For such a short book (at barely 100 pages in my version), Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck weighs in as an emotional heavyweight. Many readers attest to this story's ability to make them feel, or give them the feels.
So, how did that happen with such a slim novel?
Four things that truly make this little masterpiece the emotional gut-punch it is:
- Character motivations. It's what Lennie, George, Candy, Crooks and all of the many other characters want. Particularly for George and Lennie, it's to live off the "fadda the land" and have rabbits and a stretch to grow hay; a little piece of their own, to call their own, and to live. Away from the pressures and neverending problems of other people and bosses and their misperceptions. Who wouldn't want that? Is it so wrong to want something so innocent?
- Scene setting. The first page says it all. Steinbeck begins by explaining a spot by a river, where a heron and a hare and a squirrel are doing their thing, the light of a setting sun on the hills above, the flow of the water. Steinbeck "sets the scene" at multiple points through the book, often allowing the characters to walk away, and even all people leave, and he just lets the scene — that sense of place — speak for itself.
- A malleable moral core. No spoiler here, but the crux of George and Lennie's relationship steers them toward what-feels-like an inevitable outcome. We should've seen it coming! But, even when it happens, at the end of the book, we're still sucker-punched with the moral weight of Steinbeck's character's tough and awful and unavoidable decisions. (Also see Cain and Abel tie-in here.)
- Reflection. I don't know what else to call it, but it's when one act in one part of the story is reflected, metaphorically, in another part of the story. So when Steinbeck shows us Candy's old, old dog that ought to be just put out of its misery, he's putting that into the story for a reason. When Steinbeck introduces us to the spot by the river in the beginning, he does so for a reason. The entire story, despite its shortness, is filled with such reflectivity, which means it's filled with well-thoughout purpose and symmetry.
That's what I take away from Of Mice and Men, how it's able to hit the heart even after going on nearly a century since its publication. It's a book about innocence, loneliness, loss, and a sense of being misunderstood by everyone else. All any of us wants is a little spot of our own — but do we deser
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Maybe I’m not the target demographic for this subreddit, as I’ve never really been much of a fan of reading and writing, but I’d still like to talk about this book. Of all the books I’ve been forced to read for school, this is the only one that’s every really caught my attention. The English is understandable, the characters are like-able(and if they’re not supposed to be I feel the way I’m supposed to feel about them) and it makes the tragic downfall of the main characters all the more interesting. I’m really in the mood to talk about it, so if any of you guys have any opinions or interesting things to know about the book. I’d really like to discuss it!
I just finished this for the first time. First Steinbeck, actually. And I’m 30, not sure how it took this long.
Holy crap was that powerful. That’s a book that will stay with me for a while. I read it in one sitting and love so much about it.
I want to call attention to a couple things:
The parallel structure is almost poetic, like an ABCDDCBA set up. Starts and ends in the same place with Lenny asking about the farm (A) a mercy killing (B) Curley/Lennie conflict (D) Curley’s Wife flirts with Lenny (D). It’s obviously not super precise but I loved that.
I also loved the look at mental illness in the 30s, that was incredible. I’ve worked with people with mental illness (usually autism) and it’s spot one. Does anyone know if Steinbeck had any direct experience with mental illness because oh damn did he nail it.
I cried at the end.
Needed to share- thanks for reading!
That being said, I kinda now want Level 4 Bell to meet Lennie.
Maybe Lennie could now tend to a rabbit, like he always dreamed of. Bell is a Level 4 adventurer with a god's falna. I'm pretty sure he could survive being petted by Lennie.
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Premise: Hank and Dale swap parental roles to take care of the others child. Even though it works out well for the adults, who find more in common with their neighbors children then their own, it hurts Bobby and Joseph's feelings. But can you blame them? Dale in particular can't help but be bothered by how different him and Joseph really are. Upon exploring for an underlying reason Dale realizes that he did not have sex with Nancy anywhere near the time Joseph was conceived. Remembering that John Redcorn was "guarding" his wife at the time, he accepts the only obvious answer; Joseph is the spawn of a space alien that stealthily inseminated his Nancy.
https://preview.redd.it/vcdibhzx1qg31.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=881ea8b205abca85088736c2079116d69573bf53
Directed By: Shaun Cashman and Klay Hall
Written By: Sivert Glarum, Michael Jamin, Emily Spivey, Mike Judge, and Greg Daniels
Original Date: 07 April 2002
Fun Fact: In this episode, Joseph is playing lacrosse and is a natural at it. Lacrosse is a game invented by Native Americans. Native Americans like John Redcorn.
Hey all,
I am doing a station rotation with my students so they can get more background knowledge on the setting and any important info they need to know.
Station 1: Pictures of migrants workers in the 1930s and present day migrant workers. They have to come up with a list of challenges they believe they face.
Station 2: Anticipation guide + discussion with group
Station 3: This is where I need help. I always like to incorporate a video on laptops so that the noise level isn't too high, while also trying new modalities. Can anyone suggest a video between 5-8 minutes that students can watch?
I’ve been trying to find at least one person who hates it too but nope, everyone thinks it’s a masterpiece. I think it’s a boring, awfully predictable plot whose only unexpected moment is the tearjerker ending that is so, so easily avoidable.
I don’t know why I’ve been fuming over this darn book. Guess depressing books whose lessons can only be learned if you really squint, and even then the lesson’s basically “give up on your dreams”, is just what everyone loves. What little hope the characters are given, it’s just thrown away, stepped on, spit on, burned at the stake and thrown in the river.
The characters are so damn dumb sometimes it’s laughable. The author throws in half ass excuses for characters to do stupid shit and surprise, they win stupid prizes.
I did a literary analysis of this book and I tried for months to like it. Nope. It’s just such a downer and pessimistic that I can’t bring myself to enjoy its contents. I don’t care if it even has a good lesson hidden in there, I didn’t find it after three readings of it without some serious jumping-to-conclusions tomfoolery and I sure as hell ain’t reading it again.
Last one of these games. Keep it classy but keep it a little sassy. Not much hockey left on this side of the year - let's make it worth our time.
GO AVS
Oh, the disgrace when you realise the one you thought was a prince is actually a frog. There’s no one there interested in discussing life, death, angst and poetry in front of the fireplace with a bottle of wine. You just wanted to have sex with an older woman. And your ego liked the attention. You don’t have pearls to barter with me.
