SYMB MBOLI SM I N‘ OFMI MI CEANDMEN’ Symbols Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colours used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Char act er sasar chet ypes While Of Mice and Men occurs Men occurs in a very specific time and place, each of the characters can be thought of as symbolizing broader populations. Though the book is not an allegory, and each character can stand alone as simply a character, there’s there’s still something to be gained by looking at each character as representative of their larger group. Here we go. Lennie is symbolic of the archetypal wise fool, who is mentally inferior but able to reveal the best and the worst of others. Lennie’s foolishness often allows him to speak honestly where others won’t, and he sometimes taps into things that normal people can’t !like the fact that the ranch isn’t a good place for him and "eorge to be hanging out#. Lennie is also symbolic of people who are mistreated and discriminated against because of their mental handicaps. $urley’s wife is symbolic of %ve & the female character who, in the 'iblical story, story, brings sin and death to the world. (he is also symbolic of women everywhere who are repressed by male)centered societies. $urley is symbolic of small people who may feel inferior and overcompensate by inflating or flaunting their power and status. $rooks is symbolic of people who are discriminated against because of their race. $andy is symbolic of people who are undervalued and discriminated against because of their age. $arlson is symbolic of people who are oblivious to the feelings of others, and who can only be concerned about something if it affects them personally. (lim is symbolic of the archetype of the hero, king, or leader. He represents those few who, in their wisdom and strength, seem larger than life. "eorge is symbolic of the everyman & the type of normal, average person who is found everywhere and whose feelings and actions are neither e*ceptional nor terrible. He is the character with whom most readers will identify, as he symbolizes the difficulty of trudging through the everyday world !and e*traordinary situations# when you’re +ust an ordinary guy.
Set t i ngsassymbol s The pool by the river is the place where Lennie and "eorge’s story begins and ends. t is a safe sanctuary to meet and a place free from society, where Lennie and "eorge can be themselves. What happens in the grove stays in the grove. This is where the story is born and where the dream farm and Lennie meet their end. The bunkhouse represents the spot where conflict is most evident. $ruelty, violence, +ealousy, and suspicion all arise here. $rooks’s room represents the retreat !and the +ail cell# of the repressed. Here we see the most obvious manifestations of discrimination- name calling, isolation, fear, and the threat of death. The barn is representative of a supposedly safe place where animals can find shelter and warmth. t is a man)made place where humans take care of animals, which is symbolically ironic because it is where Lennie kills his puppy and $urley’s wife. The dream farm is symbolic of Lennie and "eorge’s friendship. t is the thing that ties them together and keeps them working, even when times are hard. t is also their personal form of religion, with the re)telling of the dream serving as a form of litany or catechism. t is, ultimately, their version of heaven, so that when Lennie kills a human being, their chances of going there are forever ruined.
Ra bbi t s abbits represent Lennie’s dreams and the impossibility of their fulfillment. abbits are a simple summation of everything Lennie hopes for, revealing his very simple thinking. %ven when "eorge first tells the story of the dream farm, it’s at Lennie’s prompting to tell him about the rabbits. /or "eorge, the farm is all sorts of freedom and happiness, but for Lennie, it is simply access to soft things. "iven the evidence, the audience knows these rabbits will likely be added to Lennie’s telltale trail of small and dead animals, symbolizing Lennie’s inability to see patterns in his life and to recognize that failure is imminent. The rabbits are emblematic of a simple and idyllic life, but rabbits are a fraught symbol- we know Lennie is e*cited about them because they’ll be furry and lovely to pet, but we also know that Lennie tends to hurt whatever he pets. This doesn’t bode well for him and he knows it, hence the large, scary, vitriolic rabbit at the end of the story. That rabbit announces that Lennie isn’t fit to lick the boots of a rabbit, but that the bunny comes from Lennie’s own mind suggests that he knows deep down he’ll never have his dream. The fact that rabbits never actually appear in the book !though they figure so heavily# highlights the unfortunate reality that Lennie’s dreams can never materialize.
Mi ce
0ice represent the false hope of a safe space for Lennie. The title is a good hint that mice are important here, but the first mouse we encounter is a dead one. 1ctually, it’s a dead one that Lennie keeps in his pocket to pet. This is a huge clue- Lennie doesn’t care much about death, and he’s more concerned with comfort & remembering this makes Lennie’s death a bit more palatable. He’ll be more comfortable if dead by his friend’s gentle hand than with a violent end from $urley or the cage of an asylum. 0ice are a source of comfort for Lennie, as he links them to his nice 1unt $lara. n fact they’re all he really remembers of her. 'ut in addition to this warm reminder, mice also make it clear that Lennie suffers from the problem of hurting what he loves. He likes to pet soft things, which leads him to kill mice, his puppy, and $urley’s wife2 thus Lennie’s happiness tends to end in some form of suffering. Like Lennie, mice suffer because they’re small- a mouse’s physical smallness leaves it vulnerable, while Lennie’s mental smallness is his undoing. /inally, coming back to the title, mice, like men, suffer from the randomness of destiny. 1s the 'urns poem goes, both mice and men are victim to their best laid plans going awry. /rom the largest to the smallest creature, the most important to the least important man, destiny doesn’t discriminate in laying out cruel fates. (o at the end of the day, Lennie is in his own way much like a mouse & killed because of his vulnerability, and in spite of his innocence.
