Lit Analysis #2

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
1. Of Mice and Men is the story of two unemployed travelers named George and Lennie. George is a small man with a big heart. Lennie on the other hand is a very big man which is very dangerous considering he's mentally challenged. In the beginning of the book, Lennie unintentionally killed a small mouse due to his lack of control. Despite not knowing his own strength or how to control it, Lennie is a overall sweet and innocent character. They both share a dream to own land and grow crops of their own when they can obtain more money. Sadly finding jobs isn't so easy with Lennie's state of mental health, he constantly hurts others unintentionally and it makes it very hard for the two to secure a nice job. Eventually the two find work on a ranch where they quickly befriend the other laborers with the help of Candy, a man who too shares the friends dream. Things seem to be running smoothly for Lennie and George until they meet Curley and his very friendly wife.  Curley's wife makes advances on both George and Lennie, which lead her to her accidental death caused by Lennie. Due to Lennie's lack of self-control, he end's up breaking Curley's wife's neck and becoming the target of every laborer on the ranch. He leaves the ranch in a panic and is later found by George. George is aware that Lennie's only chance of freedom is death so George mercifully kills Lennie himself to save him from a brutal murder by the ranch laborers.

2. The theme is friendship. George sticks by Lennie through thick and thin even in knowing he could be more successful without him by his side. Even though George killed Lennie in the end, it was only to save Lennie from himself.

3. The author used the feeling of loneliness and feeling lost for his tone.

"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They ain't got no family. They don't belong no place . . ."

4.
-Imagery
-Personification
-Flashback
-Foreshadowing
-Symbolism
-Dialogue
-Oxymoron
-Microcosim
-Ethos
-Pathos