Of Mice and Men Book Review

883 Words4 Pages
Of Mice and Men, world renowned American novel, by award winning author, John Steinbeck, was first published in 1937. Of Mice and Men, was one of Steinbeck’s most famous works and prominently known as a Great American literary classic. The novel was based on the author’s own experiences, working as a bindle stiff during the 1920’s, during which he encountered a mentally disabled man of which he based the character Lennie in his novel. The title of the book is taken from the poem ‘To a Mouse’ by Robert Burn, ‘The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry’. Of Mice and Men addresses the real hopes and dreams of working class America, during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. The novel is a touching story of an undying dream, betrayal, tragedy and the perpetual friendship between two men. Of Mice and Men, is a story about Lennie Small and George Milton, displaced ranch labourers during the Great Depression in California. These are two very different characters; the novel describes them as opposites. Lennie is very large and burly while George is 'small and quick'. Throughout the book they wear similar clothing, however as the film has to rely on devices and stereotypes to pass the message across quickly, with the mentality of a child they dress Lennie in dungarees to show how different the two men really are and to show the childlikeness of Lennie. The story unfolds as the men are making their way across the countryside to a ranch, where they seek employment. It is here in the opening scene, which we gain an insight of the relationship between the two men and their various differences. Despite their countless and vast dissimilarities, they share a well-established and deep friendship. What George does possess, is a strong devotion to care for Lennie to the best of his ability. However, due to Lennie’s size and impairment, he unintentionally creates
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