To What Extent is Of Mice & A ; Men a Novel of Social Protest?
First published in 1937, John Steinbeck ‘s Of Mice & A ; Men is a narrative set during the Great Depression of the 1930 ‘s in the wake of the Wall St Crash. Following the narrative of two work forces looking for a piece of land to name their ain, Of Mice & A ; Men contains several subjects as a unfavorable judgment against the American authorities at that clip.
The characters in Of Mice & A ; Men are used to research the subjects set out in the narrative. George Milton, a adult male who is described as holding ‘restless eyes ‘ , demoing he is invariably believing. He is accompanied by Lennie Small, a big, strong adult male with a kid ‘s mind, who would today be decribed as being insane. Lennie portions Georges dream of purchasing a piece of land to name their ain, where they would be ‘living off the fatta the local area network ‘ , where Lennie would be given the coneies.
Curley is a short, ‘handy ‘ adult male. A former semi-professional pugilist, he is covetous over anyone who would look at his married woman and is excessively protective of her. He immediately hates Lennie upon their first meeting.
Curly ‘s Wife has been described by John Steinbeck as a ‘foil ‘ . The fact that she has no name shows that she no other map in the narrative, other than to be a danger to Lennie. Mistrusted around other work forces by her hubby, Curley ‘s Wife had dreams of traveling to Hollywood and being an histrion.
Candy is a ranch worker, who is described in the book as a swamper. Having lost a manus in an accident, he has been at the spread longer than most, and is making the terminal of his utility. Having learnt of George and Lennies ‘ program to but a interest, he convinces George to allow him fall in them, experiencing solitariness after allowing Carlson shoot his old Canis familiaris.
Candy ‘s Canis familiaris is described as being ‘old ‘ and ‘crippled ‘ . Blind and creaky, Carlson convinces Candy to allow him hit his Canis familiaris as an act of kindness. The decease of Candy ‘s Canis familiaris is a analogue of Lennie ‘s at the terminal of the narrative.
Slim is a ‘jerkline Skinner ‘ . He is respected by most of the chief characters. They turn to reduce for advice and normally handle his words a jurisprudence. He is the lone character in the narrative that Curley shows any regard for..
Crooks is the lone black character in the narrative. After being kicked in the dorsum by a Equus caballus, his spinal column is crooked of curves to one side, giving him his moniker. He has his ain room in the barn, instead than in the bunkhouse, and is kept segregated from the remainder. He is discriminates against everyone in the narrative, but he softens a small when speaking with Lennie.
Carlson is described as a ‘thick bodied ‘ adult male. He is tired of the odor confect ‘s Canis familiaris invariably leaves draging around the bunkhouse, and finally convinces Candy to allow him hit it.
Aunt Clara was Lennie ‘s aunt. George promised Aunt Clara that he would ever take attention of Lennie. She is merely reference in the past tense in the book, and is merely seen when Lennie sees her in his ain head.
Subjects are scattered all through Of Mice & A ; Men. Jobs, or a deficiency of characteristic as a major subject throughout the book. With work being scarce, the merely available occupations were agricultural, working on farms assisting to convey in the crop. Many migratory workers, who could hardly do adequate money to back up themselves, worled to do adequate money to convey their households to America.
Loneliness is the biggest individual subject in the book. This is a big portion of many of the chief character ‘s lives, from Candy ‘s solitariness after losing his Canis familiaris, to Curly ‘s Wife ‘s solitariness because her hubby is a adult male she does non wish. Even the name of the nearby town, Solidad, means ‘solitude ‘ in Spanish.