Of Mice and Men

A detailed Summary of Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men is a testament to the predatory nature of man. It is this darker side of the human spirit which has exiled man from the Garden of Eden, now manifesting itself as the American dream. John Steinbeck shows a world doomed to isolation and loneliness, where the only alleviation from ones suffering is to prey on those weaker than oneself. His story is one of a shattered dream, of pain and suffering rather than the promised plan. The backbone of his novel is the simple eight verse poem "To A Mouse". Steinbeck lays flesh upon the bones of this poem about a farmer who upturns the nest of a mouse just before the onset of winter.

The book opens by a beautiful riverbed in Southern California, mocking Eden with its serenity and beauty. Two men, George and Lenny, are settling down for the night. They are two seemingly ordinary migrant workers during the winter of the depression. George is a wiry quick witted fellow who watches out for Lenny, a large and awkward man who possesses the mind of only a small child. One soon learns that they possess something quite extraordinary. It is a friendship strong enough to weather this harsh world. On a small ranch nearly void of life, it serves as a beacon of hope for the Americ

The dream that George and Lenny bring to the farm is nothing new, but their companionship breathes life into it. Soon this dream becomes far larger than themselves, seducing the other ranch hands with images of an Eden. "S'pose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, or any damn thing." Old Candy nodded in appreciation of the idea. "We'd just go to her," George said. "We wouldn't ask nobody if we could. Jus' say, 'We'll go to her,' an' we would. Jus' milk the cow and sling some grain to the chickens an' go to her." When Candy overhears George and Lenny talking about it, he quickly offers them his life savings to join them. Since the money came from a lump sum he received when losing his hand, he was in a sense sacrificing part of his own body. Heaven for him was a place where one can live long after they have outlived their usefulness. Even the hardened Crooks is seduced by this dream, asking if he could come along to do whatever work he was capable of. "... If you ... guys would want a hand to work for nothing - just his keep , why I'd come an' lend a hand. I ain't so crippled I can't work like a son a bitch if I want to."

The mouse who's nest is upturned in "To A Mouse" directly parallels Lenny. He lived in the present, embodying both innocence and helplessness. It was these qualitites that allowed him to carry the American dream. The friendship he formed with George provided it a physical embodiment. Just as the mouse was snug in his home, the harsh steel of human nature upturned it. This act was not malicious or calculating, but a part of a much larger process neither the mouse nor the man could control. All the man can do now is preserve the shards of a shattered dream. "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men, gang aft agley, an' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain for promis'd joy!" Geo

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1245
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels