For my English I Honors Class. I got an A+. Yay!
Prompt: Steinbeck includes many instances of foreshadowing throughout Of Mice and Men to prepare the reader for the ending. Identify and analyze foreshadowing in the novel and discuss its effectiveness as a literary technique.
Of Mice and Men
Being merciful is to be compassionate to others. In a society so conscious of our own ambitions, compassion is difficult to find. Unexpected death is also prominent in today’s world, often turning up when we are most unaware. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses the literary devices of symbolism and foreshadowing to show the central themes of compassion and death.
After the long trek of life, we reach our demise. In the beginning, it is apparent to the readers, that the dead mouse in Lennie’s pocket is not just a trivial incident. The fact that anyone would keep a mouse stone dead in their pocket is chilling enough as it is. What also brings even more unease is that Lennie had not even intended to kill the creature, thus showing what would be possible in the future, but with greater consequences. In the middle of the book, Lennie had just been petting a puppy he had acquired from Slim, but out of over enthused efforts trying to quiet the puppy, he accidentally broke its neck. This is another instance that shows Lennie does not know his own strength, and that he could accidentally kill again. He also has an attraction to soft and fuzzy things, as they are his comfort. This presents a potential problem as there are many ‘soft’ and ‘fuzzy’ creatures that, were he to forget his own strength, he could bring an end to. The two former events lead up to the death of Curley’s wife. Because Lennie likes to touch soft things, he touches Curley’s wife’s hair, who panics. Terrified of any repercussions, Lennie tries to silence Curley’s wife, but instead, accidentally breaks her neck. Death, so brief, can strike when you’re not watching.
When we hold out a hand to help, compassion, the redeeming quality of our race is portrayed. For example, in the beginning of the book, George kept Lennie at his side no matter what. By defending Lennie to other people, he shows that he does care about Lennie. Also, George knows that Lennie does not understand that people make fun of him, making him not able to protect himself. Instead, because George doesn’t want Lennie to be hurt, George stands up to people for him. In addition, when Carlson wants to shoot Candy’s dog because the creature is old and in pain, this shows compassion. Candy does not have the desire to shoot the dog because it’s been his companion for years. Eventually, out of fear that the dog was suffering, he agrees to let Carlson shoot the dog, thus putting the creature out of its misery. After Lennie kills Curley’s wife, he flees, from fear of George’s disappointment. George goes after him, and anguishes over whether or not to kill Lennie because he knows Lennie had only panicked, and the killing had been accidental. George finally decides to kill Lennie himself, learning from Candy’s regrets, and to not let Curley have a chance to revenge himself on Lennie. Also, before George killed Lennie, he made sure Lennie was unaware and happy, and mercifully pulls the trigger without warning. This shows great compassion, though it comes at a high price, for the death of a friend would always be on your hands.
A dove stands for peace, a heart for love. These are all symbols, an item that has another meaning, something not on the surface. In chapter one, there was a thicket of trees by the river. To me, this stands for the obstacles Lennie and George have been, and will, go through. The two had always been turned away as a result of Lennie’s mistakes. The thicket also hints at future obstacles, because if Lennie and George wanted their own farmland, they would have to go through many hardships. After Lennie runs away, there is a heron by a pool that eats the snake. The heron is the predator out of necessity, just as George will be. The snake is Lennie, the one destined to die, to be killed by the heron, or George. The heron is also the justice that kills innocence in order to save innocence. At the very end, Lennie talks to an imaginary rabbit. This rabbit is his remorse and grief. It shows that Lennie was truly sorry, and understood what he did was wrong. Through symbolism, Steinbeck’s message pierces our heart with clarity.
Foreshadowing is brilliantly used throughout the book. It gives us a sense of foreboding, a sense of dread at what is to happen next. The mood is even more menacing to us because while we speculate what disaster will await them, the characters are still oblivious, and thus, still happy. We anguish for George and Lennie, and the tragic fate that is woven for them. The symbolism found throughout the story helps us to visualize the figurative imagery with greater realism and sincerity. The foreshadowing and symbolism are used closely together, giving us a hint of things to come. Through foreshadowing and symbolism, we learn about compassion and death. We also learn to be more forgiving and to live just a bit more selflessly.