• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

John Steinbeck: Of Mice and Men

M

MiKi

New Member
This post contains SPOILER information that may ruin your enjoyment of 'Of Mice and Men' if you haven't read it.

I just finished reading Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, and thought it was an exceptional book. If you've read the book, I am curious to know what you thought the themes in the book were, as well as the main point. I'm also interested in other people's perceptions of the roles of some of the characters.

Slim was a character who I found quite interesting. Do you think he was there to balance out the personalities of Lennie and George? And do you think he was also used to cushion the blow of Lennie's death for George?

Please post your overall thoughts on the book! It would be much appreciated to hear other people's opinions!
 
Miki,

It may be an idea to edit your post above and put the ending of the book as a spoiler warning - this way it won't ruin the enjoyment and ending for others who haven't yet read the book.

This post contains SPOILER information that may ruin your enjoyment of 'Of Mice and Men' if you haven't read it.

Many people class this novel as very pessimistic, yet I don't see Of Mice and Men being particularly pessimistic, and, if I were to find a degoratory term, I would call it slightly depressing instead - athough even then it is nowhere near as gloomy as some other pieces of fiction, such as Jude the Obscure. This novel, to me, is basically about reality. We all have dreams that we strive to work towards and it's these dreams and that keep us alive because, basically, if we didn't have anything to aspire to, what would be the point of living?

The tragedy of the story is based upon its reality. George is lumbered with Lennie, someone he can't abandon, and it's Lennie's actions which prevent George from actually fulfilling his dream. However, when George kills Lennie, it does not mean that he has shed his burden and can, therefore, go on to buy the farm, it simply means he is now the same as those who he was working with, that is lonely and in need of a change to his life. Lennie was the only thing that was keeping George seperate to the others, in that they had each other. You notice as well throughout the novel that it's not just George and Lennie who have this need for a change that they are working towards, this is shown in all of Steinbecks characters including Slim, Curly and Curly's wife. Each of these characters are striving towards something that they want, and that they think will change their lives.

Reality, basically dismissing the idea of the 'American Dream' which indicates to me that we need to make sacrifices in order to survive, we need to be burdened with something that makes our lives a little more difficult if we are ever going to realise our dreams.

A pessimistic view would be that there is no point in trying.

Mxx
 
Wow ok so this thread is really old but I just read the book and I figured it would probably be better than making a whole new thread, eh? :rolleyes:

Blah blah blah....this post contains spoiler information that might ruin the book Of Mice and Men if you haven't read it yet. ;)


I actually really enjoyed this book. Heh I finally understand now the characters in the cartoons...."Which way did he go, George, which way did he go George?" (I know Lennie never actually said it in the book, but the cartoon characters always did lol) and "I want to pet it and hug it and squeeze it" kinda thing. I'm guessing its from Lennie's character in this book.

I agree with murphyz that the book was about the american dream, etc., and I liked how he kinda let us have a glimpse into all of the characters lives(Crooks, Curly's Wife, Candy), mostly by using Lennie as the 'listener'.

For example, in a quote by Crooks:

"This is just a nigger talkin', an' a busted-back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see? You couldn't remember it anyways. I seen it over an' over--a guy talkin' to another guy and it don't make no difference if he don't hear or understand. The thing is, they're talkin', or they're settin' still not talkin'. It don't make no difference, no difference."

Also, earlier in the novel, when Carlson urged Candy to shoot his dog, and eventually shot the dog himself. Later in the novel, Candy tells George "I should have shot the dog myself." Or something along those lines. Is this part of what urges George to be the one to end Lennie's life? Or a foreshadowing, of sorts?

Bleah whenever I read a book I get all excited about it and want to talk about it, so I had to dig this forum back up. I haven't been on here in decades. :) Good to be back. lol I'll probably just scamper back every now and then to rant about my latest read.
 
murphyz said:
Miki,

It may be an idea to edit your post above and put the ending of the book as a spoiler warning - this way it won't ruin the enjoyment and ending for others who haven't yet read the book.

This post contains SPOILER information that may ruin your enjoyment of 'Of Mice and Men' if you haven't read it.

Many people class this novel as very pessimistic, yet I don't see Of Mice and Men being particularly pessimistic, and, if I were to find a degoratory term, I would call it slightly depressing instead - athough even then it is nowhere near as gloomy as some other pieces of fiction, such as Jude the Obscure. This novel, to me, is basically about reality. We all have dreams that we strive to work towards and it's these dreams and that keep us alive because, basically, if we didn't have anything to aspire to, what would be the point of living?

The tragedy of the story is based upon its reality. George is lumbered with Lennie, someone he can't abandon, and it's Lennie's actions which prevent George from actually fulfilling his dream. However, when George kills Lennie, it does not mean that he has shed his burden and can, therefore, go on to buy the farm, it simply means he is now the same as those who he was working with, that is lonely and in need of a change to his life. Lennie was the only thing that was keeping George seperate to the others, in that they had each other. You notice as well throughout the novel that it's not just George and Lennie who have this need for a change that they are working towards, this is shown in all of Steinbecks characters including Slim, Curly and Curly's wife. Each of these characters are striving towards something that they want, and that they think will change their lives.

Reality, basically dismissing the idea of the 'American Dream' which indicates to me that we need to make sacrifices in order to survive, we need to be burdened with something that makes our lives a little more difficult if we are ever going to realise our dreams.

A pessimistic view would be that there is no point in trying.

Mxx
Click to expand...




Many people class this novel as very pessimistic, yet I don't see Of Mice and Men being particularly pessimistic, and, if I were to find a degoratory term, I would call it slightly depressing instead - athough even then it is nowhere near as gloomy as some other pieces of fiction, such as Jude the Obscure

Especially agreed on this.


Wondered whether there are someother modern American authours who worked hard in writing more realistic novels. I don't know much. but seems to me that nowadays writers almost all go to make fantasies of lives. -----another unbearable illogical generalization? :rolleyes:
 
:rolleyes: SPOILER WARNING :rolleyes:

opinion8ed2 said:
Also, earlier in the novel, when Carlson urged Candy to shoot his dog, and eventually shot the dog himself. Later in the novel, Candy tells George "I should have shot the dog myself." Or something along those lines. Is this part of what urges George to be the one to end Lennie's life? Or a foreshadowing, of sorts?
Click to expand...

I really liked that. The foreshadowing/parallel.

Murphyz review was very good :)
 
This was the first book I ever read and I still love it. Oddly enough I have never read anything else by him.
Think I will pick one up, any suggestions?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top