Text Response: 'Of Mice And Men'
Text Response: ‘Of Mice and Men’
“Discuss the literary techniques used by Steinbeck to emphasise key ideas in his text ‘Of Mice and Men’. Use examples and evidence to support your statements.”
The novel ‘Of Mice and Men’, written by John Steinbeck, uses a variety of literary techniques to emphasise prominent themes throughout the text. Some of the key ideas that are presented throughout the novel include power, status, and the pursuit of the American Dream, all relevant to the setting of mid-depression California. The author highlights these themes with techniques such as description, figurative language, dialect, direct speech, foreshadowing and repetition. These techniques assist in developing the themes throughout the plot and bring …show more content…
When a character is first described by the author, we learn a lot about their position of power. Slim, who is quite a powerful character, is described by Steinbeck as having “Godlike eyes” [pg.45] and an “authority so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love” [pg. 37]. This portrayal alludes to Slim having control of other characters, and therefore great power. In contrast, Lennie, who is a character with little to no power, is described with figurative language in the form of animal references. Examples of this are in Lennie’s first introduction, in which he is pictured “dragging his feet… the way a bear drags his paws” [pg. 2] and when he is being attacked, where he “bleated with terror” [pg. 71] like the reader would imagine a lamb to. Animals are generally considered as innocent, but unable to think for themselves, which is ultimately how Steinbeck defines Lennie. The use of these techniques shows clearly the pattern of survival of the fittest, and the importance of having power in the tough era the novel is set …show more content…
Curley’s wife is a character who has been holding desperately onto a dream for a very long time. She is convinced she “could’ve went with shows… not just one, neither” [pg. 89], and cannot seem to move past her dream of being a movie star. She shares with Lennie a flashback to her childhood, when a “show came through and [she] met one of the actors… [Who] said [she] could go with that show.” [pg. 99]. Lennie and George also have a dream, which George repeats to Lennie throughout the plot to keep him well behaved. The dream is repeated so many times it becomes familiar to the reader, and opalescent dream that seems close enough to touch. However, with the crushing depression that has a hold on the country and Lennie’s constant misdemeanours, the dream has slipped away by the climax of the novel, reminding us of the impossibility of their dream in that period of
“Discuss the literary techniques used by Steinbeck to emphasise key ideas in his text ‘Of Mice and Men’. Use examples and evidence to support your statements.”
The novel ‘Of Mice and Men’, written by John Steinbeck, uses a variety of literary techniques to emphasise prominent themes throughout the text. Some of the key ideas that are presented throughout the novel include power, status, and the pursuit of the American Dream, all relevant to the setting of mid-depression California. The author highlights these themes with techniques such as description, figurative language, dialect, direct speech, foreshadowing and repetition. These techniques assist in developing the themes throughout the plot and bring …show more content…
When a character is first described by the author, we learn a lot about their position of power. Slim, who is quite a powerful character, is described by Steinbeck as having “Godlike eyes” [pg.45] and an “authority so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love” [pg. 37]. This portrayal alludes to Slim having control of other characters, and therefore great power. In contrast, Lennie, who is a character with little to no power, is described with figurative language in the form of animal references. Examples of this are in Lennie’s first introduction, in which he is pictured “dragging his feet… the way a bear drags his paws” [pg. 2] and when he is being attacked, where he “bleated with terror” [pg. 71] like the reader would imagine a lamb to. Animals are generally considered as innocent, but unable to think for themselves, which is ultimately how Steinbeck defines Lennie. The use of these techniques shows clearly the pattern of survival of the fittest, and the importance of having power in the tough era the novel is set …show more content…
Curley’s wife is a character who has been holding desperately onto a dream for a very long time. She is convinced she “could’ve went with shows… not just one, neither” [pg. 89], and cannot seem to move past her dream of being a movie star. She shares with Lennie a flashback to her childhood, when a “show came through and [she] met one of the actors… [Who] said [she] could go with that show.” [pg. 99]. Lennie and George also have a dream, which George repeats to Lennie throughout the plot to keep him well behaved. The dream is repeated so many times it becomes familiar to the reader, and opalescent dream that seems close enough to touch. However, with the crushing depression that has a hold on the country and Lennie’s constant misdemeanours, the dream has slipped away by the climax of the novel, reminding us of the impossibility of their dream in that period of