Classics

Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck

Rating:
Auther: John Steinbeck
Age group: Adult
Genre: Adult fiction
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 105
ISBN: 978-0-140-29291-6  
Published: 1937 (originally), 2000 (source copy)
Source: School copy
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'There is no more impressive writer on either side of the Atlantic'
Time and Life

The Blurb

Semi-retarded Lennie is lost without his guardian, George, who feels his slow-witted friend has been delivered into his keeping. Bound by their fragile dream of owning land where they will 'belong', their paradisial future is soon shattered.

Opinions

To be honest with you, I am not really into classics but considering that I really enjoyed reading this book. Although at times it did drag on a bit and I didn't really get the point of it when the tesion started to build up it got really interesting.

The novellas starts with two men crossing the country to on foot to find work. The main charecters are then introduces George Milton being the responsible clever one and Lennie Small being the slow naive one. We see the two men getting work at a ranch and mixing in with them, the auther describes how different people have different behaviours. Steinbeck does this in a way that we feel sympathy for the ranch workers and even the boss who is stuck in this community full of people he doesn't know and only a son for family. In my opinion auther's style of writing is a mix between informal and formal because it is about ranch worker's who aren't very formal themselves but it is a classic so at times with the descripition it does seem formal which suits the intended audience of adults.The accuracy of the book is very good for the time, Steinbeck describes everything in a neutral view and isn't biased to any on any one type of charecter.

Moving on, the story is quite eye opening. When I was readin git I realised how lucky I am to live in this time and how much I take it for granted especially as I am a girl considering Curley's wife didn't even have a name she was Curley's property.

When George and Lennie have settled in on the ranch the plot of the story gets more complicated and we soon find out about Lennie's petting nice things habit, which in my opinion was a very uncreative excuse for their runaway but considering Lennie's state it is reasonable.

To conclude, Of Mice & Men is probably the most enjoyable classic I have read and I reccomend it to you if you like classics and like a bit of a moral in books.

Characters

Lennie - A large, lumbering, childlike migrant worker. Due to his mild mental disability, Lennie completely depends upon George, his friend and traveling companion, for guidance and protection. The two men share a vision of a farm that they will own together, a vision that Lennie believes in wholeheartedly. Gentle and kind, Lennie nevertheless does not understand his own strength. His love of petting soft things, such as small animals, dresses, and people’s hair, leads to disaster.               

George - A small, wiry, quick-witted man who travels with, and cares for, Lennie. Although he frequently speaks of how much better his life would be without his caretaking responsibilities, George is obviously devoted to Lennie. George’s behavior is motivated by the desire to protect Lennie and, eventually, deliver them both to the farm of their dreams. Though George is the source of the often-told story of life on their future farm, it is Lennie’s childlike faith that enables George to actually believe his account of their future.

Candy - An aging ranch handyman, Candy lost his hand in an accident and worries about his future on the ranch. Fearing that his age is making him useless, he seizes on George’s description of the farm he and Lennie will have, offering his life’s savings if he can join George and Lennie in owning the land. The fate of Candy’s ancient dog, which Carlson shoots in the back of the head in an alleged act of mercy, foreshadows the manner of Lennie’s death.

Curley’s wife - The only female character in the story, Curley’s wife is never given a name and is only mentioned in reference to her husband. The men on the farm refer to her as a “tramp,” a “tart,” and a “looloo.”Dressed in fancy, feathered red shoes, she represents the temptation of female sexuality in a male-dominated world. Steinbeck depicts Curley’s wife not as a villain, but rather as a victim. Like the ranch-hands, she is desperately lonely and has broken dreams of a better life.

Crooks - Crooks, the black stable-hand, gets his name from his crooked back. Proud, bitter, and caustically funny, he is isolated from the other men because of the color of his skin. Despite himself, Crooks becomes fond of Lennie, and though he derisively claims to have seen countless men following empty dreams of buying their own land, he asks Lennie if he can go with them and hoe in the garden.           
   

Curley - The boss’s son, Curley wears high-heeled boots to distinguish himself from the field hands. Rumored to be a champion prizefighter, he is a confrontational, mean-spirited, and aggressive young man who seeks to compensate for his small stature by picking fights with larger men. Recently married, Curley is plagued with jealous suspicions and is extremely possessive of his flirtatious young wife.

Slim - A highly skilled mule driver and the acknowledged “prince” of the ranch, Slim is the only character who seems to be at peace with himself. The other characters often look to Slim for advice. For instance, only after Slim agrees that Candy should put his decrepit dog out of its misery does the old man agree to let Carlson shoot it. A quiet, insightful man, Slim alone understands the nature of the bond between George and Lennie, and comforts George at the book’s tragic ending.

Carlson - A ranch-hand, Carlson complains bitterly about Candy’s old, smelly dog. He convinces Candy to put the dog out of its misery. When Candy finally agrees, Carlson promises to execute the task without causing the animal any suffering. Later, George uses Carlson’s gun to shoot Lennie.

The Boss - The stocky, well-dressed man in charge of the ranch, and Curley’s father. He is never named and appears only once, but seems to be a fair-minded man. Candy happily reports that the boss once delivered a gallon of whiskey to the ranch-hands on Christmas Day.

Aunt Clara - Lennie’s aunt, who cared for him until her death, does not actually appear in the work except at the end, as a vision chastising Lennie for causing trouble for George. By all accounts, she was a kind, patient woman who took good care of Lennie and gave him plenty of mice to pet.

Whit - A ranch-hand.

Information provided by Spark Notes.

So guys, now you know what you need to know about this book tell me what you think of it, my review and the characters.... come on get commenting... I DARE YOU!