This A* (grade 9) essay encompasses the analysis of the character of Lennie Smalls. It explores the conscious structural and linguistic features employed by the author (John Steinbeck) to highlight the character's influence on significant themes (racism, misogyny, and friendship), as well as provid...
In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck presents Lennie in contrast to the main themes and contextual ideas of
the novella. Lennie and his interactions are presented as a naive and optimistic disagreement in the face
of central ideas such as loneliness, racism, misogyny, and dreams - all of which are rooted in the
socioeconomic context of the book: the Great Depression of 1930s America.
Steinbeck’s presentation of Lennie is most predominately a tool against the theme of loneliness. This
usage is established early in the book as Lennie says to George, “I got you … and you got me.” The
quotation demonstrates friendship between the two protagonists and immediately opposes the idea of
loneliness. The specific usage of pronouns such as “I”, “you”, and “me” further illustrates a personalised
image of closeness; the keyword “got” illustrates a satisfactory attainment of something – in this case,
friendship. Furthermore, the phrase, “We ain’t like them,” is often used between Lennie and George.
This validates their friendship as the pronouns “we” and “them” outline a different kind of ‘othering’ –
one that is relatively positive as it represents unity in an environment where brittle interactions are the
usual. The harsh and divisive nature of most interactions in 1930s America was largely due to political
tension as a result of migrating workers; Lennie is also a migrant worker – evidence of Steinbeck’s
inclusion of the underdog – but he is utilised to depict unity as opposed to the divisive image of migrants
in 1930s America.
The recurring theme of dreams within the novella is often a source of misery within Of Mice and Men;
however, Steinbeck presents Lennie’s naivete as a challenging optimism against the theme throughout
the book. This is evidenced when Lennie “shouted, … Go on, George!”. The verb “shouted” depicts an
unusual excitement regarding a character’s (Lennie’s) dream. Moreover, the exclamation point furthers
this portrayal as it outlines Lennie’s enthusiasm about his and George’s dream. This enthusiasm could be
– and often, throughout the novella, is – contrasted with other characters’ approach to their dreams.
For example, Curley’s wife’s narration that “a guy tol’ me he could put me in pitchers” depicts an
unattainable goal with the usage of modal verbs such as “could” and the distance established with
impersonal language in “a guy”. This stark contrast is enhanced as Curley’s wife talks of her dreams with
“a breathless indignation” whereas Lennie is “delighted” to speak of his. In 1930s America, the American
dream was sought by many, but attained by none due to the Great Depression; as a result, most citizens
approached their hopes with the misery seen in characters such as Crooks and Curley’s wife. Amongst
this, Steinbeck’s presentation and insertion of Lennie is important as he disregards the futility of the
American dream and exposes the reader to an alternate approach to what was, at the time, largely seen
to be unattainable.
Racism is an important component of the social context of Of Mice and Men as Steinbeck largely draws
from the prevalent racial divide of the 1930s. Once again, Lennie is displayed as an optimistic challenge
to a point of contention within the novella. For example, his questioning of Crooks with, “Why aint you
wanted?” illustrates a colour-blind curiosity and genuine confusion. The questioning word “why”
exhibits Lennie’s childlike naivete as it highlights his unawareness regarding the racial divide in the
microcosm of society, and society as a whole. Additionally, his actions towards Crooks as he “smiled
helplessly” whilst Crooks “stiffened and scowled” portray an innocent and pure want for friendship –
innocence that optimistically prevails as the contentious theme of racism is blatant. Lennie is unaware of
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