Of Mice And Men Conclusion Essay Example

first attempting the soft approach then immediately after being ignored he snaps impatiently at George like a toddler would to his mother.

Then Lennie goes onto almost apologize and tries to comfort George. Further emphasising George's dominant role in the relationship telling George how he wouldn't do anything without his permission. Besides his intelligence Lennie has another major flaw, his strength. Which in general is not a bad thing to be applied with, particularly in Lennie and George's line of work however when Lennie's strength and intelligence mix especially when he feels vulnerable or under attack. he has a deadly violent streak.

It is Lennie's lack of speed in terms of sense and understanding, which enables Curley to find an excuse to lash out. Lennie's unable to breakout of the dream world that he cocoons himself in. 'Curley stepped over to Lennie. "What the hell you laughin' at" Lennie looked blankly back at him "Huh" Another major violent incident of Lennie's involvement was murdering Curley's wife which parallels to his brawl with Curley in the sense she attacks him because of his weakness not physically but because he will not know how to cope with it.

Her flirtatious and provocative nature confuses Lennie and when she makes him stroke her hair he becomes excitable. She is then frightened leading to a panic on Lennie's behalf and as with the fight with Curley he grips onto what he can hold and squeezes immensely tight. This also happens with the mice and the girl in Weed. Ironically Curley's wife is originally attracted to him because of the violence he unleashed on Curley's hand. "George says I ain't to have nothing

to do with you - talk to you or nothing"

It is Lennie's violent streak that ultimately drives George to the decision of murdering Lennie. For what he did to Curley's Wife. Lennie is once again shown as childlike in his final moments. Once again being comforted by George's voice repeating their same old version of the American dream which George uses a lullaby to calm Lennie when he's excitable, opening a parent comparison. Lennie knows the story by heart but it comforts him to listen to George saying it. "I thought you was man at me" Lennie is continuously immature.

Decisively you have to rule out the sympathy you feel for Lennie because however lonely or violent he is and however miserable you would expect a character of his nature to become his intelligence doesn't allow him to be miserable because he doesn't understand what's going on well enough to be upset about it all. His unintentional power and thoughtless force is not enough to feel any real empathy for Lennie because he unintentionally uses the dream as an antidote to the gritty realism of loneliness and unfulfilment he endures before his painless death.

The other lead in the novel is George, Lennie's father figure in a way. It is indicated George had some affiliation with Lennie's Aunt and initially lies to the Boss and says they're cousins. Whatever way they we're connected when Lennie's aunt died Lennie tagged along with George as a migrant worker. George feels endless responsibility to Lennie. He often attempts to fool himself by thinking of the possibilities and opportunities he would have without Lennie. "When I think of the swell time

I could have without you, I go nuts.

I never get no peace. Deep down George knows his life would be pointless and empty without company. Georges and Lennie's relationship is very similar to Candy and Candy's dog. George has Lennie for company his solo friend where Candy has his dog, Lennie is mentally challenged and therefore needs looking after where as Candy's dog is old, pungent smelling and decrepit also needs looking after and guidance. George definitely knows how to treat Lennie, when Curley begins beating Lennie, George is insistent on staying put and making sure no one intervenes.

Lennie eventually is forced to fighting back and does overly so by breaking Curley's hand. Maybe a harsh judgement by George to let Lennie take a beating but it was for the best so he learns to hit back and Curley or any of the other ranch hands for that matter will think twice before taking a swing at Lennie. At the end of the novel after Lennie murders Curley's wife George comes to the saddening conclusion that he has to kill Lennie. He makes Lennie cheerful reassures him and then softly pulls the trigger and gently ends Lennie's life.

If George had done this any other way or let the lynch mob string him up he would not be able to shift his conscience. If Lennie had gone to prison for this murder he would have lead a disgusting life also because in prison their is certain things that aren't respectful one in particular is murdering a woman not only that he would of probably been accused of rape. George will no doubt regret killing Lennie but

was indeed justified as the wise ranch hand Slim reassured George "You hadda, George. I swear you hadda. " This is verified in the comparison between George's relationship with Lennie and Candy with his dog.

