Book review
Extract Essay Question - English Literature - Of Mice and Men, ISBN: 9780141023571
Extract Question example on the novel, Of Mice and Men.
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
Seller
Follow
Content preview
Look closely at how George and Lennie speak and behave here. What does itreveal about their relationship? [10]
At the start of the extract, George begins to show his affection towards Lennie as he remarks
“Poor bastard”, he said softly”. The outburst of profanity “Poor bastard” suggests that George
feels sympathy and empathy for his friend, Lennie, although it’s being shown in a more expletive
than soft way which further shows that George possibly struggles to show his real love and
compassion for Lennie. The adverb “softly” implies that George has a kind warmth towards
Lennie, suggesting that they’re relationship is revealed as genuine and full of protection.
Furthermore, they are presented in a more dynamic way when Lennie is caught with the mouse,
causing George to declare “brusquely”, “Gi'me that mouse!” as to which Lennie “made an
elaborate pantomime of innocence”. This truculent demandment followed by an innocent
reaction reveals that Lennie often gets into trouble and is able to escape the consequences due
to his rare, sensitive characteristics. “Gi’me that mouse” emphasises on how strict and
demanding George is with Lennie, suggesting that he just wants to protect him. In contrast,
Lennie’s “pantomime of innocence” presents that he made a performance with just movements
and gestures of “innocence”, possibly attempting to prove to George that he didn’t do anything
wrong which suggests that Lennie is so fixated on being joyful that he can’t seem to understand
the flaws in his own behaviours.
Steinbeck goes on to reveal the pair's relationship as George displays a dominating role in the
relationship when he states “coldly”, ‘You gonna give me that mouse or do I have to sock you?’.
The hostile threat indicates that George has very little patience with Lennie and his mindless
character and may not hesitate to act if Lennie does not obey what George is demanding. The
adverb “coldly” suggests that, compared to the opening of the extract, George is now speaking
in a way which does not consist of warmth and affection. This may imply that the relationship
between the two is constantly varying from emotional to emotionless.
Moreover, the visualization of their contrasting relationship is intensified when George puts his
hand out and Lennie shows fear towards him as he “Slowly, like a terrier who doesn’t want to
bring a ball to it’s master”. The simile presented helps infer that Lennie is perhaps disobedient
yet also fearful which emphasises on the dominating role George has over Lennie, keeping him
disciplined since he is obviously not like everyone else. A demonstration of animal imagery is
shown here, helping the reader to see how Lennie possesses behaviours and instincts that
resemble an animal, dehumanizing his character. Also, The use of the adverb “Slowly” could
possibly be an indication towards Lennie’s personality overall as he isn’t bright and all of the
intelligence and intuitive decisions in the relationship are made by George.
Additionally, Once George had successfully received the mouse from Lennie, he elucidated to
George “I wasn’t doing nothing bad with it, George. Just stroking it”. In this moment, Lennie’s
vulnerability is being shown heavily, implying that Lennie is eager for George to believe that he
meant no intentional harm and was “just stroking it”. The stylistic form of language used by
Steinbeck is used to illustrate Lennie as very docile and childlike and also his innocent sense of
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller siobhanmarie. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £7.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
64438 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now