East Of Eden
Clinging together in the face of lonliness and alienation, George and Lennie
desperately seek to escape their poverty, and strive to transform their
chimerical dream into a reality. This heartfelt dream is what sets George and
Lennie aside from the other men, yet ironically it is so easily shattered.
Throughout the book Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, copious comparisons to
animals are stated, signifying that their antagonistic way of life was not
suitable for humans; This animal imagery helps elucidate the somewhat abstract
ideals and character traits present in the text. Lennie’s demeanor is compared
to many animals, Lennie’s death is compared to the death of Curly’s dog, and
even the end of George’s and Lennie’s dream is represented by a heron and the
snake. To thoroughly describe Lennie’s bizarre disposition, Steinbeck compares
him to a bear, horse, terrier, and a bull. Large and capable of violence, yet
clueless and tender like a bear Lennie is totally unpredictable at times. Lennie
is also similar to a bear in that his hands are huge like bear paws, and in the
closing of the story he is said to “Creep as silently as a bear would.” Snorting
into the water, Lennie reminds George of a horse. Similarly to how Lennie is
compared to bear, he is said to be as strong as a bull; Lennie is also reluctant
like a terrier who does not want to bring a ball to his master, but Lennie
finally gives George his mouse. The brilliantly cryptic foreshadowing of
Lennie’s death is told through the shooting of Candy’s dog. Candy’s dog is old
and is not useful any more, so therefore the men in the bunk house want to
dispose of him. Forcing the reluctant Candy to let them kill his dog was an
arduous task, but the insistent nagging finally makes Candy capitulate his old
dog to them. The dog is not only unsuspecting, but also helpless to the bullet
that passes through the base of his skull killing him in an instant though
without pain. Analogously Lennie is killed the same way, and even though George
is reluctant, he knows that it is his obligation kill Lennie. Probably the most
tragic point in the story is the realization that George and Lennie’s dream will
not come true. A little snake slithering in the pool of water, totally
unsuspecting his fate, is suddenly swallowed by a heron looking to satisfy his
hunger. Curly’s wife is searching to satisfy her hunger for someone to converse
with, someone who will listen to her stories and to commiserate with her. She
causes Lennie to break her neck, which ends Lennie’s life, and suddenly shatters
his, George’s, Candy’s, and Crook’s dream. These examples of animal imagery help
illustrate John Steinbeck’s message, and define the present theme. The
characters in the book posses many eclectic characteristics which make
correspond to certain animals. This tragic story possesses a certain clandestine
message, and it can be interpreted in many different ways. The one point that is
most obviously stated is that being different is not easy, and that some people
are not meant to exist on this Earth. Another conspicuous notion is that dreams
should be guarded strongly, because as hastily as you conceived them they could
be snatched from you without clemency.
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