Themes Flashcards
Name all themes in OMAM
Cyclical Nature of Existance, Meritocracy,Survival of the fittest Loneliness, The American Dream, Racism
How is The Cyclical Nature Of Existence shown in OMAM
Steinbeck effectively ises a cyclical structure to help the reader undertsnad that the charcaters who are living in the harah setting of the ranch are UNABLE to escape theor fate. For ranch workers, A cycle of hard and constant work. For Lennie, its his mentally weak understanding of how the world works leading him to repeat his crimes, unknowing the consequences of his actions. George was able to end this cycle, killing lennie as an act of mercy and kindness
How is curleys wife, George and Lennie stuckn in the cyclical nature of existence.
Curleys wife- she is trapped as her life is filled with monotonous days. She is not allowed to cultivate friendships with the ranch workers and the rwnch workers are not allowed to cultivate frienships with her with fear of reprisals from Curley. Meaning Curleys wife is limited to what she can do.
George and lennie-The novel in Of mice and men specifically structures itsely to emphasize this point of repetition. Of mice and men starts and ends in the same place with the same characters. George and lennie dream was the idealstic world of any man who lived in the great depression. But at the beggining of the novel, it started with the use of imagery to describe a riverbank. At the end of the Novel george and lennie seemed to have gone a full circle and back to the riverbank ending with lennies mercy killing. One man seemed to espade this aspect. Lennie. On,y by death.
How is The American Dream shown in OMAM
The american dream is the ideal state of which an american person should become throughout their lifetime. It is shown through peoples desperation to live a good life, flee from the harsh environments. This is also shown thriugh george and lennie constantly mentioning to live of the fat off the land.
What is meritocracy
A political philosophy that power should be vested into those of talent effort and achievement rather than gender, race or wealth. It is based of off your peformance
How is meritocracy shown in OMAM
Slim best illustrates Meritocracy as he is a well respected man. This is because of his actions, his peformance on the ranch, his effort, rather than something he was born with like wealth, his gender and his race. Racism in linked towards Meritocracy as it is what you are born with, what you cannot change, makes you oppressed. Even if you worked hard you would be discriminated like Crooks.
Why is loneliness involved within OMAM
Loneliness or segregation was prominent in the 1930’s as during the Great Depression had no trust within each other and were distant, leading to the isolation between characters. Crooks best describes Loneliness as he could not live sleep or with ranch workers. He is discriminated upon the other ranch workers to show their superiority creating tension and a sense of segregation.When people like Lennie approach Crooks, Crooks, retaliates with hostility, representing the damaging effects of loneliness. Loneliness symbolises how humanity will place other humans as worthless because of their dominant nature.
What is The Survival Of The Fittest
The term survival of the fittest is meant on how organisms and humans best adjust towards their environments are most succesful. The best example of Survival of the fittest is Candy’s dog.
Why does Candy’s dog struggle with survival of the fittest
The survival of the fittest links towards the value of people and Candy’s dog who was nearing the end of his life, clearly demonstrated his worth which was extremely low. To candy he did not want to let go but Carlson was acting decisive, strongly arguing with candy to kill his dog.Steinbeck shows the consequence of if you have no value, you simply have no purpose or dont make it. He is pureky shot because he is old. Slim has value, therefore he is respected.
Why is the cyclical nature of existence important?
Initally john steinbeck demonstrates that cyclical aspects in Of Mice and Men are important parts of the natural world. The author uses the presence of cucles to build up sympathy for specific chaacters, reveal human weaknesses, and provise readers with a big poctire behind individuals suffering. It includes yhe cyclical nature of existence, Lennies cycle of thoughts and the cycle of george and lennies lives
