Foreshadowing Imagery In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Words: 930
Pages: 4

In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George Milton and Lennie Small are two ranch workers that migrate place to place in search of work. George is the average worker with suitable abilities, whereas Lennie, is very strong. Lennie is capable of doing the work of two men, and can follow directions very well. However, he doesn’t know how to control his strength. He is mentally challenged, and relies on George to get him out of trouble. When the novella starts, they are on the run. It is known later in the book that they were running from another farm in Weed, because Lennie grabbed a woman’s dress and ripped it. Even though he just had a love for soft things and wanted to touch the dress, his intentions were interpreted otherwise. He was accused of attempted rape, and that resulted in them having to leave Weed. As the story continues, multiple literary devices are used to help the reader grasp the underlying depth the novella holds. The author’s usage of …show more content…
This can be useful to help the reader to understand how the characters look like, or how they physically view something stated in the story. “The first man was small and quick, ... with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. ... Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, … and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.” This quote is an example of the descriptions the author uses to put an image into the reader’s mind. This technique highlights the physical differences that the two characters have. Furthermore,the comparison to an animal can explain his actions later in the book. He is loyal to George, like an animal loyal to its owner. Without these descriptions, the reader would not be aware of their differences until it was pointed out by other means. The use of imagery benefits the reader and the plot would be lacking without