A Critical Response: “To a Mouse” in Comparison to Of Mice and Men The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was derived from a line the poem “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns. Burns’ poem and Steinbeck’s book have many similarities, but they also have differences. One might wonder how a book about two men in the 1930s was derived by a poem about a field mouse whose home had been destroyed. Though that is the apparent summarization of Burns’ poem, it also has a deeper meaning – one that is not as apparent. The poem “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns is obviously about a man talking to a field mouse whose nest he has just destroyed with a plow.
The reason I think so is because spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects are much more significant than physical aspects. The story Of Mice and Men took place during the Great Depression, where close friendship between people was rare and unusual, and George benefited because he had a companion that traveled with him and always stayed with him. Lennie told George that if he is causing too much trouble for George, he can live in a cave alone, but George did not accept. When George shot Lennie (for Lennie’s benefit) and the friendship ended, George became extremely lonesome and he desired a friend like Lennie. Back to The Mighty, Kevin and Max realized that they had something in common.
In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck the author writes about two migrant workers durning the Great Depression. The protagonist George and Lennie travel from town to town looking for work. George takes care of Lennie who is disabled. They find work in the town of Soledad on a ranch, two of the managers are Slim and Curley. Slim is the Prince of the ranch and is liked by the worker, Curley the boss' son is the true heir apparent and despised by the workers.
The plot of Of Mice and Men deals with two bindlestiff who travel to a each in search of work. While working on the ranch these men meet two very lonely people, These encounters prove the effects of loneliness, and what it can do to a person. One of the major themes of this story is loneliness. The character of Crooks relates to the critical lens because at times he is bitter and puts up a front, yet all he really wants is someone to confide in. For instance, Crooks, lives in the barn by himself.
In the book George and Lennie work on the “Tyler Ranch” in the Salinas Valley, keeping going through the monotonous life with the old-fashioned and misleading “American Dream”. The book details how the dream life the two men dream of having is at times out of reach, tantalizingly close when Candy buys his way into their plans (“S’pose I went in with you guys. That’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in...”) and how the dream is revealed to be false and snatched away at the end of the book with the death of Curley’s wife. In the 1930s the economy was in a bad way in America and most of the sought after land had been taken earlier in the history of the country. The dreams in “Of Mice and Men” are used by Steinbeck to signify characters in the book that have the potential to aspire to something better.
* Wrote short stories in high school – sent some off to a local magazine under a pseudonym. * He discovered the harshness of migrant life and the darker side of humanity whilst he spent his summers as a teenager working on ranches with migrant workers – this material was used in ‘Of Mice and Men’ * Spent 5 years at Standford University, but left without a degree. * Travelled to New York City – did odd jobs whilst trying to write: for example a construction worker and a newspaper reporter. * First novel, ‘Cup of Gold’ published in 1929, followed by many other novels. * In 1934, had to care for elderly parents: wrote by mother’s bedside.
The novella Of Mice and Men was written by John Steinbeck and is about George Milton, a small and quick and dark of face and Lennie Small, a man of tremendous size and has the mind of a young child. George and Lennie travel together to work on farms to make money. With that money, George and Lennie have a plan. They will own an acre of land and shack that they will call their own, until the death of Curley’s wife which leads to the death of Lennie. Death is a major theme in this novella because it includes the death of Candy’s dog and causes the loss of George and Lennie’s dream farm.
Steinbeck had greater success with his subsequent works, particularly the full-length novel “The Grapes of Wrath” (1939), He wrote a number of other novels such as Cannery Row and In Dubious Battle, as well as Short Stories such as The Red Pony and The Pearl. The novel “Of Mice and Men” is set around the time of the dust bowl in the 1930s , this was a huge cloud of dust that descended across the south, this forced workers to migrate as the crops and farms where ruined. The book is a story of hope, friendship and portrays how people would cling onto their American Dream to help them deal with their harsh reality. The “American dream” refers to the idea that suggests that anyone in the US, through hard work has potential to lead a happy, successful life. The book tells the story of two friends, named George and Lennie they are migrant workers, with no money and no home, they are doomed to a life of wandering and toil in which they are never able to reap the fruits of their labour.
George’s Demand for Friendship Companionship and loneliness are things that everyone experience at least one time or another in their lifetime.In the novella Of Mice and Men, the author John Steinbeck demonstrates the necessity for companionship through the struggles of the characters. George’s life could’ve been improved without Lennie, but his longing for friendship, took on the burden of taking care of Lennie .For example, “I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want…An’ that ain’t the worst. You get in trouble .You do bad things and get in trouble“(Steinbeck 11). George felt responsible for taking care of Lennie because, of his childlike state of mind. George knows that Lennie gets in trouble, but the fact that they have each other is worth the work.
“Of Mice and Men” is a novel written by John Steinbeck. It is about two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, who go to work or a ranch in California together. The author sums it up best in the front of the book, “An intimate portrait of two men who cherish the slim bond between them and the dream they share in a world marred by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealously and callousness. George and his simple minded friend Lennie cling to each other in their loneliness and dream, as drifters will, of a place to call their own a couple of acres and a few pigs, chickens and rabbits in the country where land is cheap”. (Steinbeck 3) George is a small man who’s quick with a dark face and restless eyes.