Of Mice And Men: Burdens Of Responsibility :: essays research papers

Of Mice and Men Burdens of Responsibility"OF MICE AND MEN IS A NOVEL WHICH EXPLORES THE BURDENS OF RESPONSIBILITY AS MUCHAS ITS REWARDS."By evaluating the novel of mice and men carefully I have found that everycharacter in the novel has a expression of life that consists of burdens and responsibilities. The characters inthe novel basically have three options in which they can live their lives. Theycan knuckle down, work hard, keep a electropositive frame of mind and try earnestly toimprove their standard of living. An sample of this is would be George Miltonand Lennie Small. The other option is to walk or so with a chip on theirshoulder, not bother to improve oneself but eradicate those around him or herthat serve as a frustration or nuisance. An exemplification example of this would beCurley when he decides to target Lennie as afrustration and subsequentlyattacks him with no real valid reason apart from jealousy and spite. The bearoption concerns Candy and Crooks to an extent. They live a fairly meaninglesslife void of love and affection. They have few friendships and cling to anyonewho shows them sincere attention. An example of this is when Lennie has aconversation with Crooks and he expresses his feelings of loneliness. Anotherexample is when Carlson shoots Candys dog. Candy becomes very eager to attachhimself to George and lennie and purchase a house with them as a result of theloss of his only real love in his life.The responsibilities of aspiration and hope play a major role in the structureof George, Lennie and Curleys wifes character. To an extent their aspirationsprotect them from reality for short stints and acts like a charge to theirmotivational batteries. This is a good thing more often than not. Examples ofthese instances are when Lennie and George are sitting on the bank of a pool ofthe Salinas river in the last chapter. George is in the process of tellingLennie how together they are "gonna get a little place." He does thi s because heknows it makes Lennie happy and he wants Lennies last thoughts to be of hisideal world not terror. George then shoots Lennie in the back of the head doingwhats best for everyone, and Lennie dies in a state of utopia, his reward. Anexample of Curleys wifes hopes is when she finally finds a person around theranch who sees her not as an object of lust but someone to talk to. This person