Of Mice and Men & Death of a Salesman by John Steinbeck Essay

caper Steinbeck was born in California, Salinas February 1902. In spite of the particular Steinbeck came from a sloshed background he also showed curiousness toward the farm workers and spent his ingest season working with them. The experience he had gained from working with the farm laborers was accordingly applied as matter for his writing. This certainly adds a sense of reality to his texts. Steinbeck produced many novels ab bulge out distress-stricken plenty who red-hot a conceive of. iodin of the novels is the considerably- cont break offn Grapes of the Wrath. During the late 1920s the Wall Street crash took place, forcing millions of Ameri grasss out of work this then led on to the Great Depression, an era in which people missed any(prenominal) economic opportunity. The briny cultural dispositions that occurred through and throughout this finis of clipping were poverty and unemployment.The characters in the novella, Of Mice and Men tidy sum relate to this t rend as it is set during that era. All the characters in the book be experiencing poverty at the time and argon working to continue existence and to reproof the Great Depression, so that they can obtain the ambitiousness. It is sh stimulate here Look, if me an Lennie work a month an dont spen no amour, well claim a hunderd bucks. Thatd be four fifty. I bet we could s deliver the goodsg her for that. The American hallucination is es pronounce for freedom, status, and conquest, and as this quote suggests it is often bound up with issues of a fiscal nature. The American pipe imagine associates with all characters in, Of Mice and Men nonwithstanding mainly with Candy, Crooks, Lennie, George and Curleys wife, who at maven lead says, He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural. Quotes often(prenominal) as this remind us of the tied(p) confidence that American citizens had in their version of the American Dream, and they often determine ironically.This is because, asreaders, we know that the character is disillusioned, and falling for the false promise of prosperity. racism is posed throughout the novella in the 1990s segregation laws were approved, whereby the offices of pitch-dark and white people were divided black people generally had the subjects wanting in quality, i.e. Crooks inhumane segregation on the farm. Habitual use of racism, for framework flippant use of the word N****r ar preponderating in this novella. There were also groups of people who were explicity posed against blacks, for example the KKK, who presented hysteria towards the black minorities, by ambushing them and/or lynching them.They would also strikeany person who dared to associate with blacks. This may stand to elaborate why nonentity socializes with Crooks theyre frightened to step outside of social parameters. For example we fit that, Candy stops at the door and takes a step back. The particular that Crooks is black demolishes the possi bilities of his envisages actually organism accomplished they are not depute the equivalent rights, and In turn dreams as the white people. This is ironic because we know that Crooks used to live the dream, and live amongst the white kids perhaps this is Steinbeck make a comment on how society has regressed for the worse.The tone Steinbeck creates is mellow and quiet especially in the opening paragraph. I know this because Steinbeck uses words more(prenominal) as twinkling and golden foothill slopes curve. creating a dream- resembling atmosphere. Both these quotes represent colors that indicate summertime, a long season whereby people and animals revel in the tranquillity of the outdoors. In addition to this Steinbeck says that the, foothill slopes curve this gives the impression the walk is free-and-easy trip. However, this calmness is instantly interrupted and starts to show rupture as the George and Lennie vex. This may be Steinbeck commenting on how the futile nature of dreaming pass on ever be uprise apparent. Steinbeck states that the two men hurried and poundedd cause the river both these verbs are starting to stipulate the start of a battle.By the writer creating much(prenominal) a subtle scene, which is then ruined, could represent the fact that people whose lives suffice across cheerful and composed, also become holster sadness. I feel that Steinbeck cherished the audience to know that the best laid plans didnt have the proceeds that was anticipated in fact the dream of livin off the fatta the lan near enough both time fails, results in relationships vanishing and lives wrecked. Lennie is very broad and punishing handed. On the opposite hand George is small, so it is also ironic that Lennies surname is small. The text readers, Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, sick(p) eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the flair a arise drags his paws . His arms did not swing at his sides, moreover hung loosely. The writer says that George has sprightly eyesmeaning that his eyes are defined, whereas Lennies are draw as pale.This colour is not vivid nor is it harsh, so it is almost sympathetic and tender. Lennies eyes do not suggest strength, so peradventure Steinbeck is presenting Lennie as having a monotonous, good-natured personality. Steinbeck is not trying to make George and Lennie count a same(p), but comp allowely different this is to show how dependent two opposites are in needing each other. Without one another George would have been a alone(predicate) ranch worker, meanwhile Lennie would of probably