Discuss Steinbeck’s depiction of ranch life in ‘Of Mice and Men’ as experienced by George and Lennie
...ach reader might have a different opinion on how a line should be read. This will probably affect the characters’ personalities if the author did not use descriptive words to indicate how a line should be read. For example, Steinbeck barely uses phrases such as ‘said George calmly, or yelled Slim angrily’. George is described as being ‘short, small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and has sharp, strong features.’ We also come to learn that part of the language used on a ranch contains numerous amount of swearing. Lennie, on the contrary, is quite the opposite of George. Lennie is described as ‘A huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders. Walked heavily dragging his feet a little. His arms hung loosely and only moved because the heavy hands were pendula.’ The first time we come to notice that Lennie has a childlike behaviour and is mentally limited, when he says ‘Look, George. Look what I done.’ This line indicates that Lennie has a childlike behaviour because he talks like a young boy who is very proud of something that he has just done which is above his level of expectancy. George and Lennie are very close and have a special friendship and a long-term, committed relationship, which are ones of the main themes in the story. ‘”We travel together”, said George’. George’s character changes from the beginning of the book, where he would not allow anyone to make fun of or tease Lennie. Despite that, George shoots Lennie at the back of the head. Steinbeck contraries between George and Lennie, and Carlson (another worker on the farm) and the dog. George, being Carlson shoots Lennie, being the dog, as Lennie brings nothing but trouble and therefore is not needed anymore. Nonetheless, George might have killed Lennie to spare him from jail, where Lennie will probably be going to for killing Curley (the boss’s son)’s wife. Lennie is said to like stroking soft things, so when he is tempted to stroke Curley’s wife’s hair, he breaks her neck for he is extremely powerful and muscular. Steinbeck shows distinctively that there is a hierarchy on a ranch, with each group of people being treated differently from the others. This is also clarified by the different jobs they do and by the sort of outfit they are wearing. For example, the boss is said to be wearing ‘blue jean trousers, a flannel shirt, a black- unbuttoned vest and a black coat. A square steel buckle. His hat was a brown Stetson one. High- heeled boots and spurs’. The high heeled boots and spurs, which represents status and proves that he is not a labouring man. His body language certifies that he is a man who is clearly at the top of the hierarchy. ‘Thumbs tucked in belt’. This shows security, pride and confidence. Contrasting, Old Candy would probably be placed towards the end of the hierarchy. Steinbeck describes him to be ‘tall, stoop-shouldered, old. Dressed in blue jeans and carrying a big push- broom. Has whiskers- rubs them often with his knuckles.’ The old man, Candy, is a ‘swamper’, it means that he cleans the ranch. ‘Swamper’ is a word which is certainly only used on a ranch and not in our daily life. The title ‘Of Mice and Men’, is taken from a poem by Robert Burns called ‘To a Mouse’. This title contains a contrast between ‘mice’ which are v...