How Is Lennie Presented in of Mice and Men
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- Category: English: Novels
- Date Submitted: 12/22/2015 05:24 AM
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How does Steinbeck Present Lennie in Of Mice and Men
Steinbeck wrote in a letter that Lennie's personage was created not to "represent insanity," but instead to represent "the inarticulate and powerful yearning of all men." Therefore, Lennie is presented as an allegorical character, representing the labourers of the 1930s depression in the Salines Valley where Steinbeck grew up. Steinbeck was particularly fond of these migrant workers and sympathised with the dreams they held. He is sometimes described as being overly sentimental in his characterisation of Lennie, which is due to his love of these workers. Due to this he created Lennie to be a loveable character who symbolises their plight. From the first chapter he achieved this through a range of literacy methods which evoke strong feelings of protectiveness and sympathy in the reader; mirroring the way Steinbeck felt about the migrant workers.
During the exposition, Steinbeck presents Lennie and George in juxtaposition. He enforces this comparison again by using their binary opposites to describe them: he uses quick adjectives such as "small," with "sharp, strong features," for George; and slow, vague adjectives such as "huge," and "shapeless", for Lennie. The comparisons between the meanings of the adjectives give an impression of a large, lumbering man who is the complete opposite of his sharp companion. The impact of these adjectives is then increased by the short, brisk sounds used for George, and the slower sounds that are used for Lennie. All of these create a strong impression in the reader's mind that Lennie isn't as quick witted as George. Steinbeck uses these descriptions to foreshadow the relationship between the two men, and therefore building anticipation in the reader to find out more.
Furthermore, Steinbeck presents Lennie using animalistic metaphors and similes, to both foreshadow future events and to create an in-depth picture of Lennie's character. In the first chapter when Lennie is...
Steinbeck wrote in a letter that Lennie's personage was created not to "represent insanity," but instead to represent "the inarticulate and powerful yearning of all men." Therefore, Lennie is presented as an allegorical character, representing the labourers of the 1930s depression in the Salines Valley where Steinbeck grew up. Steinbeck was particularly fond of these migrant workers and sympathised with the dreams they held. He is sometimes described as being overly sentimental in his characterisation of Lennie, which is due to his love of these workers. Due to this he created Lennie to be a loveable character who symbolises their plight. From the first chapter he achieved this through a range of literacy methods which evoke strong feelings of protectiveness and sympathy in the reader; mirroring the way Steinbeck felt about the migrant workers.
During the exposition, Steinbeck presents Lennie and George in juxtaposition. He enforces this comparison again by using their binary opposites to describe them: he uses quick adjectives such as "small," with "sharp, strong features," for George; and slow, vague adjectives such as "huge," and "shapeless", for Lennie. The comparisons between the meanings of the adjectives give an impression of a large, lumbering man who is the complete opposite of his sharp companion. The impact of these adjectives is then increased by the short, brisk sounds used for George, and the slower sounds that are used for Lennie. All of these create a strong impression in the reader's mind that Lennie isn't as quick witted as George. Steinbeck uses these descriptions to foreshadow the relationship between the two men, and therefore building anticipation in the reader to find out more.
Furthermore, Steinbeck presents Lennie using animalistic metaphors and similes, to both foreshadow future events and to create an in-depth picture of Lennie's character. In the first chapter when Lennie is...