Candy regretted not putting down his dog himself and let the blood hungry Carlson do it, George needed to shoot Lennie before the likes of Carlson and Curley turned up. When Curley's wife first appears she is using the excuse "I'm looking for Curley" but as the reader you learn she wasn't as she never is she uses this, her catchphrase, as an excuse to seek company in the various ranch hands. She suspected to be sleeping with Slim which you later discover, judging by Slim's reaction to Curley's accusation, is unjust. Curley's wife appears wearing the reader immediately compares that to the girl in Weed in the red dress .

The colour red is often associated with danger. She is instantly provocative and slutty towards the hands in particular Slim, Lennie also catches her eye in way of strength and size. "She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward" In death she is an innocent opposite. "the ache for attention had gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young. Now her rouged cheeks and reddened lips made ger seem alive". In youth she was blinded by her negative situation and was mesmerised by a dream of being in the movies and living the life associated.

She met a man who Hollywood who enticed her with possibly true possibly not claims of

being a big shot and that he could tell she had the talent to be in the pictures herself and that when he left he would send for her, this was definitely a false claim. When the letter never came she blamed her mother who she probably had a sordid affair with anyway. She then took the quick and easy way out of her mother and with her went her freedom. She lost all friendships and is now a lonely other half wondering round an all male ranch.

One of the characters the reader feels the most sympathy for is Candy, a former ranch hand who lost his hand in a machine accident and received a hefty sum of compensation. Now in old age Candy has only a single companion his mutt. Both of whom have seen better days. Candy now sweeps and cleans the ranch for a living but knows his days in work are numbered. Along with the with Curley's wife Candy is blinded by his dreams when his dog dies as George is after he kills Lennie. Candy is left completely alone plus with his disability and old age he struggles to socialize with the younger workers.

Not because of one of these reasons in particular but because he is different and in those days to not be the norm was a lot more difficult than in this day and age. Especially that particular part of America. The difference between Candy, Crooks and Lennie to the other ranchers is underlined by Curley's wife in chapter four when the workers go to town to a brothel. "Sat'iday night. Ever'body out doin' som'pin'. Ever'body! An' what

am I doin'? Standin' here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs - a nigger an' a dum-dum and a lousy ol' sheep - an' likin' it because they ain't nobody else".

She enjoys the conversation because she is also one of these misfits. Maybe not on the outside world but as the only woman on a ranch full of men she belongs less than any of them. Candy's life is mirrored in his dog. They've both seen better days Candy's dog is putrid smelling and crippled. Candy's is old and lost a hand in his working days. When Carlson kills his pet he realises this is what will happen to him soon, not death but he'll be released when he can no longer do the little work he puts in now. After Candy's dog is shot dead he is the one character who is really ready to instantly act on these dreams.

In old age he has nothing to lose no friends, maybe friendly's but no real friends. So he invests in the all American dream going more than halves with George and Lennie on their perfect patch of land. To grow and "An' live off the fatta the lan'" In truth Candy is a character, with average intelligence, who is lulled by the sad illusion that in this novel represents 'The American Dream". When Lennie kills Curley's wife, Candy can't cope with the prospect of all he's been planning over the last week or so becoming nothingness. He's reluctant to accept that its all over.

Not just his dream but his life. "You an' me can get that little place, can't we, George? You an' me

can go there an' live nice, can't we, George? Can't we? " The death of Lennie at the end of 'Of Mice and Men' initially seems to be the most tragic event in the novel, especially for the people directly involved, such as George and Lennie himself. However, in actual fact, the novel is full of miserable people suffering in a world where no one really cares about them. The reader must feel most sympathy towards Candy because he has in no way brought this misery upon himself.

His story clearly links to the poem the novel derived its named from 'To a Mouse' by Robert Burns. 'The best laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley And leaves us nought but grief and pain For promised joy! ' This poem basically means however much you plan and scheme eventually always left with grief and pain. Burn's also suggests something small and Puny up against something unbeatable such as fate and destiny. This small and puny thing could be any of the four characters question who's plans and dreams to escape the tortuous situation all shatters. Two in death and Candy and George are directly effected by these deaths.