Of Mice And Men: An Unfulfilling End By John Steinbeck
The title of this piece is called “Of Mice and Men: An Unfulfilling End”. It is written for the Language in a Cultural Context portion of the IB Language and Literature course. This task focuses on the structure of power and privilege and uses John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. This text was selected because of the time period that it was written in and because of the way that it displays the structure of power and privilege through dynamic characters like George, Lennie, Candy, and Curly. This task will further highlight the struggles faced by the lower class people working on the farm--George and Candy in particular. One of the struggles that George experiences is having dreams and goals, but no real way to obtain them because of his place in society.
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The analysis will be presented in the form of a short story (a chapter added on to the end of the book) because John Steinbeck presents his stories in the form of novellas.
Of Mice and Men has a sad ending that doesn’t tie off loose ends. This postscript will give this well-known story closure. Most people would like to see a happy ending. Instead, there will be a sad ending which will mimic the original ending of the book. This short story will utilize the speech patterns of each of the characters along with their mannerisms in attempts to stay true to Steinbeck’s style of writing and portray a message similar to what he originally intended. By doing this, I will learn to write dialogue that is not in perfect, clear cut English. Also, I will learn to use subtle language to display a theme instead of stating it outright as I would in a normal academic
essay.
(293 Words)
“But not us.”
“Because—,”
“Because I got you an’,”
“An’ I got you. We got each other…” The words echoed through George’s mind like a shout through a room that was once filled with lovely furniture, but was now empty, stripped of everything. George’s heart should have been pounding as he walked back to the farm with Slim. Instead, he felt a calmness wash over him as soon as it was over. He felt relieved. He felt guilty for being relieved. The guilt pierced like ice through is heart. For the first time since he could remember, George wasn’t worrying about Lennie in the back of his mind—the things he might do and silently wishing he could control him better. That feeling was gone.
“You okay there, George?” Slim asked, breaking the silence.
“I guess. I’m jus’…that happened. I ain’t sure what I’m s’posed to do now,” George replied quietly.
Slim nodded his head, “Go ter bed. Things’ll sort ‘em selves out. We’ll deal with it come morning.
George didn’t reply. He and Slim walked the rest of the way back to the workhouse in silence. The only sound was from slight breeze rustling through the leaves. George thought about the farm he and Lennie had always dreamed of having. He promised Lennie that he would be a part of that, and he wanted it more than anything in the world. Secretly he knew that they would never make it that far. He denied it for as long as he could. At times the small shadow of a doubt even managed to creep away, like whenever they found work. Eventually though, the idea of keeping a job and having Lennie around, slowly ebbed into the faintest of hopes.
George and Slim reached the workhouse shortly before everyone else. George climbed onto his bunk and stared blankly up at the ceiling. He laid there going over everything that had ever happened between him and Lennie. He wished that he could have gotten him more care and looked after him more closely. He wished that there was a way that all of their dreams could have come true. They’d certainly tried and worked hard enough.
“George?” Candy asked.
George snapped back to reality, “Whadda you want, Candy?” He barked.
“Do you think we’ll be gettin’ that farm? What with Lennie and all…” Candy asked quietly, clearly trying to further upset his new friend.
“I dunno. I dunno if I want to. I’m guessin’ we could if the owners made it available fer longer. Maybe we could raise the money if we both work fer two months,” George answered thoughtfully.
“You oughta send a letter. Ask ‘em if they’ll keep it fer us. I could give you some money to buy a stamp,” he offered.
“Yeah, sure. We’ll see to it t’morrow before we go out drinkin’,” George said, “I’m gonna go to bed.”
Slim interrupted their conversation, “Hey, Candy, boss wants you. He didn’ say what fer.” Candy got up and walked outside the bunkhouse.
With that, George laid back down in his bunk and stared at the ceiling. He wasn’t sure if Candy ever came back in or not. When everyone else was asleep, he sobbed into his pillow. His thoughts were tangled like string left in a pocket too long. He drifted off to sleep at a late hour, dehydrated and with a raging headache from mourning. When George awoke, he was happy. He was ready to go to work and talk with the other people working. It took him a moment to remember the events from the previous day. When he remembered, it felt like the wind had been knocked out of him and he inhaled sharply, drawing a few glances from his acquaintances. He ignored them. He put on some pants and trudged down to breakfast. The morning air was cool and refreshing. As he got closer to the dining hall, George realized that he had not yet seen Candy. George walked into the hall and looked around. He found Candy sitting in a corner seat. George piled some much needed food onto his plate and took the seat across from his friend. He wasn’t eating any of his food, just moving it around his plate with his fork. They sat quietly for a moment before Candy spoke, “I got fired. Boss told me that with my arm an’ all I ain’t much use to ‘im no more. He’d rather hire an able man who can get more done since he was still payin’ me a full wage with my arm ‘n stuff. Says I can stay today but I gots to be off his property by sundown.” “Damnit. What about getting’ our own lan’? Ther’ ain’t no way that that farm’ll be up fer sale in four months. The season’ll be over,” George asked, irritated. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen. I gots my 350, but I gotta use that to live offa. Susy from the bar told me that if I gave ‘er my 350, an’ work for her at the bar then I can have a room. All I gots to do is work all day. I get food and a room. But I ain’t gonna get no pay. It all goes to rent an’ all that.” Candy said sadly. “Jesus. Things’er getting’ worse ‘n worse ain’t they? Good luck, Candy,” George said as he stood up. He threw out his food without touching it and walked back outside. He was frustrated at the situation. He thought about what he had told Lennie before they came to work on the ranch, “God a’mighty, if I was alone, I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work an’ no trouble…I could go take my fifty bucks and get whatever I want. Why, I could stay in a cat house all night.
