John Steinbeck presented the
dreams of his characters from the outset by naming his book “Of Mice and
Men”. The title itself comes from a poem
by Robert Burns (Tae a Moose) in which the narrator (Burns) destroyed the home
and dreams of a wild mouse while ploughing his field. The title of Steinbeck’s book is an extract
from the poem where Burns says that the best laid plans of mice and men “gang
aft agley” (often go wrong: modern English) and is an excellent example of all the
foreshadowing used in this novella.
One would think that the book
itself was written after Steinbeck read the poem, but it was already
written. Steinbeck changed the title
from “Something That Happened” to “Of Mice and Men” after reading the problem
prior to publishing the novella. Perhaps
Steinbeck saw in the poem something akin to his own message. For instance, in the last two verses, Burns
acknowledges the animal’s inability to live in either the past or the future;
the mouse can see only the present. The
mouse has no dreams, as such, and will not be let down by life in the way we
humans allow ourselves to be.
This is reminiscent of Lennie in
particular. Steinbeck uses a lot of
animal imagery, which have different connotations, for instance using animal
symbolism to define Lennie physically and characteristically. In addition to that, Steinbeck is also saying
Lennie does not live like other men, dreaming and scheming; Lennie is like an
animal in that he lives day by day. This
point could be argued by saying that Lennie continually asks George to repeat
their plan. If there were no mention of
rabbits in this scheme to own a farm though, would Lennie be interested in this
future endeavour?
Another major theme throughout the
book is loneliness versus friendship.
The story takes place in Soledad, which is Spanish for solitary. The word itself is almost “Solitary”. Steinbeck’s use of wordplay goes even deeper,
when you break the name of the area into Sole Dad. George is the Sole Parent of Lennie perhaps? Like any single parent, George often gets
irritated by being responsible for another person. He is still very protective of Lennie,
however, and it seems an almost sacrifice on his part to care for him. Without Lennie though, George would be one of
those men he talks about when he starts telling Lennie the story of their
dream. He talks of their kind being the
loneliest guys in the world, and that “They got no family”; in a sense,
however, George and Lennie are family.
Few men are as close as them as the boss points out later, as does Slim.
Steinbeck uses fate, and chance,
to get his message across regarding how dreams will unfold for the lonely
people. George playing Solitaire in the
bunkhouse is very symbolic of playing the hand you are dealt in life. That we have no option other than what cards
are laid before us. At one point, Lennie
says “George, why is it both ends the same?”.
Steinbeck, again, is putting across that no matter which way you turn,
your fate remains; your dreams will come true only if destiny has written it in
your cards.
Other, main and secondary,
characters in the book who evoke loneliness are Curley, his wife, Candy, Crooks
and Carlson. It is interesting to note that
their designations all start with the same initial: C. Other characters in the book whose names
begin with something else (other than the main two protagonists) start with
something other than a C. Bill Tenner
(who is mentioned as having achieved an ambition) Slim and Whit. What did Steinbeck mean when he used this
particular letter to identify the lonely characters in his book? Does the letter C refer to a circle that is
not whole? Like the circle of friends on
the ranch, the potential is there, but it lacks something, like trust. If these people opened up to one another
maybe they would see their commonalities as well as their differences.
Steinbeck also used a lot of
Biblical symbolism in the novella. The
fact that the lonely characters names began with the letter C indicates that
they are as doomed as George in their efforts to live a different life. George kills Lennie, Cain killed Abel. The prominence of the Letter C in the book as
identities for certain characters could signify that they are descendants of
Cain. These people, effectively, have
more in common with George than anyone else.
There is one person in the book
who’s title begins with an A; Andy Cushman, who ended up in San Quentin “On
account of a tart”. Like Lennie (Abel),
Andy got into trouble because of a woman.
Another major symbol from the
bible is Curley’s wife with no name.
Although it is generally accepted this was indicative of the oppression
and possession of women in that era, it cannot be denied that Curley’s wife was
used to symbolise the fall of Eden at the hands of a woman. I believe Steinbeck’s inclusion of a snake
(serpent) at the beginning and end of the novella was a huge clue in the
Paradise Lost theme. In the first
chapter, the snake lives. “A water snake
slipped along on the pool, it’s head held up like a little periscope”. In the final chapter, it appears again in an
almost identical manner. “A water snake
glided smoothly up the pool, twisting it’s periscope head…” at this point, however, the heron that was also there in the
first chapter, swallows the snake whole.
Steinbeck is using biblical imagery in order to present the folly of
mankind and the corruption of man by woman through sexuality.
After the snake is devoured
another, almost identical, snake appears.
This one is also spared after the heron flies off, disturbed by Lennie
in the clearing. Steinbeck’s message
here is clear. Temptation, power, and
naivety will always be a factor in whether or not a person’s dreams will come
to fruition or be broken.
Power and corruption are also
important aspects in how Steinbeck presents the dreams of his characters’ and
how they are broken. George and Lennie
barely escape from Weed after Lennie is accused of rape by a woman because he
touched her red dress. Steinbeck uses
the colour red here for the first time in the story of George and Lennie
(chronologically)as a symbol of power, sexuality and danger when Lennie and
George have to escape from a mob out to lynch them. When George tells Slim this story, it gives
the reader more background into another broken dream. George’s main plan was to buy a ranch; this
was to be achieved by his other plan of finding a job that would last long
enough to raise the required amount of
money. These plans seem to be continually
destroyed by Lennie, who is too innocent to realise right from wrong.
Curley’s wife, considered weak in
the novel purely by being female, resents are place in society and uses her
only power as a white woman over Crooks, the black worker on the ranch. Prior to this, Crooks had used power over
Lennie, brains over brawn, in much the same manner. Lonely and frustrated, rather than band together and form an
alliance, the people on the ranch seem to take their frustrations out on each
other, the strong overpowering the weak.
Curley is the boss’s son, but a worker none the less, and so takes out
his frustrations on the people he has the power to fire. There is no mention of an emotional bond
between Curley and his father, leading one to assume that there is none. Curley’s loneliness may have stemmed from
lack of parental comfort growing up, and he is now no longer capable of
intimate relationships.
Steinbeck uses the past and
growing older several times in the book.
Crooks’ frustration is mainly due to having once lived on a working
ranch that his father owned and having no real knowledge of racial
inequality. Candy also lives in the
past, when he and his dog were younger and useful. George at one point mentions his memories of
his grandfather.
Throughout the book there is a
great deal of social commentary, such as race, gender and social
supremacy. Crooks is disabled and black,
but is educated and well read; Candy is capable, although disabled and old;
Curley’s wife is a suppressed woman, but overtly sexual and beautiful. Steinbeck shows us how each character’s dream
is achievable, and also shows us aspects of that individual that would
potentially block them reaching their goal.
As individuals, these negative aspects are not particularly bothersome,
but in a social setting they have a massive impact on the character.
Steinbeck also subtly hints at the
existence of a social exchange theory. In
order for a relationship to exist, there has to be a mutual benefit. Once this ceases, the relationship must be
re-evaluated. At the point of Lennie’s
death, George’s dream is finished.
Candy and Crooks had been accepted into the plan, but for George, there is no plan without Lennie. Even though George could achieve it quicker
financially with the help of Candy than he ever could with Lennie, George lost
interest immediately.