George and Lennie’s Farm The farm that "eorge constantly describes to Lennie3those few acres of land on which they will grow their own food and tend their own livestock3is one of the most powerful symbols in the book. t seduces not only the other characters but also the reader, who, like the men, wants to believe in the possibility of the free, idyllic life it promises. $andy is immediately drawn in by the dream, and even the cynical $rooks hopes that Lennie and "eorge will let him live there too. 1 paradise for men who want to be masters of their own lives, the farm represents the possibility of freedom, self)reliance, and protection from the cruelties of the world. Lennie’s Puppy Lennie’s puppy is one of several symbols that represent the victory of the strong over the weak. Lennie kills the puppy accidentally, as he has killed many mice before, by virtue of his failure to recognize his own strength. 1lthough no other character can match Lennie’s physical strength, the huge Lennie will soon meet a fate similar to that of his small puppy. Like an innocent animal, Lennie is unaware of the vicious, predatory powers that surround him. Candy’s Dog n the world Of Mice and Men describes, $andy’s dog represents the fate awaiting anyone who has outlived his or her purpose. 4nce a fine sheepdog, useful on the ranch, $andy’s mutt is now debilitated by age. $andy’s sentimental attachment to the animal3his plea that $arlson let the dog live for no other reason than that $andy raised it from a puppy3means nothing at all on the ranch. 1lthough $arlson promises to kill the dog painlessly, his insistence that the old animal
must die supports a cruel natural law that the strong will dispose of the weak. $andy internalizes this lesson, for he fears that he himself is nearing an age when he will no longer be useful at the ranch, and therefore no longer welcome.
THE ALLEGORICAL NATURE OF ‘OF MICE AND MEN’
An allegory is a story that uses character types to represent specific ideas and create a universal message. In Of Mice and Men , Steinbeck uses his characters, locations, animal imagery, and a simple game of cards to demonstrate to his readers that most people dream about lives of great significance. But in reality, most humans' limitations keep these dreams from coming true, and in the long run, they are destined to experience common lives.
George and ennie are the only t!o characters in the novel !ho are explained in any detail. "he other characters are all #types,# or people !hom the reader might recogni$e as one of a certain group. %ven the names of the characters, short and descriptive, say something about them. ennie Small, for instance, is anything but small physically, and other characters seem to notice and comment on that. &is brain is small and his ability to reason is small, but his body is huge and very po!erful. urley's !ife has no name, indicating her po!erless position on the ranch.
%ach of the characters represents a kind of person in American society and often one that is a victim of discrimination. (or example, rooks represents a segment of American society that is discriminated against because of race) urley's !ife, because of gender) andy, because of old age and physical handicap. arlson is a perfect example of a selfish oaf, interested only in his creature comforts and oblivious to any one else's feelings. Slim is the consummate example of understanding and gentleness beneath a !ise and experienced exterior. "he pugnacious urley is the little guy !ho loves to flaunt his po!er and status. %ach of these minor characters impact, negatively or positively, ennie and George's dream of having their o!n farm. "he pool described in the first paragraph of the novel is a place of sanctuary. A!ay from the !orld of humans, #the Salinas *iver drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. "he !ater is !arm too, for it has slipped t!inkling over the yello! sands in the sunlight before reaching the narro! pool.# Steinbeck goes on to describe the #strong and rocky# Gabilan +ountains and the #golden foothill slopes.# A gentle bree$e and fresh, green !illo! trees line the
pool. In this place of sanctuary, George and ennie enoy one last night before going in to the ranch. &ere there are no voices, no #scary things# for ennie, no hurry, and no concerns about !ork But the pool represents another kind of sanctuary. George asks ennie if he can remember this place, especially since it is on the river, an easy sign for ennie to follo!. George repeats several times his directions to ennie- #ennie if you us' happen to get in trouble like you al!ays done before, I !ant you to come right here an' hide in the brush / till I come for you.# "his is the place !here ennie can come and George can meet him and help him again as he did !hen ennie got in trouble in 0eed. If necessary, the pool !ill be their meeting place so they can get a!ay once again. ater, !hen the doomed ennie returns to the pool, he sadly repeats, #I di'n't forget, you bet. God damn. &ide in the brush an' !ait for George.# (or ennie, this is !here George !ill make everything right, and he !ill be safe. 0hile this is also the place !here ennie's dream !ill die, it !ill do so !ith peace and tran1uility, at least in ennie's mind. 0hen George describes the dream, later at this pool, the atmosphere of nature and its beauty obviously inspire his !ords. &e tells ennie, #2ou / an' me. %ver'body gonna be nice to you. Ain't gonna be no more trouble. 