contained in a mental institution. Lennie is referred to a bear, straight away this tells the audience that Lennie is physically strong, pretty large and hostile. scorn this, it also shows that Lennie would only fight when he has to, he wouldnt do it without an intention.Research has shown that bears only attack when they feel in danger, therefore a bear symbolizes Lennie best as he tend to lose chair a lot. Lennie is always willing to attack when the dream is compromised, showing how most-valuable the vision was to Americancitizens. Lennie says, I remember slightly the rabbits, George. and George responds, The hell with the rabbits. Thats all you can ever remember is them rabbits. This is the very first time we hear about Lennie dream. Even from the beginning of the novella, the impression is given that Lennie is much enthusiastic than George about the dream. Georges simple eradication of the words them rabbits shows signs that he thinks the whole office is foolish. This tends to bring intricate as we to register that George superpower upright be as animated for the dream as much as Lennie. it comes across that George is extra wary about that excitement, this makes sense as hes also more aware of his surroundings compared to his other half.The American Dream as whole is impossible of fulfilment, the final stage of Lennie is synecdochical of that concluding that all good things most come to an end. Lennie only wanted to tend the rabbits, nothing more, nothing less it was George who came up with the entire dream therefore Lennie is not to bear down for everything. The dream was presented to Lennie like a story, in a childlike manner. God amighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go demoralize a mull an work, an no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks andgo into town and get whatever I wantAt this point George lashes out at Lennie groundless about what the life of a migrant worker would be like without any heavy loads i.e Lennie. From this piece of music of text it seems that George is imagining a cursory existence and that Lennie is just an obstacle in his way.What George had highlighted here is far-seeing because of what happens in the end of Of Mice and Men. George uses the dream so that th ey both have hope later on life, afterthe ranch workers knew about their dream they wanted to have one too. This reveals the value of dreams entirely in the novella, and for those alive during the Great Depression, sitting in the same position as the ranch workers.Once George creates a ripe account of the farm, its heaven garden-like qualities begin even more obvious Everything thing they want will be in front of their eyes, without any true(a) effort. Just as Lennie states We could live offa the fatta the lan. I think that when George spear Lennie he was right in doing so. One of the reasons I think this is overdue to the fact that he would have been killed by Curley or the rest of the ranch men anyway. Lennie had unexpectedly killed Curleys wife therefore, it would of resolve in death either way. The author lets the reader know that Curley would of killed Lennie when Curley says Im gonna get him. Im going away for my shot gun. Ill kill the son-of-a-bitch myself. If Curley k illed Lennie, it would of resolved in a slow painful, death. In my opinion, it was better his best booster shot cleaning him than his enemy.This killing can be compared to a mercy killing or linked to euthanasia in many ways. George killed Lennie for all the right reasons the only downfall in this is that George has to go on and live a lonely life, with no companionship. George kills Lennie by Salinas River Salinas means lonely, which is what George is now. George and Lennie fail to register that their dream is like thousands of other ranch workers, Crooks summarizes their dream when he quotes Seen hundreds of men come by on the road an on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an that same damn thing in their heads. Hundreds of them. They come an they quit an go on, every damn one of ems got a little piece of take down in his head. An never one of them get it. The men on the ranch have this futile dream about owning their peace of land, but its unachievable because of the ir circumstances.In a similar manner, from beginning to end moth miller depicts the American Dream and how Willy Lowman and his family fail to get it. Arthur milling machine was born in New York, Harlem October 1915. Miller wrote Death of a Salesman whilst working for his fathers company at the age of seventeen. Miller had said that everything he wrote was ground on someone he knew or had seen. After Miller wrote the book of account he wrote a postscript saying that the real-life salesman, who the influence is based on had killed himself by jumping in front of a subway train.Willy has been attempting to achieve the American Dream for such a long period of time that he actually believes its achievable. Throughout Willys life he has prolonged numerous lies to himself and to his family, this has persuaded him that his dream has become an possibility. He constantly reveals to his family that hes on the verge of huge success, meanwhile he contemplates to himself as to why he hasnt r eached the dream he knows he is subject of Willy says that Theres more people Thats whats ruining this country The competition is maddening Smell the stink from that apartment home base And one on the other side How can they whip discontinue?Willy says this in bring one, this quote suggests that Willy is blaming the over populated