Of Mice and Men Burdens of Responsibility Essay - 1041 Words

Of Mice and Men: Burdens of Responsibility OF MICE AND MEN IS A NOVEL WHICH EXPLORES THE BURDENS OF RESPONSIBILITY AS MUCH AS ITS REWARDS. By evaluating the novel of mice and men carefully I have found that every character in the novel has a facet of life that consists of burdens and responsibilities. The characters in the novel basically have three options in which they can live their lives. They can knuckle down, work hard, keep a positive frame of mind and try earnestly to improve their standard of living. An example of this is would be George Milton and Lennie Small. The other option is to walk around with a chip on their shoulder, not bother to improve oneself but eradicate those around him or her that serve as a frustration or†¦show more content†¦George then shoots Lennie in the back of the head doing whats best for everyone, and Lennie dies in a state of utopia, his reward. An example of Curleys wifes hopes is when she finally finds a person around the ranch who sees her not as an object of lust but someone to talk to. This person is Lennie. Of course he subsequently snaps her neck when they are both in a state of hysteria, but for a brief moment she was a step closer to her hope. Talking to Lennie was her reward in a sense. The responsibilities of friendship, whether it be marriage as with Curley and his wife or mateship as in Lennie and Georges situation, also play a vital role. George and Lennies friendship is an ideal one where they both respect, help and love each other in their eyes. There is an example of this unity at the start of the novel when both George and Lennie are sitting around a fire ready to make dinner. Referring to their baked beans Lennie makes the comment of I like ‘em with ketchup. After this comment George explodes into a verbal rage explaining how he could have so much fun by himself and how much of a burden Lennie is to him. When George finishes his ‘speech Lennie attempts to reconcile by explaining to George how he could go and live in a cave in the hills. This ‘ guilt trip delivers a realisation to George that he has been nasty. They then patch things up by discussing their utopia. Curley and his wifes marriage is filled with mixed emotions and motives. Curley is filledShow MoreRelated Responsibilities Essay572 Words   |  3 Pagesmade in order to accomplish our own goals. We may all have duties that we have to deal w ith just to make it by, but we can acknowledge them through our personal experiences. In, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck creates symbolism through Georges journey leading him to the eventual realization that everyone has responsibilities. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Many themes occur throughout the novel, but one can apply to everyone: we all have tasks we must perform in order to achieve a better life. InitiallyRead MoreSociety In Anthem And John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men815 Words   |  4 Pagesshow society’s true nature. This is displayed best in Ayn Rand’s Anthem and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men; one set in a post-apocalyptic age where man struggles to rebuild and the other set during the Great-Depression. By comparing Ayn Rand’s message concerning the individual in society in Anthem to John Steinbeck’s in Of Mice and Men it is clear that one has a main message that society is a burden to the individual, while the other’s message is that society helps out the individual. As we progressRead MoreNight by Elie Wisel and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck differences and similarites1453 Words   |  6 PagesNight by Elie Wisel and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck are both books that have differences and similarities in the relationships of their main characters. These characters are Elie and his father, which are two Jews trapped in a concentration camp for the book Night. The other book Of Mice and Men includes two other characters, who are Lennie and George. These two characters have very close friendship, and take care of each other. These two relationships differ and coincide, in how they treatRead MoreSociety In John Steinbecks Anthem, By Ayn Rand874 Words   |  4 Pagesand John Steinbeck write about society and its burden on individuals or the individual’s burden to it. Ayn Rand believes that society is a burden to an individual and that said individual owes nothing to society. John Steinbeck believes that the individual can be a burden to society, but that society should still be held responsible for the individual. Both authors exploit society for its wrongs but believe that society holds different responsibilities for individuals. In Ayn Rand’s novel, AnthemRead MoreA Character and Moral Study of George Milton: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck920 Words   |  4 Pageswas drowned out by the lonely road that many men walked in search of jobs. This period showed the true impacts of the loneliness of man and also asked very important questions: are we responsible for the welfare of others? Or is it better to just be alone? In John Steinheck’s novel Of Mice and Men, one of the protagonists, George Milton, struggles with this very concept. Stuck with his disabled best friend, Lennie Small, he feels a sense of responsibility towards Lennie, but also acknowledges how muchRead MoreOf Mice And Men : Exploring The Ways Steinbeck Presents The Ranch1511 Words   |  7 PagesOf Mice and Men essay: Exploring the ways Steinbeck presents the ranch Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in early 1930s and it was published in 1937. During 1930s, America was still suffering from the lack of steady jobs, which made peoples have to travel from town to town to able to seek short term employment. Of Mice and Men based on Steinbeck’s own experience, it is a short book which all the events are happened over the weekend. The title of the novel is taken from Robert Burns’ poem written inRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1093 Words   |  5 PagesBurdens impede and hold us back from achieving our full potential, but to remove them, is difficult and scary. We familiarize ourselves with these encumbrances, making the task of removing them even more challenging. In John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men, George is burdened with the task of caring for and protecting Lennie. Eventually, by killing Lennie, George ends their relationship. When Lennie badgers George for ketchup, George explodes at him, shouting, â€Å"â €˜God a mighty, if I was aloneRead MoreCompare And Contrast The Great Gatsby And Of Mice And Men733 Words   |  3 Pagestheir wildest fantasies beyond childhood? The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck explores this idea in distinctive detail. Gatsby looks into a mysterious man’s life in the 1920s and the secrets behind the extravagant parties he threw for all but himself, and his longing for a true love that consumed his sensibility. Of Mice and Men revolves around two peculiar young men in Great Depression era who worked to earn the money they needed to purchase the land ofRead MoreOf Mice and Men Essay-a Comparison Between Lennie and Candy1408 Words   |  6 PagesThe novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is filled with characters that portray weakness. They are Steinbeck’s commentary on the general attitude towards the â€Å"weak†, and on the stereotype of â€Å"weak†, and perhaps even on the belief of â€Å" survival of the fittest†-social darwinism. Candy’s dog and Lennie are two characters that do so perhaps the most significantly, although in the case of Candy’s dog it is slightly less obvious as he’s not given much of a personality. Upon digging deeper into these two characters,Read MoreOf Mice and Men Alienation1066 Words   |  5 Pagesmasculinity by picking fights. Another way to prove himself is by marrying a physically attractive woman. His wife is never given a name, but by calling her Curley s wife, Steinbeck indicates she is his possession.   Crooks   In John Steinbeck s Of Mice and Men, Crooks, a black stable buck, endures alienation due to racial discrimination. Racial discrimination also hinders him from any type of success. Despite the hardships, he overcomes these obstacles and faces this struggle head on. Forced into isolationism