Of Mice and Men
Reading Response
Many critics consider this one of the greatest short works of fiction of all time. Why do you think they say this? Write about or discuss some of the important themes Steinbeck addresses in this short book: The importance of relationships, responsibility to others, the nature of home, respect for old age, the difference between right and wrong, and the evil of oppression and abuse. Discuss how he uses the story and characters to address the theme. What can we learn about the theme from Steinbeck's book?
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is considered by critics to be one of the greatest short fictions of all time. There may be several reasons for this. One of the more important reasons for this could be its universal themes. In the book, the theme of friendship, like the friendship between George and Lennie is unmistakably strong. The way that George looks after Lennie is inspiring, constantly reassuring Lennie and making sure he doesn't get into trouble. Even when George gets mad at Lennie, they both know it will work out in the end. Also inspiring is that George has no other motives, besides selfless friendship, to take care of Lennie. If George wanted to, he could leave Lennie, and have a much easier life. Going along with the theme of friendship, is the theme of responsibility to others. George feels responsible to find a good home for himself and Lennie. He is always telling Lennie how they'll work things out in the end, and go have their own piece of land somewhere where Lennie can tend the rabbits.
The difference between right and wrong, is another a theme in Steinbeck's book. This was shown when George makes the decision to take Lennie's life, before Curley could find him and do horrible things to him. George did this because he knew that if he found Lennie first, Lennie would have a fast, painless death whereas if Curley found him first, he would be lynched. This must have been a hard decision for George, having to kill his best friend; but George thought it was the right thing to do. Also, the similar theme, the evils of oppression, is shown in this book. An example of this is the way the white men on the farm treat the black workers, who have separate and poorly maintained quarters and are paid less than the white workers.
Some things we should learn from John Steinbeck's book: friendship is one of the most important things to have and keep, with friendships and relationships come responsibility, the difference between right and wrong is not always clear cut-but is always still there, and it's wrong to treat a group of people with less respect because of the way they look.