Of Mice and Men: An Analysis
Of Mice and Men: Section 3
During George’s conversation with Slim, Steinbeck establishes the beginnings of Lennie and George’s relationship. Theirs is a childhood relationship grown into a rare adult companionship. After years taking advantage of his friend, George had a moral awakening, realizing that it is wrong to make the weaker suffer for fun.
In this section, the death of Candy’s dog testifies to the pitiless process by which the strong attack and remove the weak. Candy’s dog (although no longer useful at rounding sheep) is of great importance to the old swamper. Regardless, allowing the animal to live out its days is not an option in this cruel environment. This could also be Steinbeck’s way of saying that after your best years society no longer includes you and casts you away to die as you are seen as a waste of space. The most comfort he can offer is to assure Candy that he will kill the dog painlessly and quickly. When Slim, the story’s most trusted spokesperson of wisdom, agrees, he only confirms that the world in Steinbeck’s is one that offers the weak little hope of protection from society.
It seems nearly all of the characters in Of Mice and Men are disempowered in some way. Whether because of a physical or mental handicap, age, class, race, or gender, almost everyone finds him- or herself outside the structures of social power, and each suffers as a result. Old men are usually sent away from the ranch when they are no longer useful and black workers are refused entrance to the bunkhouse. While the world described in the book offers no protection for the suffering.
To turn to the final episode in the chapter, the fight between Lennie and Curley, we see first-hand that there is a deep and ruthless potential for violence in the generally passive Lennie. His casual declaration that he will snap the necks of any cats who attempt to kill the rabbits on his fantasy farm is shocking - we know that he means exactly what he says. When George
During George’s conversation with Slim, Steinbeck establishes the beginnings of Lennie and George’s relationship. Theirs is a childhood relationship grown into a rare adult companionship. After years taking advantage of his friend, George had a moral awakening, realizing that it is wrong to make the weaker suffer for fun.
In this section, the death of Candy’s dog testifies to the pitiless process by which the strong attack and remove the weak. Candy’s dog (although no longer useful at rounding sheep) is of great importance to the old swamper. Regardless, allowing the animal to live out its days is not an option in this cruel environment. This could also be Steinbeck’s way of saying that after your best years society no longer includes you and casts you away to die as you are seen as a waste of space. The most comfort he can offer is to assure Candy that he will kill the dog painlessly and quickly. When Slim, the story’s most trusted spokesperson of wisdom, agrees, he only confirms that the world in Steinbeck’s is one that offers the weak little hope of protection from society.
It seems nearly all of the characters in Of Mice and Men are disempowered in some way. Whether because of a physical or mental handicap, age, class, race, or gender, almost everyone finds him- or herself outside the structures of social power, and each suffers as a result. Old men are usually sent away from the ranch when they are no longer useful and black workers are refused entrance to the bunkhouse. While the world described in the book offers no protection for the suffering.
To turn to the final episode in the chapter, the fight between Lennie and Curley, we see first-hand that there is a deep and ruthless potential for violence in the generally passive Lennie. His casual declaration that he will snap the necks of any cats who attempt to kill the rabbits on his fantasy farm is shocking - we know that he means exactly what he says. When George