Of Mice And Men: Mini-critique :: essays research papers fc

Of Mice and Men Mini-Critique     John Steinbeck was born in Salinas California on February 27, 1902. Hismother was a school teacher in the earthly concern school in Salinas. Steinbeck grew upin the beautiful Salinas Valley which furnished most of the material for hisnovels. His mother read to him, at an early age, famous belles-lettres of the worldwhich planted a seed in his imagination. He entered Stanford in 1920, remainingthere until 1925 but never graduating. In 1930 Steinbeck married Carol Henning.Steinbeck died in 1968.     After college, Steinbeck moved to New York, where he worked briefly forthe old New York American newspaper and helped with the construction of MadisonSquare Garden. His first book, Cup of flamboyant (1929), appeared two months beforethe stock market crash and sold about fifteen hundred copies. Steinbeckreturned to California, living in migrant worker camps to furnish inhalantfor writing novels that described the problems and stresses of the times.Of Mice and Men takes place during the great depression in the SalinasValley, California. It is a story about two farm-hands, George Milton and hislarge retarded friend, Lennie Small. George and Lennie are on their way to afarm that has harvesting jobs available. While camped along side a river Georgeand Lennie talk about their dreams of someday owning a farm with rabbits forLennie to take solicitude of. The next day George convinces the farm boss to hireLennie and him. Lennies Love for feeling soft things becomes a problem when heis playing with a puppy and perchance kills it. The wife of Curley, thebosss son, comes into the barn to talk to Lennie. The climax comes whenCurleys wife lets Lennie feel her hair, but he strokes it too hard and shebecomes scared. Lennie holds her tightly to keep her from screaming and ends up time out her neck. The resolution of the story happens when George shootsLennie through the back of the head. George does this for Lennies own good.The main theme of the story is that, no matter how lowly on the social scale,everyone has the unalienable serious to pursue their individual dreams. While thevalue of friendship is another strong point that comes through in the book.Magill, Frank N. "Of Mice and Men" Masterpieces of American Literature. Harpercollins Publishers, 1993. "Of Mice and Men is perhaps the finest expression ofthe writers lifelong sympathy for abused common people." Roberts, James L.Cliffs Notes on Steinbecks Of Mice and Men. Lincon, Nebraska Cliffs NotesInc., 1966.