But that ain’t no way to live…
(996 Words)
The analysis will be presented in the form of a short story (a chapter added on to the end of the book) because John Steinbeck presents his stories in the form of novellas.
Of Mice and Men has a sad ending that doesn’t tie off loose ends. This postscript will give this well-known story closure. Most people would like to see a happy ending. Instead, there will be a sad ending which will mimic the original ending of the book. This short story will utilize the speech patterns of each of the characters along with their mannerisms in attempts to stay true to Steinbeck’s style of writing and portray a message similar to what he originally intended. By doing this, I will learn to write dialogue that is not in perfect, clear cut English. Also, I will learn to use subtle language to display a theme instead of stating it outright as I would in a normal academic
essay.
(293 Words)
“But not us.”
“Because—,”
“Because I got you an’,”
“An’ I got you. We got each other…” The words echoed through George’s mind like a shout through a room that was once filled with lovely furniture, but was now empty, stripped of everything. George’s heart should have been pounding as he walked back to the farm with Slim. Instead, he felt a calmness wash over him as soon as it was over. He felt relieved. He felt guilty for being relieved. The guilt pierced like ice through is heart. For the first time since he could remember, George wasn’t worrying about Lennie in the back of his mind—the things he might do and silently wishing he could control him better. That feeling was gone.
“You okay there, George?” Slim asked, breaking the silence.
“I guess. I’m jus’…that happened. I ain’t sure what I’m s’posed to do now,” George replied quietly.
Slim nodded his head, “Go ter bed. Things’ll sort ‘em selves out. We’ll deal with it come morning.
George didn’t reply. He and Slim walked the rest of the way back to the workhouse in silence. The only sound was from slight breeze rustling through the leaves. George thought about the farm he and Lennie had always dreamed of having. He promised Lennie that he would be a part of that, and he wanted it more than anything in the world. Secretly he knew that they would never make it that far. He denied it for as long as he could. At times the small shadow of a doubt even managed to creep away, like whenever they found work. Eventually though, the idea of keeping a job and having Lennie around, slowly ebbed into the faintest of hopes.
George and Slim reached the workhouse shortly before everyone else. George climbed onto his bunk and stared blankly up at the ceiling. He laid there going over everything that had ever happened between him and Lennie. He wished that he could have gotten him more care and looked after him more closely. He wished that there was a way that all of their dreams could have come true. They’d certainly tried and worked hard enough.
“George?” Candy asked.
George snapped back to reality, “Whadda you want, Candy?” He barked.
“Do you think we’ll be gettin’ that farm? What with Lennie and all…” Candy asked quietly, clearly trying to further upset his new friend.
“I dunno. I dunno if I want to. I’m guessin’ we could if the owners made it available fer longer. Maybe we could raise the money if we both work fer two months,” George answered thoughtfully.
“You oughta send a letter. Ask ‘em if they’ll keep it fer us. I could give you some money to buy a stamp,” he offered.
“Yeah, sure. We’ll see to it t’morrow before we go out drinkin’,” George said, “I’m gonna go to bed.”
Slim interrupted their conversation, “Hey, Candy, boss wants you. He didn’ say what fer.” Candy got up and walked outside the bunkhouse.
With that, George laid back down in his bunk and stared at the ceiling. He wasn’t sure if Candy ever came back in or not. When everyone else was asleep, he sobbed into his pillow. His thoughts were tangled like string left in a pocket too long. He drifted off to sleep at a late hour, dehydrated and with a raging headache from mourning. When George awoke, he was happy. He was ready to go to work and talk with the other people working. It took him a moment to remember the events from the previous day. When he remembered, it felt like the wind had been knocked out of him and he inhaled sharply, drawing a few glances from his acquaintances. He ignored them. He put on some pants and trudged down to breakfast. The morning air was cool and refreshing. As he got closer to the dining hall, George realized that he had not yet seen Candy. George walked into the hall and looked around. He found Candy sitting in a corner seat. George piled some much needed food onto his plate and took the seat across from his friend. He wasn’t eating any of his food, just moving it around his plate with his fork. They sat quietly for a moment before Candy spoke, “I got fired. Boss told me that with my arm an’ all I ain’t much use to ‘im no more. He’d rather hire an able man who can get more done since he was still payin’ me a full wage with my arm ‘n stuff. Says I can stay today but I gots to be off his property by sundown.” “Damnit. What about getting’ our own lan’? Ther’ ain’t no way that that farm’ll be up fer sale in four months. The season’ll be over,” George asked, irritated. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen. I gots my 350, but I gotta use that to live offa. Susy from the bar told me that if I gave ‘er my 350, an’ work for her at the bar then I can have a room. All I gots to do is work all day. I get food and a room. But I ain’t gonna get no pay. It all goes to rent an’ all that.” Candy said sadly. “Jesus. Things’er getting’ worse ‘n worse ain’t they? Good luck, Candy,” George said as he stood up. He threw out his food without touching it and walked back outside. He was frustrated at the situation. He thought about what he had told Lennie before they came to work on the ranch, “God a’mighty, if I was alone, I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work an’ no trouble…I could go take my fifty bucks and get whatever I want. Why, I could stay in a cat house all night.
But that ain’t no way to live…
(996 Words)