3obody gonna hurt nobody nor steal from 'em.# 3o! this place has also become enmeshed in the retelling of the dream that !ill bring them better lives. And even though !e kno! that the dream is retold here !ith another meaning for George, !e also see that ennie hears the story once again !ith eagerness in his voice and anticipation in his !ords. &ere, in this beautiful place, George !ill save ennie from the cruelty of urley and help him die !ith his picture of their farm in his head. "he dream farm is another location) it does not exist in reality but is very real in the minds of ennie and, eventually, George. It becomes a symbol for their relationship, and the retelling of the dream has become a ritual. "his is the place !here George and ennie !ill have self4respect and independence. "hey !ill live off the fat of the land, and no one !ill tell them !hat to do. ennie can have !hat he likes the best soft rabbits to pet and he !ill feel safe. George can have a more normal life that involves putting do!n roots and staying in one place. At the farm, George !ill also have an easier time keeping track of ennie. 0hen andy offers the money to put do!n a payment, the symbol begins to become a reality. 5nfortunately, the dream is an enchanted concept, and once its reality becomes possible, it begins to die. In opposition to these t!o positive symbols is the bunkhouse, !hich represents the cruel !orld of reality. %ven ennie, !ith his mental handicap, can intuitively feel that the bunkhouse is not a
good place. After meeting urley, ennie tells George, #I don't like this place, George. "his ain't no good place. I !anna get outa here.# And as soon as urley's !ife comes alone to the bunkhouse, George kno!s exactly !here the trouble is going to originate. &e cautions ennie not to talk to urley's !ife and to stay a!ay from urley. It is also in the bunkhouse that !e see discrimination 6against andy and rooks7, cruelty 6urley's !ife's attack on rooks and urley's attack on ennie7, insensitivity 6arlson's killing andy's dog7, and suspicion 6urley's ealousy, several characters presumptions about !hy ennie and George are traveling together7. "his is also a !orld in !hich fate often plays a hand, and the humans are fre1uently defenceless and see their #best laid plans# go a!ry. Steinbeck also uses animal images in his story. +ost often applied to ennie, imagery is particularly apparent in his physical description. &is hands are called #pa!s# and indicate trouble !hen he uses them. &e lumbers along like a bear in Steinbeck's earliest descriptions of him. ennie is also associated !ith rabbits, !hich are part of his dream 6he !ill get to tend them on the farm7 and because they are soft things he likes to pet. *abbits also symboli$e his reali$ation that he is in trouble) if ennie does #a bad thing,# George !ill not let him tend the rabbits. In the last scene, !hen ennie is at the pool, !aiting for George, a rabbit appears to him, berating him and telling him that George !ill not let him care for the rabbits. In addition, ennie's loyalty to George is fre1uently described like that of a dog, especially a terrier. Steinbeck chose these images because they connote particular traits- unleashed po!er, conscience, and loyalty. In this !ay, it helps the reader understand ennie and !hy he often acts instinctively. Steinbeck is often described by critics as a believer in a #non4teleological !orld.# "his is a !orld !here chance plays a maor role. It is chance, for instance, that Slim happens to be in the barn !hen urley comes into the bunkhouse looking for his !ife. It is also chance that George is absent from the barn !hen ennie is burying his pup and urley's !ife comes in. Steinbeck tries to sho! that man cannot understand everything that happens, nor can he control the !orld around him. (or this reason, events often appear to be random. George's Solitaire game in the bunkhouse is exactly that. It symboli$es the random appearance of events ust as cards are dra!n out at random from the deck. All is a matter of chance in Solitaire, and the same is true of the events in the book that Steinbeck thought about titling #Something "hat &appened.# "he isolation of the ranch and the interplay of personalities in the bunkhouse also contribute to the idea of chance. "he !orld is unpredictable, and in this setting, plans often #go a!ry.#
&ands are also used symbolically throughout the novel. "he men on the ranch are called #hands,# indicating that each has a ob to do to make the ranch !ork as a !hole. "his takes a!ay their humanity and individual personalities. "hey are !orkers, not men. ennie's hands, or pa!s, are symbols of trouble. 0henever he uses them as he does on urley trouble ensues. andy's missing hand is a symbol of his helplessness in the face of advancing old age and his fear that he !ill be deemed useless and fired !hen only one hand is not enough. George's hands are small and strong, the hands of a doer and planner. urley's hands are mean and cruel and one, of course, is crushed in the machine that is ennie) urley's hand that he keeps soft for his !ife is a symbol of his impotence and inability to satisfy his !ife sexually. rooks' hands are pink, and urley's !ife's hands have red nails. Slim has large, skillful hands like those of #a temple dancer.# "he hand images represent the essence of each person.