The purpose of this paper is to analyze symbolic meanings behind the main characters of John Steinbeck’s novella “Of Mice and Men”. Symbolism is a common trope used in the narrative, which is done via representation of a larger idea through smaller means. Symbols are diverse and can take the form of a person, place, animal, or object. Steinbeck is also respectful of symbolic variety, as his imagery encompasses people, animals, and even geographical locations. The challenges experienced by Steinbeck’s characters symbolize the loss of the American Dream, and the lack of control individuals have over their own lives.
The story focuses on the struggles of two migrants George Milton and Lennie Small, as they experience hardships of ranch work and grinding poverty. George Milton is a tramp, but a hardworking and main friend of Lenny, whom he always helps and tries to help him out. Lennie is mentally retarded, but a strong worker. He dreams of having his own farm and pets. Even though their occupation is similar, each character represents a different population segment. Lennie represents a stereotypical character with a lower mental capacity who can see other people’s positive and negative sides. He has an exceptional quality that, despite his low mental abilities, gives him the opportunity to understand what ordinary people cannot understand. So, he realized that the ranch is not a safe place for him and George. Lennie is also a symbol for people who are discriminated against and treated poorly because of their mental handicaps (Kolla et al. 101875). Lennie Small is physically depicted as being physically large, and other characters are aware of this and comment on it (Steinbeck 33). His mental capabilities are limited, as is his ability to reason, but his body is enormous and extremely powerful (Lawrence 7). Lennie’s folly frequently enables him to speak honestly when others are unwilling to do so. Lenny had a clearly formulated true American dream, but his backwardness and inability led to the fact that he lost his dream and his life.
Another important character who played a role in the loss of the main characters of the American Dream is the wife of a local semi-professional boxer Curly. She is emblematic of women held in subservient positions in male-dominated civilizations worldwide. This character is a metaphor for peril in the novella, which is evident in the following line: “her fingernails were painted crimson, and her hair hung in small sausage-like rolls all over her head” (Bashar et al. 97). This description is the first time the audience encounters Curley’s wife in the narrative, which is important for the subsequent perception of this character. The author uses her to represent discrimination on the basis of one’s gender. The fact that Curley’s wife does not have a name implies that she holds no significant authority on the ranch. In this regard, she represents numerous unnamed individuals who were victims to some form of prejudice in American society.
In addition to the heroes of the work, the author describes one significant and important symbol – a farm. The farm illustrates freedom and self-sufficiency and a feeling of contentment. On the few acres of land that are available, the farm that George always displays to Lennie is used as one of the novel’s most iconic forces. With this farm, they would plant their food and look after their livestock. Not only does it captivate other people in the story, but it also conveys an important impression to the reader that carefree and perfect existence that it promises is indeed attainable. This concept particularly appeals to ranch workers Candy and Crooks, who have high hopes that Lennie and George will one day permit them to reside there (Steinbeck 33). Subsequently, the farm symbolizes a paradise for men who aim to be in command of their own lives, since it provides the possibility for freedom, self-sufficiency, and protection from the life’s hardships.
Another vessel used by writers to carry certain symbols in stories are animals. Steinbeck does it as well by hiding important symbols in the animals present in the novella – mice, rabbits, and dogs. For example, Lennie’s interaction with mice represents a deceptive sense of optimism (Lawrence 7). Lennie enjoys holding delicate objects, yet he frequently crushes them. As a kind of solace, he frequently walks around with a dead mouse that he regularly strokes. Despite Lennie’s and George’s best efforts, their schemes almost always fail, and Lennie, like a mouse, is at the mercy of the fate, which ultimately determines the course of his life. In essence, unfounded optimism is a pathway to personal demise. Mice symbolize how small the meaning of human life can sometimes be.
Lennie associates rabbits with a secure and content way of life since George has assured him that once their farm is established, Lennie will be able to keep as many rabbits as he desires. In a broader sense, rabbits represent naivety throughout the narrative, which starkly contrasts the realities that the protagonists face (Lawrence 7).
Two dogs play a significant role as symbols throughout the narrative. The most significant of these is Candy’s dog, an elderly sheepdog that has outlived its usefulness. Carlson, who is a farm worker, decides to shoot Candy’s dog, although Candy is deeply attached to her pet. Candy’s dog represents the unfortunate end that befalls the weak. Candy is terrified that he, too, will perish once he is no longer capable of protecting himself when he is in that state. There is a correlation between the passing of Lennie and the dog’s passing since Lennie cannot participate in the society in which he lives. Lennie takes care of a young dog for most of the story (Mendrofa 204). He has a great deal of love for the dog, but as is the case with anything delicate that Lennie touches, he inadvertently kills it. The dog symbolizes that the author puts the murder of a dog and a man, namely Curly’s wife, on par. Lennie cannot convey his feelings of love and admiration for Curley’s wife in a sufficiently gentle manner, and as a result, she also suffers the consequences of his actions.
