Of Mice and Men Outline

The novel Of Mice and Men has a great variety of themes. During the time Steinbeck wrote this novel, things were totally different and they had an impact on how John Steinbeck wrote. The theme that stands out to me the most is discrimination. In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck demonstrates the cruelty and vast impact of discrimination towards people who are different through the characters Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s wife.
Author’s Information
Author’s Work
Themes: “ The vast territory is a factor also in shaping dominant themes in the fiction… the failures or dangers of middle-class existence.”
(McCarthy)
Context
“ The characters include the wealthy, poor, and economically in-between; the able, bigoted, mature, puritanic, psychotic, and happy.
“ In the territory appear Mexicans, Spanish, and Chinese, as well as German, Irish, and English… as well as fishermen, bartenders, schoolteachers, and radicals.”
(McCarthy)
Lennie Small
Everyone always makes fun of Lennie
“ You jus’ stand there and don’t say nothing…Ya got that.”
If the boss hears Lennie talk before work, he probably wont give him the job because you can tell he is stupid just by the way he talks.
George wants to do all the talking to the boss and have Lennie just stand there quietly.
(Steinbeck 6)
“ That Lennie was an idiot, no less, and victim of a pathological disease, is entirely beyond the point.”
Lennie has no disease, but he it stupid on his own.
Lennie was an idiot with no help form anyone.
(Paul)
George has to take care of Lennie because he is so stupid.
“ ’Course ha ain’t mean. But he gets in trouble alla time because he’s so God damn dumb.”
Lennie’s stupidity gets him in a lot of trouble and George always has to fix it.
Lennie doesn’t make his mistakes out of meanness, but out of stupidity.
(Steinbeck 41)
“ In contrast… someday they will own a little farm and be able to profit from their own labor.”
To keep Lennie calm, George continuously has to tell him the