Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers

"The best laid schemes omice and workforceOften go awryAnd leave us nought notwithstanding grief and painFor promised joy"-Robert BurnsWriters throughout history beat often written nearly the plight in which the American tidy sum have had to endure. John Steinbeck, an influential author during the 1940s and 1930s, focused primarily on the lives and problems of migrant workers. His novels hit close to home, not only for himself, but for thousands across the nation. Steinbeck received inspiration, as well as the title, for his novel Of Mice and Men from a Robert Burns poem. This poem is the underlying frame of his book. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck champions the underdog who, though denied advance to the American dream, develops his own coping mechanisms for survival.Of Mice and Men centers around the nomadic life-style of two Californian migrant workers Lennie, who is mentally retarded, and George, who serves as Lennies protector and provider. Lennies stop seems to be a constant threat to the pairs jobs. The book opens with George and Lennie walking to a new ranch. The reader finds out later that Lennies love to touch kooky things lost them their last jobs. They finally arrive to the ranch to find friendly, and therefore not-so-friendly faces. One of Steinbecks purposes for writing Of Mice and Men is to illustrate the trials and tribulations certain individuals must overcome. For Crooks, the black stable buck, it is the oppression he faces be author of the color of his skin. Steinbeck quite frequently states the acid conditions under which Crooks must live. "Little skinner name of Smitty took after the ni**er. Done pretty good, too. The guys wouldnt let him use his feet....If he could used his feet, Smitty says he woulda killed the ni**er." (20) This quote is a prime example of how African-Americans were viewed. However, Crooks holds to some dignity. "I aint sure I want you in here no more. A colored man got to have some rights even if he dont alike(p) em." (82)Lennie, a main focus of the novel, is a main character for a reason. Steinbeck uses Lennies character in order to show how American society act to ignore mental retardation and continued to live in ignorance about the disability. Steinbeck portrays Lennie as a constant burden on George. He is the cause of their having to switch jobs. George feels he must intercommunicate to bosses for Lennie, because Lennie is not able to speak intelligently for himself.