Symbolism In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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There are many different types of symbolism shown in the world today. Many people search for types of symbolism by learning the true meaning of a poem, or by just reading a novel. The men and women on the ranch symbolize the desperate need to achieve the American Dream. They are so desperate to get away from all of the classism and social inequalities of their time. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the men on the ranch view symbolism in many different ways. The boss and Slim symbolize respect in different ways. The boss is described as: “On his head was a soiled brown Stetson hat, and he wore high-heeled boots and spurs to prove he was not a laboring man” (pp. 20). The boss only demands respect through how much money he has, and how he appears. More deeply, the boss represents the upper class of society working to keep the lower class in their place. Furthermore, Slim is described as: “He held a crushed Stetson hat…Like the others he wore blue jeans and a short denim shirt…His authority was so great that his word was taken on by any…” (pp. 33). Slim demonstrates the kind of man or god-like figure that the men would love to be. More deeply, Slim wishes to be respected by his actions, not his money or position in society. Respect in the…show more content…
In Cinderella Man the men and women are desperate to achieve what is known as the American Dream. Cinderella Man symbolizes being alone on an island like most men in he 1930’s. The relationship between the manager and the protagonist in Cinderella Man are vital to the overcome of the great depression. George and Lennie are examples of the manager and protagonist in Cinderella Man, because all the characters in the book and the movie desire the same thing freedom and love. These two cases are similar, because both recall a sort of symbolism for the desire of hope for the American Dream. The men realize their chances are, limited and they must strive there very best to achieve

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