great American Depression’ of the 1930’s. Life was very hard during this time so people had to find work where they could, however low paid.
George and Lennie's dream, to own a little farm of their own, is so central to ‘Of Mice and Men’ that it appears in some form in five of the six chapters. In fact, the telling of the story, which George has done so often, becomes a ritual between the two men: George provides the narrative, and Lennie, who has difficulty remembering even simple instructions, picks up the refrain by finishing George's sentences. To George, this dream of having their own place means independence, security, being their own boss, and, most importantly, being "somebody." To Lennie, the dream is like the soft animals he pets: It means security, the responsibility of tending to the rabbits, and a sanctuary where he won't have to be afraid. In contrast, this novel illustrates how such dreams were unattainable due to various reasons.
What View of Life On the Ranch Does Steinbeck Present and Develop in ‘Of Mice and Men? ‘Of Mice and Men’ was first published in America in the 1930s, and tells the story of two ranch hands, George and Lennie, and their struggle to achieve ‘The American Dream’. The focus of this dream was that hard work and determine could lead to independence and ownership of a piece of land; this dream was one shared by many migrant workers who wanted the freedom to be self sufficient. The book follows the lives of George and Lennie over a period of three days, detailing the events that occur and the subsequent effects. In this essay I will consider the views of life on the ranch that Steinbeck presents, particularly focussing on how this may be different for the different characters.
'How does Steinbeck develop the character of George and Lennie in of Mice and Men' George and Lennie are examples of 'migrant' or 'itinerant' farmworkers who made possible the intensive farming economy during the 'Great Depression', they would receive two dollars to three dollars a day together with food and lodging. The lifestyle of these workers was being threatened by drastic changes affecting America. One could say that both the characters of George and Lennie are the complete opposites, like a leader and his follower, as George is an intelligent, cynical man who is composed and modest, whereas, Lennie is an ironically named man of large structure and immense strength but with mental limited ability, 'George gonna say I did a bad thing. He ain't gonna let me tend the rabbits'. Lennie develops in the way that a child develops, 'oh please don't do that.
Another guilt which he felt about his family was the fact that because of the convenience of plastics and throw away containers, they had no time really spent together as a family. Even the family dinner was forgone in place of fast-food and take-out. This was also disturbing and worrisome to Beavan since it went against everything his grandparents tried to teach him. Beavan grew up not but a 5 minute walk away from his grandparents and spent a great deal of time with them. Both having been born and lived though the Great Depression, they had a “Waste not, want not.” attitude that they tired to instil in Beavan.
However,things got even worse when some of the villagers refused to evacuate.They intended to stay at their home,including Ishii with her child.They insisted that the mysterious disease had alleviated and they had no relatives to live with if they move to other places. They were right at that point,but something more horrible was waiting... Six years later,the mysterious disease soon forgotten,except for the people of Kagutaba Village,which were affected the worst. But the village had risen. The people worked hard to redevelop the village and more farms were producet to increase their economic status.It brought benefit though as the village has been known for
Railroad companies that charged four times as much as on the East gave farmers incentive to band together in order to combat outrages rates politically (Document D). Freight rates especially hurt farmers, who were far from both buying and selling markets, a clever extortion trick by the railroad companies to force farmers into paying at every occasion (Document F). With over a twenty percent decline in agriculture economy over fifty years, the farming community grew smaller and less organized by the day – an easy target for abusive