Of Mice and Men is a popular novel that addresses the theme of dependence, human interaction, and the harmful effects of social isolation. But when does Of Mice and Men take place? The story takes place during the Depression-era. It tells a story about two displaced migrant laborers, Lennie Small and George Milton, who are looking for better job opportunities during the Depression-era in the United States. Before we have a look at Of Mice and Men book summary, we should first consider the setting of the novel.
Discover Of Mice and Men Book Summary
Essentially, Of Mice and Men centers around the Great Depression Era when two migrant friends struggle with their impoverished circumstances to finally become financially stable. The plot of Of Mice and Men is a story that revolves around two friends, Lennie and George, whose friendship is constantly put to the test by the predatory and isolating life of migrant workers during the Depression-era.
The two friends share a dream of one day buying their own farm together. From the start of the novel, we learn that Lennie and George have been living together since they were children, and their quest to find new employment always put their relationship to test. However, their relationship ultimately survives the test of time.
Summary Of Mice And Men: Dreams Of A Better Future
Since they have a long-standing friendship, their day-to-day conversations are often ritualized, and George has an important ritual of describing the kind of farm that they will one day own. He shares a vivid description of the vegetable garden as well as the rabbits that will occupy the farm.
More importantly, the two friends dream of buying land together, and their friendship is made stronger due to this desire. Lennie’s death is tragic since the two friends shared a great bond, and George is now uncertain of his future since they had dreams of making it in life.
After the first few chapters of the novel, the tough ranch life takes a toll on Lennie and George’s dreams. Their boss becomes suspicious because Lennie and George always travel together while he prefers all workers to work in isolation. And though the boss has a nice personality, his son is more aggressive and always preys on workers who are weak, particularly Lennie, who has a weak predisposition.
Problems With The Boss And Of Mice and Men Synopsis Climax
The son’s antagonism draws Lennie and George closer, and they vow to stick together until the end. The readers learn that the isolated and frightened workers often have disagreements against each other and not influenced by those who are in power.
Of Mice and Men climax is reached when Lennie kills Curley’s wife accidentally while stroking her hair. Consequently, there is an atmosphere of fear and isolation on the ranch when workers learn of Curley’s wife’s death.
After the workers discover that Curley’s wife has been killed, they all believe that Lennie is responsible for the murder. Lennie goes into hiding, and Curley instructs George to look for Lennie.
When George finally finds Lennie hiding near the riverbed, they reminisce about their dream of owning a farm. When George kills Lennie to prevent him from being found by the search party, the strong friendship the men once shared is destroyed. Their strong friendship is ultimately defeated as a result of the mistrust, fear, and isolation that was a common reality for poor migrant workers.
Of Mice and Men Detailed Synopsis Continues
If you want to learn how to write the synopsis for your English paper writing, you should first read the book to learn how the characters interact with each other. And if you don’t know what a synopsis is, this article will give you’re a rough idea on how to write one. Put simply, a synopsis is a summary.
The novel starts with two friends, Lennie Small and George Milton, walking toward a ranch to look for a job. George is the leader and always makes decisions on behalf of Lennie. They decide to rest near a water stream and continue their journey to the ranch after their night sleep.
Lennie, who always enjoys touching anything soft, got into trouble with the locals in the previous town after he touched a stranger’s soft dress. Due to such behavior, George cautions Lennie against speaking to anyone when they finally make it to the ranch.
When he is forced to take away the dead mouse from Lennie the second time, he ponders at the challenge of having to take care of his friend. After he finally calms down, he promises Lennie that he will get him a dog, and then shares the dream of owning a farm where Lennie can tend to their rabbits. George emphasizes that their dream will strengthen their relationship and is what separates them from other people who don’t share their passion for owning a farm.
Growing Suspicion
When they finally arrive at the ranch, it is evident something is suspicious because George talks to the boss while Lennie remains silent. However, George explains to the boss that though Lenny is not clever, he is an excellent worker. They meet Candy, who has a dog named Crook and the boss son called Curley – an overly aggressive man with a bad temper. Lenny is captivated by Curley’s wife, but George warns against any interaction with her or Curley.
Lennie realizes that his puppy has died, and while he struggles to think about how he will explain the situation to George, there is tension in the room when Curley’s wife enters. After they have a discussion on how Lennie enjoys touching soft things, she lets him touch her soft hair. However, Lennie strokes the hair too aggressively, and she gets upset. When she tries to move away from Lennie, he forcefully hangs on her hair. She starts to scream, and to stop her from screaming, Lenny accidentally kills her after breaking her neck.
Story Conclusion
He goes into hiding near the stream after realizing he had done something wrong. Curley organizes a lynching search party, but George is determined to ensure Lennie is not hurt. George helps in searching for Lennie and finds him near the riverside. While George is overcome with pity, he knows that Curley’s cruelty is far much worse.
He asks Lennie to imagine their farm as they have done plenty of times, and while he is smiling by envisioning all the rabbits he will own, George shoots him on his neck. When the search party arrives, George makes them believe that he only shot Lennie accidentally after he wrestled the gun away from him.
Need Help Writing About Of Mice And Men?
If you need writing help as far as writing Of Mice and Men summary is concerned, there is no need for you to worry as we just briefly looked at it. Most people often ask, ”what is Of Mice and Men about? As mentioned earlier, Of Mice and Men summary will highlight the lives of poor immigrant farmworkers during the Depression-era United States. That is the main theme.
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