How Does Steinbeck Create Tension in of Mice and Men Essay Example

day but something more sinister is to come.

All of the above creates tension to the reader as everything in nature is dying signifying that death is near. In the first chapter Steinbeck describes Lennie as a “bear” but in the last chapter he is a “creeping bear”, from this we can sense that if Lennie is “creeping” then something is afoot. Steinbeck also uses the term “pounded” to describe the heron having a labored flight. Steinbeck uses phrases like the one above to prepare chapter six with very powerful and strong verbs and adjectives to reinforce the tension.

Another way in which Steinbeck uses strong verbs and adjectives is in the phrase “jacked its way clear of the water” which implies force; ironically a heron is a very delicate bird, whereas these incident show violence. These short simple sentences complement the absurdity of the event, which quickly builds the momentum of tension in chapter six. Tension is also built when the reader finds out how opposite things are happening to Lennie. His clumsy body language signals the tension to the reader.

Steinbeck uses words like “quietly” to make the reader think that it is as though he knows he has done something wrong. Lennies body language can be shown through the way he drinks the water as he ”kneels down” in chapter six, instead of “drinking like a horse” in chapter one. We find this to be very different to the Lennie we met in chapter one. As Lennie is trying to process the problem we can assume that he feels guilty for what he has done. Tension in the novel again rises when there is a

conversation between Lennie, his aunt Clara and a “gigantic rabbit”.

Let alone everything we see to show the workings of Lennies mind, we can still tell that his mind is childlike if he is having imagery of a “gigantic” talking “rabbit”. The hallucinations that Lennie has shows that his mind is slowly breaking making the atmosphere more tense. Steinbeck very intelligently shows the dying of day through the lengthening “shadows” and that darkness is taking over. By doing this, Steinbeck prepares the reader for the climax which can be expected to appear when darkness falls.

The darkness can be seen as a symbolic ending to both the day and Lennies life this reinforces the tension. As the time passes George finds Lennie and when they are talking to each other about the dream the sentence structure is simple. This makes the dialogue short, dramatic and tense, for example: ”go on George when we gonna do it? ” “Gonna do it real soon” “Me an’ you” “You an’ me” This moment in the brush is very significant in terms of the American dream which purports to economic success if you are ready to work hard.

However, Steinbeck tries to smash this ideology by showing that dreams only die-The American dream is not a reality, it’s just a dream in essence. At this point in the novel the tension has reached its climax. As the chapter slowly goes towards the end, Steinbeck mentions “Carlson’s luger” this reminds the reader of the shooting of Candy’s dog. It also reminds the reader about what Candy says to George in chapter three: “I ought to of shot my dog myself, George. I shouldn’t

ought to let no stranger shoot my dog”.

This makes tension for the reader rise as they begin to again wonder if George will shoot Lennie himself and not let someone else do the job. Steinbeck says “The voices came close now”. This short simple sentence on its own creates a lot of tension, Steinbeck makes it seem like time is running out for them. Steinbeck creates this tension through the sound of people coming threateningly close. Then comes the point in which George must kill Lennie at this point in the novel there is a sign of dramatic irony as we know George is going to kill Lennie but Lennie doesn’t. lso, George pulls the trigger there is a moment where everything is at peace and it is as though all the action here slows down, at this point tension in the readers mind is greater than ever as they may have second thoughts on whether or not George is going to kill Lennie. To conclude, Steinbeck creates tension in chapter six before ending the novel to make it even more compelling. With the use of pathetic fallacy and figurative language Steinbeck creates an atmosphere of reality.

For instance, his use of metaphor and simile in both opening and final sections and in particular his descriptions of the natural world, present us with a clear picture of character and setting, as in the vivid description of the “heron eating the water snake” in the closing pages. Also his use of colloquial language helps to add to the realism of the story and has a strong impact on tension in chapter six. The tension finally ends in

chapter six as the end tip of a bullet reaches Lennies neck and as Lennie “jarrs” and drops without pain, in peace.