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= Of Mice and Men =

__SETTING AND TONE: __
The setting of this book in the very beginning and end is by the Salinas River. By the river the grass is long and green and there's yellow sand along the sides of the warm water. The middle of the book takes place on the new ranch that Lennie and George work on in the bunkhouse, Crook's bedroom, and in the barn. The bunkhouse is long and has whitewashed walls and unpainted floors. They sleep there and play cards and talk to eachother. Crook has his bedroom to himself, and it's little with one window and a wooden door that leads to the barn. The barn has the animals on the ranch and hay for them to eat. The tone of this book is let down and disappointed.

__SUMMARY: __
The book begins with the two main characters, George Milton and Lennie Small, sitting by The Salinas River. They are searching the area for work so they can save up and buy their own land. A local ranch is where they end up and they begin earning their pay. The first person they meet when they get to the ranch is Candy and his old dog. Next they meet the owner of the barn who tells them what their jobs will be. Later that night, Curley comes into the bunk looking for his wife. He immediately thinks Lennie's up to something and starts a fight where Lennie ends up breaking Curley's hand. Later on, while the other guys go to the bar, Lennie and Candy go and talk to Crook. They're talking about their future and the land they want to buy, when Curley's wife comes in. None of them want to talk to her, because they know she's trouble but she stays and continues to talk until they finally convince her to leave them alone. The next day everyone is outside playing games, except for Lennie who's alone in the barn. He killed the dog he was playing with and then Curley's wife comes to him again. Well, Lennie ends up killing her too and runs off to hide by the river. When everyone finds out, they go out looking for him and when George finds him, he kills him.

__SYMBOLS: __
__George & Lennie's farm -__ Represents dreams and wishes that people strive to achieve, but never come true__. Bunnies -__ Represent happiness

__THEMES: __

 * Friendship and Loneliness: George and Lennie travel to many places and works together. During this time, that was abnormal. They've been friends since they were young and look out for eachother throughout the book. Although they are friends, George still thinks about how his life would be without Lennie. He says how he could save his own money, get his own house, and have a wife and kids. Even though he has Lennie, he still feels like things are being taken from him.
 * Broken Dreams: George and Lennie have been saving up their money for their own small farm. They want to have bunnies and chickens and grow some of their own food. Although they've been saving their money for it, that dream is shattered when Lennie does another "bad thing".
 * Discrimination: Lennie is very slow. Because of ths reason, George does all the talking when they go to a new job. George dooesn't want the boss to know that Lennie's slow, because he's an excellent worker. If people knew when they first arrived Lennie was so slow, that could reduce their chances of getting the job.

CRITIQUE: This book is an intersting book to read. Its not too long, and its pretty much straight to the point. Once you start reading it, you feel like you just need to know what happens to George and Lennie. This is also a book that's unique in it's own way.

LINKS:

Of Mice and Men Trivia Quote Trivia Quiz