Optimism is also represented by another character in the story – Slim. Since he is so “ageless” and brilliant, he represents a path out of the darkness that is the gloomy existence of the Great Depression and the ranch. This light imagery highlights the fact that he is integral to the ranch’s existence and signifies hope. Underneath his jaded and world-weary exterior, Slim exemplifies the ability to feel strong emotions, such as compassion and empathy (Steinbeck 13). He is strong in spirit and plays a significant role in the work.
Lennie’s best friend George represents a man who is destined to suffer and who yearns to return to Eden. He is a lonely man and the fact that he is in a friendship with Lennie sets them apart from the other men who live alone and presents them with an opportunity to avoid loneliness. According to the norms of the American economy, those who are frail and dependent do not have a chance of surviving (Steinbeck 33). Throughout the novella, George and Lennie consider themselves exceptional and fortunate because of their friendship. However, in the end, it is George who should be the one to kill Lennie (Mendrofa 204). After George and Lennie have finished repeating their wish to own a farm together for the last time, George pulls out a gun and shoots Lennie in the back of the head so that Lennie will not have to face the fury of Curley. This scene shows that for the people who are the most economically disadvantaged and socially isolated, maintaining friendships is a desire that is just as cruelly unreachable as owning land.
In the work there is also a black groom whose name is Crooks. Crooks is meant to represent black people in America and the treatment they received. Steinbeck is famous for his aggressive stance on current and historic segregation. Therefore, it is not surprising that he inserts this conflict into the novella. Specifically, the way other characters in the novel treat Crooks is symbolic of prejudice. Probably, he is a symbol of racism and the alienation of the black population that was prevalent during the historical period in which the story is set (Steinbeck 28). The author vividly showed a man fighting for rights and with comprehensive racism.
Carlson is a representation of self-obsessed egoist with no regard for the needs of others. It is evident that he cares solely about the luxuries that he affords and is ignorant of the emotions of others (Steinbeck 51). The author uses Carlson’s demeanor to showcase representation of power and strength in the American culture. The idea that strength can triumph over weakness is illustrated by the fact that the gun can subdue its opponents. Both Candy’s puppy and Lennie end up dead due to being shot with Carlson’s Luger. In Carlson, Steinbeck shows the extremes to which American obsession with one’s wealth and possessions may lead.
In the novel, the Salinas River represents George and Lennie’s idealized version of a fulfilled life. It is smooth and calm, which is the opposite of the life George’s and Lennie’s experiences. The glimmer of optimism that the protagonists’ daydreams will one day come true is conveyed by Steinbeck’s description of a tranquil clearing near the river. Author states: “But by the pool among the mottled sycamores, a pleasant shade had fallen” (Steinbeck 37). What surrounds the heroes here and now, nature, its beauty, inspires them that they can live a full life near this nature and with the realization of their dreams. However, the river also serves as a foreshadowing of a tragic ending. When a heron kills and consumes a snake in the Salinas riverbed near the end of the book, this event serves as a metaphor for George’s decision to end Lennie’s life and the failure of their ambition.
In conclusion, the author shows how a person can lose their desires by the example of the main characters, George and Lenny, who failed their American dream. George, the primary character in the narrative is a migrant worker. The reader accompanies George and Lennie as they become better acquainted with their co-workers, including elderly immobile caregiver Candy, an erudite African American stable hand Crooks, and Curley’s wife, a woman who craves attention and companionship. Each of these characters confront the prejudice that exists in the American society. Ultimately, In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses a wide variety of symbols to address the societal concerns of discrimination and division, which are still relevant.
Works Cited
Bashar, Khair Ul, et al. “Stereotyping of Curley’s Wife in Steinbeck’s of Mice and Men: From Derridean Perspective.” Linguistics and Literature Studies, vol. 7, no. 3, 2019, pp. 95–99.
Kolla, Nathan J., and Marco Bortolato. “The Role of Monoamine Oxidase a in the Neurobiology of Aggressive, Antisocial, and Violent Behavior: A Tale of Mice and Men.” Progress in Neurobiology, vol. 194, 2020, p. 101875.
Lawrence, Clare. “Is Lennie a Monster? A Reconsideration of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men in a 21st Century Inclusive Classroom Context.” Palgrave Communications, vol. 6, no. 1, 2020.
Mendrofa, Melania Priska. “Social Insecurity at The Intersection of Disabilities And Poverty In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men.” Jurnal Multidisiplin Madani, vol 1, no. 3, 2021, pp. 203-216.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Print, 1937.