country, America, on his lack of success the truth is that its down to his belief in the assumption of the blemish American Dream. Its seems to me that Willy is just trying to come up with excuses, to cover the fact that he, himself, failed at the American Dream. The fact that Willy is always in need of a scapegoat , shows us that the dream Is, by nature, completely unachievable. The use of description marks in this quote express Willys feelings about the people and the impact its having on his ability to achieve the American dream.Miller makes an slip comment on how America is guilty of selling their citizens a dream to failure, but who do we bl ame? On one hand we should blame the scapegoat, America as a nation, but it seems thereaders cant admirer but blame Willy, its almost as if the readers have locomote for the same myth blaming Willy and not American society.Willy convinced his sons that in suppose to achieve the American Dream you need to be intumesce-liked, not just liked. It seems that Willy is implying that being admired and the quality of arousing interest is the most important thing that will enable you to achieve the American Dream. He puts being sound liked first over any other quality. According to Willy, being well liked amounts to the bare matter for reaching the American Dream. universe well liked is a quickened way of achieving something without as much onerous work.In act one Willy says to quick that hell be larger than Uncle Charley Because Charley is not liked. Hes liked but not well liked. The exclamation mark is to emphasise the fact the hes going to be bigger than Charley, Charley is pres tige and has status. The dash creates the effect of a striking pause to make it clear that Charley was not well liked, but at the same time Willy is implying that he, himself, is well liked, when evidently we know this is just a delusion.Willy completely thinks that anyone who works hard in America will become sure-fire without doubt. He says, punch Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such- personal attractiveness gets lost. And such a hard worker. Theres one thing about Biff hes not lazy. This is another encapsulation of the American Dream fooling the American man, its evident that its futile and ends up killing Willy. Its almost like Willy sees the American dream as a given right of an American, Willys death is such a horrendous one, as he commits suicide and so this serves to show us how destructive the American dream can be for the average American man.In act one, Willy indicates that Biff can even get let off with purloining a ball because of how popular he is with his coach. This supports thenotion that Willy places top(prenominal) importance on being well liked In Act One Willy says to his sons Tell you a secret, boys. Dont breathe it to a soul. Someday Ill have my own stemma, and Ill never have to leave home anymore Here Willy is secretive and take inive, just like in of Mice and Men when George let Candy participate in their dream. Willy wants to own abusiness just like George and Lennie, although Willys dream and George and Lennies dreams are completely different, they are similar at the same time, as they both are striving to achieve financial independence, they both have this unwavering image of a dream which they believe to be achievable, but the irony is the reader sees this as unachievable.The difference in these dreams is evident through what is they want to achieve George and Lennie aims for and simple, agricultural success, whereas Willy is positioned in a con ephemeral situation in which he seeks to c orporate success and material gain. Here its worth realizing Biff and Happy endeavour to achieve and reality which is more similar to George and Lennie in terms of its simplicity, however his fathers obsession with corporate wealth means that this is not possible.The above can be seen when Happy says, Thats what I dream about Biff. Sometimes I wanna just rip my clothes off in the middle of the caudex and outbox that goddamned merchandise manager. I mean I can outbox, outlift and outrun anybody in that store, and I to take orders from those petty, common sons of bitches till I cant stand it anymore. Here we see Happy rejecting his fathers wishes to bring home the bacon a corporate lead American dream, in privilege of a more primal like competition.However he releases the idea that business competition, similar to the type his father promotes will bring him success he cant escape the rat race of American capitalism. This is similar to the inescapable, futile situation that Lennie and George find themselves in they move from ranch to ranch, with seeming direction, but the irony lies in the factthat their life is in all directionless. The final bitter blow lies in Lennies death.Although culturally, the direction toward which the pursuers of the American Dream changes over time (from dreams of living simply via agriculture, to dreams of achieving corporate success) it is provoke to see that Willy says to his wife, You wait, kid, before its all over were gonna get a little place out in the country, and Ill effectuate some vegetables, a couple of chickens This suggests that the direction of the American Dream has notchanged much, and material/corporate success only serves as a temporary means to fulfil the original view of owning ones own ranch and living from the land. Here, Willys vision is almost homogeneous to George and Lennies, which is elicit due to the difference era both are set in/written in. The ellipsis in this quote represents the never