Idea/concept/theme
Event
Significant character
Technique
Quote
analysis
Dreams/hopes/plans
Lennie’s and georges dream of owning a farm. This then eventually includes candy. Candy’s wife’s dream of being famous in hollywoood is an example of what happens when dreams are broken
Lennie and George George and Lennie share a dream - to own a little patch of land and live on it in freedom. Lennie's main desire is to tend the softhaired rabbits they will keep. George keeps the dream going by knowing of a patch of land that he can buy Crooks Crooks dreams of being seen as equal to everyone else. He knows his civil rights. He remembers fondly his childhood, when he played with white children who came to his family's chicken ranch, and longs for a similar relationship with white people again. Curley’s Wife also had the dream of being a Hollywood star, living the high life “Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes” . “coulda” suggests she really believed it could have happened
Irony George thinks that lennie is the person that is ruining his chances to have a dream but at the end of the book irony is used to show that Lennie was the reason for making the dream worth while: George tells Lennie, ““God God a ‘mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble... you do bad things and I got to get you out”
George said softly, "—I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would." George now knows after Lennie killed Candy’s wife that the dream cant go on and that he was the reason for having it "live off the fatta the lan'" "I done another bad thing." "It don’t make no difference," George said Showing that no matter what geroge did to keep the dream alive the dream is now gone after Lennies death and the death of candy’s wife
Dreams in of mice and men is a major theme. Steinbeck shows that a dream needs to be bbetween 2 people and needs to be shared. The death of lennie ends the dream of owning land and so a new dream must be thought of. Steinbeck also shows that without lennie to drive the dream and ask about the rabbits, George is now more likely to spend the money saved on prostitutes and gambling just like he said he would when frustrated with lennie and threatening to leave
Friendship
Goerge and lennie being on the farm together
George and Lennie need their friendship to survive. Steinbeck stresses that ranch workers are always individuals and that geoge and lennie are “different” because they are together. They seem and act like two halves of the same person, and they know that the other will always have their back. Candy had the friendship with his dog. When Carlson killed his dog Candy was lonely and showed that everybody needs a true friend, candy later admits that he should have killed his dog because that is what a friend does when they are in pain or in trouble it is the nice thing to do
Foreshadowing is used when candy’s dog is killed. The close relationship with candy and his dog is paralled to the close relationship with Lennie and George. This death of candy’s dog foreshadows the death of lennie when he kills candy’s wife.
Dialogue “but I wouldn’t eat none George Id leave it all for you Strong as a bull We kinda look after eachother
George says in the opening scene, "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world...They got no family. They don't belong no place...With us, it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us..." "I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog." (Page 61) This was one of the most important quotes that Candy made. It foreshadowed the end of the story, which was that George would shoot Lennie instead of letting a "stranger" (the other ranch hands, namely Curley) do it. This quote foreshadows this due to the parallelism that is drawn between the relationship of Candy with his dog and the relationship of George
For ranch workers who travel to work are usually from broken famililes and don’t have a family themselves, Steinbeck shows how odd and truly rare it is for lennie and George to have a true and lasting friendship. “I’m soo used to himSteinbeck often states how odd it is through dialogue from other characters. Such as Curley cruelling stating that the two are gay. George confiding in Slim about when Lennie almost drowns show the utmost loyalty that Lennie has to geroge and that there is a mutual dependency between them. The noble and loyal qualities of friendship brought out in geroge and lennie is shown when George shoots lennie to spare him from suffering and is done out of pure love.
