Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck (Book Review and Summary)

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Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck





Of Mice and Men is a book published in 1937 by the American Author John Steinbeck. One of the shortest novels I've read, 'Of Mice and Men' is a creation which has been able to integrate a lot of the social culture of the post-Civil War America with its take on the freed African Americans from slavery. This is not the center piece of the story though.

 

'Of Mice and Men' and portrays concisely the relationship of two individuals George and Lennie who are opposites in their temperance but however are thrown together in the hopes of achieving the so called 'American Dream'. George, the smarter of the two basks in adoration of Lennie who is portrayed as someone who isn't bright and is good at following orders but not making actual decisions. Therefore, it is George who actually does the thinking for the both of them. We first see them on their way to a new job. With the conversations between the two we learn that they had to run away from their previous job due to some actions of Lennie which he hadn't actually meant.

 

This is when we, the readers realize that he is prone to impulsive decisions as well. The mouse is a symbol in the story who is the victim in actions of Lennie that are not necessarily mean but which somehow ends in disaster. We can see that the dying of the pup is also corelated to the same symbol. The rising action to the story is when George and Lennie get to their new workplace and mix in with the new people.

 

Lennie is supposed to 'not talk' at all in case he says something wrong and Curley, who is the son of the master taunts Lennie because he is this big guy. Lennie tries hard and keeps his composure all the time driven by his goal for a better future which is usually symbolized by '“An’ rabbits,” Lennie said eagerly. “An’ I’d take care of ‘em. " Basically all that is in Lennie's mind is not any grand future. It is just that.

 

The build-up and a sort of hint as to the future is symbolized by the killing of Candy's old dog. He laments that he is the one that should have killed him due to his old age and not Slim. I think this is an important part of the story that somehow hints towards the actions of George at the end of the story. A way of justifying the actions of George when at the final scene he kills Lennie while talking to him about the future they are about to have.

 

The reader is left to decide for himself whether George's action is an act of love or one that is done in desperation to achieve his own dream or maybe a bit of both in a way.

 

I love this story because there is so much passion and a lot into the temperance of the characters involved given the limited amount of words. 


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