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Student NameMs. HeschEnglish 9H-Block 319 November 2012Of Mice and Men Literary AnalysisThe novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck tells the story of two migrant workers during the Great Depression, George Milton and Lennie Small. These two men share a strong bond throughout the story, and there are also many themes expressed in the novel. All through the story, Lennie always listens to George, always doing whatever he says no matter what the cost. The reader can clearly see how much Lennie believes that the two of them can achieve the American Dream and get their own farm. Lennie is often very trustworthy towards other people, and he will usually listen to whatever they tell him. This quality is most apparent in other characters when they are talking to Slim. Slim is a nice man who runs one of the teams on the ranch, and his speech and calming demeanor lead others to almost immediately trusting him. Candy, the elderly swamper, also has an old dog that clearly trusts him to the fullest extent that one can. All the characters are unique, and they all have their own role over the course of the novel. Trust is a key theme in the novel, and it is apparent in many places through many characters. In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck emphasizes the theme of trust and loyalty through indirect characterization, diction, and the use of symbols.The clearest example of trust and loyalty is portrayed through the indirect characterization of Lennie Small. This enormously strong man is not very bright, yet when he gives someone his trust, it is not taken away lightly. For example, George tells a story to Slim about how when him and Lennie were younger Lennie would always follow him around, doing whatever George told him to, “He’d do any damn thing I tol’ him”(Steinbeck 39). Lennie didn’t care if what he was being told to do could cause him harm, he just listened to George because he trusted him wholeheartedly. When Lennie does something bad, he actually reminds George of the punishment, because he trusts him to carry it out swiftly and justly. In this excerpt from the novel, Lennie timidly reminded George to punish him, despite the fear he felt of the impending anger, “Ain’t you gonna give me hell… Well, ain’t you gonna say it?” (Steinbeck 100). Though Steinbeck doesn’t come right out and tell us about Lennie’s trusting personality, it is clearly shown in these examples and in many more throughout the novel. Steinbeck cleverly gives readers insights into Lennie’s character through George’s conversations with others, and many readers soon come to see that this “huge man, shapeless of face” does not need to have finely detailed facial features to clearly express his trust in George (Steinbeck 2).Steinbeck also gives examples of trust and loyalty through diction, mainly in the speech of Slim. This calm and collected rancher instills a certain degree of trust into all of the men that work on the ranch. When Steinbeck first describes Slim’s voice to the reader, “His tone was friendly. It invited confidence without demanding it.” one can almost hear a smooth drawl helping the newcomers to feel relaxed and at home (Steinbeck 34). Later in the novel, one can already see how much George trusts Slim, after knowing him for just one day, “You wouldn’t tell?...No, ‘course you wouldn’t.” (Steinbeck 40). The way that George doesn’t even wait for a response from Slim demonstrates how much faith he has in the man, and how he believes that he already knows Slim well enough not to have any doubts. The character of Slim that Steinbeck pens gives the characters, and possibly the readers, a smooth sense of calm and trust.Finally, John Steinbeck uses symbols to emphasize the theme of trust and loyalty throughout the story. One symbol in particular demonstrates the theme more clearly than others. Candy, the old swamper, had a dog that he raised from a small puppy. The dog grew old, and was soon no longer of use as a sheepdog. Yet Candy kept him, and some have been led to believe that it is because of the dog’s faithful loyalty. With old age came hardships, and the dog was portrayed to have been in obvious pain when walking. Yet it fought through this pain just to follow Candy around, as expressed by Steinbeck, “Old Candy, the swamper, came in…and behind him struggled his old dog.” (Steinbeck 42). The subtle usage of the word “struggled” shows that the dog is clearly just trying to be near his master, no matter how much pain it causes him. This dog is a clear symbol of how much one being can trust another, one can easily believe that Steinbeck was trying to express this by writing about Candy’s seemingly insignificant dog.Just how has John Steinbeck portrayed the theme of trust and loyalty in Of Mice and Men? Through the main character of Lennie Small, the author has shown how even a man who is not very intelligent can give another man his undying trust. Steinbeck has shown us how one man’s speech can influence people greatly, and give them a comfortable sense of security. Lastly, John Steinbeck showed readers how trust and loyalty is not limited to humans, not by a long shot. When it comes to theme of trust and loyalty, Steinbeck is telling the world that trust comes in many different ways, shapes, and forms. Though it is different to everyone, trust is one of the most important characteristics two beings could share. As portrayed in the novel, trust and loyalty can almost completely define how someone lives their life. John Steinbeck is telling people to find someone they trust above all others, and give them the trust that one knows they will forever treasure. ................
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