with Lennie. “we trave ltogether” Oh so it is that way? Yes its that way
Loneliness
The book being set “a few miles south of soledad” states that the whole ranch is isolated making the characters completely alone and isolated with only each othter to complain about how lonely they are to each other. The bus driver who takes George and Lennie to the ranch also refuses to drive them the whole way there. This gives the impression that the ranch is too far away from anywhere to be important or worth stopping at. Event of putting candy’s dog to death. “ill put the old dog out his misery right now….aint nothing left for him” Carlson thinks
Candy after the death of his dog is incredibly lonely and needs something or someone to keep his mind occupied Candy’s Dog “ ad him since hw was a pup only friend, companion, always been that bond, needs that bond as no “real home”, someone there listening to him if times get ahard. Crooks is lonely because he is black and longs for the days when he could had a friendship with someone even a white person. Crooks sleeps, works and eats in the stable and isn’t allowed to do anything in fear of being beaten and is therefore completely deprived of human company
Steinbeck uses sexual innuendo with candy wearing the glove on his left hand with Vaseline in it. This sexual inunedo is stating that all a wife if for is to have sex with. Steinbeck also uses Setting Soledad meaning lonlieness in Spanish. “few miles south of soledad”
"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world" (13). When talking with Lennie, Crooks says, "I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick" (69). Like the men, Curley's wife is also constantly talking about her loneliness, telling Lennie, "I get lonely [...] You can talk to people, but I can't talk to nobody but Curley" (82). To compensate, she seeks the attention of the workers in an attempt to ease her pain, which ultimately leads to both her own and Lennie's death. Steinbeck shows how destructive loneliness can be through the loss of life and the crushing of dreams.
Predators to the weak
Curley’s Wife is lonely because she does not have anyone to talk to except for curley who is a sick and cruel person who only uses her for food, cleaning and most of all SEX. Curley Wife seeks the companionship with Lennie because she knows he doesn’t have the willpower to stay away from her and even though he is “retarded” he is still someone to talk to. Steinbeck also doesn’t give here a name “a girl was standing there looking in” seen as object. Curley to Lennie White people to black people Throughout the story we come across weakness in characters. These characters prey upon those weaker than themselves as part of their human nature. Curley's wife's threat to the crippled Crooks : 'you keep your place then, Nigger. I could have you
“well she got the eye” Showing that not allow curley’s wife is portrayed as flirtacious she is also very lonely
Metaphor lennie dabbed his big paw in the water. This metaphor stating that lennie is a dog or puppy is showing just how weak and innocent lennie is and that he is always going to be targeted by predators in the real world
Curley's wife's threat to the crippled Crooks: 'you keep your place then, Nigger. I could have you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny.'; this here shows that when one wants to they can all become a predator to the weak and that unfortunately crooks in the book is one of those victims. Crooks also becomes a
strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny.';
Inequality
The discovery of Cirlu’s Wife and the power that curley has over everyone to hunt Lennie and Kill him
Crooks during the 1930s to be black and poor was very bad. Crooks was subject to assaults by the boss and subject to having to eat, sleep and work away from the white men. Curley’s Wife she is discriminated against because she is a women. Curley married her for sex and a housemaid but then visits a brothel on a Saturday night with no hesitation. She is seen as “jail bait” by workers because they value their jobs more than they value her. Lennie lennie sadly is an example of someone who will always be
Setting crooks has to sleep and work away from the other workers sexual innuendo curley wears the glove on his left hand “full of Vaseline”. This innuendo states that Women (curley’s Wife) is only good for SEX.
predator in the book talking to lennie: "Well, s'pose, jus' s'pose he don't come back. What'll you do then?" crooks is envious of the friendship between George and lennie and wants to know what would happen if one was to go away. Curley says he's keepin' that hand soft for his wife."' Curley’s Wife uses her power towards crooks when Crooks says she has no right to be in his room by saying "I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny." Curley's wife is abusing her power by using it to threaten Crooks and make him understand what kind of position he is in.
The power of employers and family members is represented through curly and the boss. The boss is very clear in the power that he has over everyone on the ranch through the one and only appearance in the book at the interview. George, lennie and candy all worry about getting the sack and all worry that the “predators” (boss and curley) will not care for them and use their power to hurt or disturb them/. Curley’s Wife is subject to a lot of inequality throughout the book. She is not given a name to make her represent every female in America during
targeted for inequality because they are mentally or physically unable to do the same jobs. Lennie needs George to look after him and because George is not their when Curley’s wife is talking to him this leads to her death.
the 1930s and how they are affected.
