Of Mice And Men Comparison
The term friendship, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is the relationship between those who help, support, and care for one another. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, written in 1937, and the 1992 MGM film adaptation directed by Gary Sinise follows the story of an uncommon companionship. Set in the 1900’s, Lennie, a mentally disabled person, and his friend, George, strive to achieve a dream of living free from the bondage of others. Some argue that the movie is more appealing; others point out that the book is more engaging. Although both pieces portray a similar storyline, Steinbeck’s perspective offers a more intricate appeal. As a matter of fact, Steinbeck’s written work better reflects the author’s intent by building mood with characterization
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and foreshadowing through depicted settings.
Steinbeck creates mood by wisely providing the reader with a powerful description of the characters. When George and Lennie see Slim for the first time, his entrance is fully emphasized. The narrator reports Slim as “a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders.
He was capable of killing a fly on the wheeler’s butt with a bull whip without touching the mule. There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all that talk stopped when he spoke. His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love ” (Steinbeck, 33). Through each detail, Slim becomes someone more godlike and transcends above the people on the field. These qualities cause one to be curious about the role Slim plays throughout the story and what more he has to present. This heavenly perspective also imposes a sense of security and defense with the presence of Slim’s character, especially through the prospect of Lennie and George. When George progressively begins a friendship with Slim, the reader feels jaunty, knowing Slim is adept enough to support George and Lennie. Likewise, the character of Curley’s wife is portrayed in a careful fashion. Right after the swamper accuses her of cheating, Curley’s wife makes a unique first impression. She is described as a girl with “full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little
rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers” (Steinbeck, 31). Curley’s wife, although nameless, is illustrated in an impeccable manner. Her appearance, as a woman, is the definition of absolute perfection and exquisiteness. Through his words, Steinbeck successfully perks the interest of the reader with his explanation of the visual aspect of Curley’s wife. Towards the latter of Steinbeck’s description, Curley’s wife is represented with extremely feminine terms. At the same time, Steinbeck also uses references to the color red to enhance her element of beauty. But because she makes her appearance immediately after distrust is raised, the reader perceives a more mysterious vibe from her character. While Curley’s wife reflects an elegant side of her personality, the audience does not know whether or not she is a character they can trust. These two attributes cause anxiety by feeding the audience conflicting thoughts of doubt and innocence all at once. While the reader is confused, they want to keep digging into the specifics of this character. The reader becomes expectant with these feelings of suspense and wait for her character to contribute to the plot of the story in a more dominant demeanor. As the author, Steinbeck peaks the attention of the audience marvelously through the use of astute depictions.
and foreshadowing through depicted settings.
Steinbeck creates mood by wisely providing the reader with a powerful description of the characters. When George and Lennie see Slim for the first time, his entrance is fully emphasized. The narrator reports Slim as “a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders.
He was capable of killing a fly on the wheeler’s butt with a bull whip without touching the mule. There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all that talk stopped when he spoke. His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love ” (Steinbeck, 33). Through each detail, Slim becomes someone more godlike and transcends above the people on the field. These qualities cause one to be curious about the role Slim plays throughout the story and what more he has to present. This heavenly perspective also imposes a sense of security and defense with the presence of Slim’s character, especially through the prospect of Lennie and George. When George progressively begins a friendship with Slim, the reader feels jaunty, knowing Slim is adept enough to support George and Lennie. Likewise, the character of Curley’s wife is portrayed in a careful fashion. Right after the swamper accuses her of cheating, Curley’s wife makes a unique first impression. She is described as a girl with “full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little
rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers” (Steinbeck, 31). Curley’s wife, although nameless, is illustrated in an impeccable manner. Her appearance, as a woman, is the definition of absolute perfection and exquisiteness. Through his words, Steinbeck successfully perks the interest of the reader with his explanation of the visual aspect of Curley’s wife. Towards the latter of Steinbeck’s description, Curley’s wife is represented with extremely feminine terms. At the same time, Steinbeck also uses references to the color red to enhance her element of beauty. But because she makes her appearance immediately after distrust is raised, the reader perceives a more mysterious vibe from her character. While Curley’s wife reflects an elegant side of her personality, the audience does not know whether or not she is a character they can trust. These two attributes cause anxiety by feeding the audience conflicting thoughts of doubt and innocence all at once. While the reader is confused, they want to keep digging into the specifics of this character. The reader becomes expectant with these feelings of suspense and wait for her character to contribute to the plot of the story in a more dominant demeanor. As the author, Steinbeck peaks the attention of the audience marvelously through the use of astute depictions.