Of Mice And Men Flashcards
Symbolism :
Animals symbolic to cruelty of life in 1930s
George throws Lennie dead mouse and slim drowns puppies and no-one cares or is surprised-animals aren’t treated nicely or with respect
Carlson kills Candy’s dog for being ‘old’
Animals get treated the same as the weak and vulnerable - candy’s dog and Lennie get both killed with the same gun and shot in the same spot -
Lennie lies ‘without quivering’
Candy’s dog - ‘ wouldn’t even quiver ‘
When animals and people aren’t useful they get rid of
Symbolism of red is the majic colour
Curley wife :
Red nails, red dress, red mules , red feathers
Red symbolises death, sex, violence and danger which she all causes
Symbolism of light and dark of hope and despair
As novel progresses things get darker ‘It’ll be dark before long’
End of novel , Lennie dies and light fully disappears ‘It’ll be dark before long’
Curley wife = darkness = when she enters the bunk house , Steinbeck says she cuts of the ‘rectangle of sunshine ‘ - shows Curley wife will be cut short
Language : No Name
Curley wife and Candy’s dog :
Belong to someone else, no rights , someone else controls their destiny
Language : use realistic language
Swearing = Steinbeck shows realistic ranch hands would say in the 1930s e.e ‘bitch’
1930s lot of racism and sexist language e.e ‘n word ‘ and ‘ bitch ‘
Structure : Nature starts and ends the novel
Starts in life and dreams but ends in tragedy and death
Suggest migrant workers in the 1930s is a cycle with no peace
Structure : written like a play
Each chapter starts in a description and live instructions to a stage designer
Each chapter , one location
Entrances and exits are key moments
Structure : foreshadow suggest the future
Characters haven’t reached their fate
Girl in weed and Curley wife both wear red dresses and end terribly
Lennie fools to hide at the pool at the start of the pool as a escape, lennie then dies there at the end of the book
Lennie violence increases throughout the novel
Dead mice - crushed hand - dead puppy - dead girl
Loneliness and Isolation
Every man are like orphans George- “got no family”
Go to the cat house for companionship but still lonely
Friends are unsual on the ranch “funny how you an’ him string along together”
Crooks forced to be lonely because he’s segregated because he’s black
Crooks used to be lonely, doesn’t want company from Lennie
Curley wife lonely even though married, never seen with Curley but from the end, seeks companionship from other men
No-one can think of a answer to why everyone is loneliness and isolation
George never believed in the dream with Lennie
George still lonely with Lennie “I ain’t got no people” only with Lennie because he’s “used to each other”
Animals are solution but Lennie kills them all and Candy’s dog gets shot
Lonlieness and isolation: looking for companionship
Lennie holding Curley wife and girl in Weed skirt but both end in disaster
Curley wife gets killed looking for companionship
George friend Andy Cushman in San Quentin - “account of a tart”
Dreams
Motivation to work
Curley wife= movie actress - “I coulda made something of myself”
Everyone wants the standard american dream
Crooks knows the realistion of dreams never becoming true
Power
Crooks has the least power, even less than Curley’s wife “ i could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny”
Slim has most power “prince of the ranch” and “God like eyes”, even more than Curley
George makes Lennie have no power because George is in control
