To What Extent Does Steinbeck Create Tension In Of Mice And Men

How does John Steinbeck create Tension in ‘Of Mice and Men’ In this essay I am going to discuss how John Steinbeck creates tension during the fight scene in ’Of Mice and Men’. I am going to look at how Steinbeck uses different techniques such as vocabulary, body language, similes, and dynamic verbs to build up different levels of tension during the scene. Of mice and men demonstrates Steinbeck’s ability to build up fear throughout a scene. Before there was any actual physical conflict, Steinbeck wrote ‘Lennie looked helplessly at George, and then he got up and tried to retreat’. The word ‘helplessly’ highlights Lennie’s vulnerability. Furthermore, the word ‘tried’ suggests that Lennie doesn’t have control of the situation and doesn’t know what to do. This quotation is very emotive for the reader as they presumably prefer Lennie to Curley and don’t want Lennie to get hurt and in my opinion this is how I personally feel. Another example of the fear built up by the author is when the book says ‘George put out his hand and grabbed Slim’. The reader is immediately startled that George prevents Slim from helping Lennie, this shock soon turns into fear for Lennie and so he does not act until George tells him what to do. Steinbeck uses similes to show that Curley was aggressive, by comparing him to a terrier, a small violent dog used to attack larger
There is a contrast between Curley, who is violent and aggressive like a terrier and the helpless Lennie who was still looking blankly at Curley and smiling in the memory of their future ranch. Onomatopoeia is used, when Curley is attacking Lennie, in the phrase ‘then smashed down his nose with a right’ and this, in par with the violent imagery of the next sentences makes the reader think about the scene and what is going on in the