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Death and the inevitability of fate (overall story/ extra (story ends in …
Death and the inevitability of fate
overall story/ extra
starts and ends with a death
Lennie enters the valley at the end of the story, wrecking the peace
story ends in
perfect symmetry
may be an attempt by Steinbeck to express the cyclicality of life
Lennie killing progress to show how this vicious cycle will never end
foreshadowing is helpful as it distances the reader from the characters, Steinbeck doesn't want us to judge them, but to observe them
Lennie and the mouse
immediately brings death to the pristine garden
"I'd pet 'em, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they were dead"
- kills accidently
Lennie brings death without even meaning to -
"best laid plans of mice and men often go astray"
intends to bring love but brings death
foreshadowing of fate
he is the symbolic bringer of death, maybe he is under the control of nature, unable to interact physically with other without causing them pain
"you'll kill him, first thing you know"
Lennie and Curleys wife
"'Don't you go yelling',' he said, and he shook her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck"
does not feel bad for his actions, does not reflect over the fact he is responsible for the death of another human being
obsesses over the fact
"George'll be mad"
, shows his lack of sympathy towards curley's wife
foreshadowing fate
"you just let 'em try to get the rabbits.
I'll break their god damn necks"
its the way she dies
she doesn't attack pennies rabbits, but her presence meddles with the possibility of it coming a reality
she's the one person that can make their plans go astray
Lennie claims he will attack anyone who touches his rabbirs
rabbits concept of his and Georges dream?
quote foreshadows the possibility if all this ^ is taken into consideration?
Lennie and Candy's dog
"he ain't no good to you, Candy.
An' he aint no good to himself.
Why'n't you shoot him Candy"
dog resembles Candy in many ways
he doesn't help George
Lennie doesn't benefit George
makes life harder for him
acts as a burden
mental disability makes him target for abuse
cannot defend himself
relies solely on George
Candy and George
both caretakers of beings that cannot fend for themselves
"had him since he was a pup"
implies there is an emotional connection
"I ought to have shot that dog myself,
George. I shouldn't ought to have let no
stranger shoot my dog"
may symbolise Lennie will experience the same unfortunate ending
Lennies death
almost identical to candy's dog
Lennies 'master' takes responsibility for his death in a way Candy does not
Lennie is shot in the same method as Candy's dog
"Right back of the head"
George experiences denial
"Don't shoot him. He didn' know what he was doing'"
"Couldn' we maybe bring him in an' they'll lock 'im up?"
Carlson's role
asks slim beforehand whether he could get Candy to shoot his dog, implying this was always the plan, implying fate which is embodied by Carlson, is steadfast in its wishes ad is inevitable
talks with reason and lacks empathy
Lennie as a sacrifice
"Lennie covered his face
with his huge paws and bleated"
compared to lamb
lambs are sacrificial
sacrifice awaits lENNIE
"Lennie sat in the hay beside a
packing case under a manger"
mager = birth of Jesus = born to be a sacrifice
could suggest Lennies death is nigh
Lennie was a sacrifice in the same way Jesus was, could imply that Lennie death was for the sake of the whole ranch
Curley's Wife's Death
identical in their descriptions
"flopping like a fish"
"Lennie had broken her neck"
"The net minute Curley was flopping like a fish"
Lennie attacked both
Lennie is stopped by George w/ Curley, but not when Lennie is with Curley's wife
"Curley came suddenly to life"
Curley's wife is dead, he is brought back to life - reborn
death has not perturbed him on a emotional loving level, but has stimulated the ability for him to be his true self; violent and pugnacious
Ranch hands and death
"And Carlson said, 'Now what the hell
ya suppose is eating' then two guys?'"
other ranch hands are undisturbed by Lennie death
lack of sympathy is shown through Carlson
very emotionally disconnected to other ranch hands, maybe why they don't see death as a big event?