Lennie Smalls one of the main characters in the novel of Mice and Men, is impacted by the human rights issue of
discrimination and living with an intellectual disability
.
What are the central issues Of Mice and Men?
The main themes in Of Mice and Men are
loneliness, innocence, and dreams
. Loneliness: Race, age, gender, and class create barriers between the characters. Crooks’s private room, segregated from the others, represents the loneliness that comes from being excluded.
What are some of the issues that are in Of Mice and Men?
- Many social issues appeared throughout the novella such as prejudice, sexism, racism and the Great Depression, which are prevalent to the times back then.
- Each social issue in “Of Mice and Men” had deeper meanings and created illustrated the time back then through the motions of these characters.
Why does George shoot Lennie?
George killed Lennie,
because Candy told George he wished he would have shot his own dog
, Lennie killed Curley’s wife, the puppie, and the mouse, and the lynch mob would have done worse things to Lennie. The first reason why George is justified in killing Lennie is because Lennie is worthless like Candy’s dog.
What does Lennie’s death symbolize?
Because George is forced to kill his friend himself, Lennie’s death is not only
the death of a single vulnerable person
, but also the destruction of a rare and idealized friendship.
What is Lennie’s American Dream?
George and Lennie’s dream for the future is
to one day own a farm with lots of rabbits
. Lennie dreams of taking care of the rabbits and other animals, and George hopes this dream comes true so that he can lead a “better” life.
Why was Of Mice and Men banned?
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is regularly on the banned books list put out by the American Library Association. It has been banned
because of vulgarity, racism, and its treatment of women
. … Steinbeck was interested in writing a book that was historically accurate and reflected the times.
What does George and Lennie’s dream symbolize?
In this dialogue between Candy and George, George and Lennie’s farm, once the symbol of their hope and dreams, now symbolizes
the destruction of a dream
, their destroyed hope, and the loss of a friendship that made George and Candy believe in the possibility of their dream.
What was wrong with Lennie?
Lennie
has a mental disability
, making him dependent upon George to manage day to day life in the difficult environment in which they live and work. Lennie is physically very strong (so his name is ironic), but cannot control himself, leading to escalating acts of accidental violence through the book.
How does George feel after killing Lennie?
In Of Mice and Men, George
feels anguish after killing Lennie
, but he knows that killing Lennie was the most humane thing to do. In killing Lennie, George loses both a friend and a representation of his dreams.
What is Lennie’s mental disability?
Of Mice and Men is a story about an intellectually disabled man. Lennie’s disability is central to the plot; if he were not intellectually disabled, the story would simply not work. It has also been suggested (Loftis, 2015, 2016) that Lennie exhibits characteristics
of autism
.
Why is Curley’s wife hated?
Curley’s wife is the only female character who is directly featured in the novel. … Curley’s wife
admits that she does not like her husband and thinks that he’s an unpleasant man
. Curley’s wife is also disappointed because of her failed dream to become a movie star.
Why did George always help Lennie even when he made many mistakes?
George takes care of
Lennie because he has promised Lennie’s Aunt Clara that he will look after him and protect him
. This promise and George’s moral astuteness bonds the men together. Lennie would not be able to survive outside of an institution if George were not there to ensure his safety.
What does Lennie say before he died?
“Well, I can go away
,” said Lennie. “I’ll go right off in the hills an’ find a cave if you don’t want me.”
Why is George and Lennie’s dream realistic?
In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie’s dream of owning their own place is
not realistic
, but a wishful hope for the future. … Steinbeck used this novel to illustrate that the lower class had tremendous problems just surviving, and that the middle class was not alone in its economic troubles.
What is Steinbeck trying to say about the American dream?
Through Of Mice and Men, however, Steinbeck argues that while throughout American history—and especially during the Great Depression—
the American Dream has at best been an illusion and at worst a trap, unattainable dreams are still necessary, in a way, to make life in America bearable.