John Steinbeck’s “Of mice and men”
Of Mice and Men is set along the Salinas River a few miles south ofSoledad in the fallen world of the Salinas Valley, which Steinbeckplaces “east of Eden” the Promised Land is only a painful and illusorydream. This land is populated by “sons of Cain”, men doomed to walkalone. One of the major themes that comes from this is loneliness, orfear of apartness. One of the themes of Of Mice and Men is that menfear loneliness, that they need someone to be with and to talk to whowill offer understanding and companionship.
Best services for writing your paper according to Trustpilot
Soledad is a Spanish word and translates into English as solitude orloneliness. This country is one of such loneliness that George andLennie stand out sharply because they have one another or, as Georgesays, “We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.
The dream of the farm symbolizes their commitment to each other.George and Lennie’s dream represents a desire to challenge the curseof Cain and fallen man they want to break the pattern of wandering andloneliness and return to the perfect garden. In the real world Georgeand Lennie achieve as much of their dream as possible.
The influence of George and Lennie’s commitment to each other and totheir dream has for just a moment made Slim, Candy, and Crooks, menwho worked at the ranch, broken the grip of loneliness and solitude inwhich they exist. Lennie’s longing for the rabbits and all soft,living things symbolizes the longing all men have for warm, livingcontact.
In the novel is the little spot by the river where the story beginsand ends. It is here we first see George and Lennie enter from thehighway to an outside world. Coming to a cave or thicket by the riversymbolizes …
…” The key word “directly” is used by Steinbeck to place heavyemphasis on Slim’s act. As Of Mice and Men ends, you see George andSlim walking off to have a drink. Steinbeck is placing emphasis on thenew friendship between George and Slim.
This novel began with two men, George and Lennie, climbing down to theriver from the highway and it ends with two men, George and Slim,climbing back up from the river to the highway. The fact that Georgeis not left alone has great significance. In the fallen world of thevalley, where man’s commitment to each other is the onlyunderstandable and obtainable dream, the fact that in the end of thestory as well as in the beginning, two men walking together causesthis book to end on a strong note of hope-the central theme of thisstory, man’s commitment to man (George’s commitment to Lennie), didnot die with Lennie.