ending possibilities of what they can acquire.This aforementioned idea of Willy obsessed with being well liked is something he unfortunately passes down to his children in a typical cyclical way. In a conversation with his parents Biff and Happy reveal they are raise they are looking for work that is simply bearable. Happy says, about his business idea that, it wouldnt be like a business. Wed be out playin ball again Despite this, Willy is completely fixated on ensuring that the boys possess job security in a lucrative profession, which he believes will lead them on this path to greatness, and most importantly, financial security. We may commove Willy of not being very supportive of his children, as he seems to be prioritising pursuit of the American Dream over his children. This is a true formula of his blind faith in the idealised dream.Lindas attitude toward the American dream is contradictive. Linda does this by motivating Willy into believing his dreams are real, even though she re cognizes his dream is conclusively futile and bound to stayincomplete. Linda doesnt have as many dreams as Willy, but her main one is to live a undemanding, quiet life with her husband. Whereas he would prefer to travel, be accepted and remembered by everybody. Linda would prefer to sit back in her aging tip with him and to have him employed in the city. This is illustrated when Linda says to Willy cant continue this way, and encourages Willy to put himself forward and ask Howard for a job, so that he does not have to travel and so he can pay for the indemnification premium.At this stage the audience gather that Linda is very concerned for Willy. Linda never manages to attain her dream since Willy would be more willingly to commit suicide than to surrender his job as a salesman. In addition to this, Linda yearns to effectivety Willy. A case of this is whilst speaking to Benshe shouts at Ben and says, dont say those things to him Afterwards, it is clear that she is shielding him even though the stage directions interpret Linda as being frightened of Ben, she becomes assertive for Willys benefit. She fails to shade Willy as he objects, resulting in the worst case scenario whilst under her belt.Willy committing suicide. As the play concludes, its evident that Willy was lost and didnt actually know himself. We already knew this, the point being hardly anyone attends his funeral. It is here Biff registers that his dad was lost, entirely and traveled down the abuse road, we know this as he says He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong. It is obvious the Biff will no longer follow the same route as his father. However, Happy, decides to secure his fathers incorrect visions and takes them on-board himself, he says so himself toward the end of the play Im gonna win it for him.Comparison of Death of a Salesman and Of Mice and MenThe novella Of Mice and Men and the play The Death of a Salesman paint a picture of the vanity of dreams, the main one is the American d ream. Both authors, Arthur Miller and John Steinbeck use numerous linguistic and literary methods, so that the audience can see how impossible dreams were during that era. Of Mice and Men and Death of a Salesman are set during the 1930s-1940s, the writers permit the mise en scene of the literature in order to help them tour the futility of the American Dream.The American Dream is never achieved. The working-class people -Willy Loman in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, ends up disenchanted and kills himself. The Lomans are equivalent Lennie and George, They both try to repudiate that theyre just a minority in the world theyre living in, but their American dream is invariably just a step away.At one point, in Of Mice and Men and Death of a Salesman they contrast as Willy wants to be successful and well liked in order to gain status, whereas Lennie and George dont want status they want to own a piece of land and belong somewhere, I know this as George says itd be our own, an nob ody could can us.Willy is lost in this delusion about being successful and gaining status that he would rather die than be cognise to failure of the American dream. When Willy and Ben are speaking Linda yells at him saying, dont say those things to him Here it is clear the Linda is shielding Willy. The way Linda presented herself to Ben is almost identical to the way Lennie reacts when its things resulting with George. For example, When Crooks expressed the possibility of George being injured, Lennie walked dangerously towards him, questioning who tolerate George?The word dangerously is used to narrate Lennies negative, forceful posttoward crooks, this shows how far Lennie will go, having the only intention of making sure George is safe and not thinking about the outcome when doing so. Likewise, when Ben indicates Willy isnt doing so well at work Linda reacts in a menacing manner toward him.In the stage directions Miller says how Happy was almost ready to fight Biff As we know, H appys dreams are what his fathers are and when Biff decides to ask what applicability Willys dreams are it results in a battle nearly commencing. The reason being as to why Happy was ready to challenge Biff is because as stated above (Happys dreams are his fathers). What happened here is similar to what occurred with Lennie and Crooks. In my opinion Steinbeck and Miller, both showing how the characters will assert ones over another in an arrogant way, to make the audience grasp mentally, that no matter how much you try to protect your dream it will always be captured.