Comparing John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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“Hope was never meant to be a future shared alone, as life cannot be won or lost it was never ours to own”. In composing this quote, Frederic M. Perrin addresses the necessity of a relationship founded upon a mutual aspiration; he acknowledges that a dream lacking the involvement of a companion is more likely to fail due to the loss of motivation and drive. A dream committed to by two individuals who actively encourage each other naturally diminishes the omneity of doubt and empowers the belief that the dream will be achieved. In the novel Of Mice and Men, this concept is strongly enforced through Lennie and George’s friendship, as both characters avidly discuss their similar hopes for the future. To delineate how the burden of detrimental…show more content…
Steinbeck uses vivid language to depict Lennie and George’s surroundings, such as the Salinas River that “drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green” and willows “fresh and green with every spring” (1). Before embarking on their next step, they chose the location as a place for rest and anticipation for how the future will unfold. Utilizing words such as “deep”, “green”, and “fresh” to describe the setting connotes feelings associated with renewal, harmony, and hope-- precisely Steinbeck’s intent for conveying how George and Lennie’s dream allows them to lose sight of every negative occurrence. Through this, the characters are highly influenced by their surroundings; they are persuaded to adopt an optimistic outlook on their dreams because they feel at peace with themselves. Fast forward to the end of the novel where fate takes its course, the location may be the death of Lennie’s dream; but in the place that he affiliates with positive outcomes, his dream can die at peace. Furthermore, after acknowledging his consequences for the death of Curley's wife, Lennie retreats to the spot where he and George first camped out. Recalling their conversation, Lennie remembered that if any trouble were to occur as it did in Weed, he should “hide in the brush an’ wait for George” (100). Lennie’s thought processing reveals that he associates the location with a sanctuary-- it epitomizes a feeling of security, despite the certain, unfavorable consequences that he will inevitably suffer. However, his confidence in George’s abilities to resolve the conflicts he is experiencing allows Lennie to convince himself that all will end well. When George finally arrives, Lennie pleads for him to “‘tell how it's gonna be’”. This dialogue demonstrates how Lennie’s false hope,
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