of mice and men theme

Paragraph ideas:

1.  the brotherly relationship between George and Lennie

2. Lennie's love for animals

3. Candy's love for his dog

4. Lack of love between Curly and Curly's wife

-the brotherly love and affection between George and Lennie is apparent throughout the novel.

-George has cared for Lennie since his Aunt Clara died.

-They are constant companions and George protects Lennie, such as when they flee from Weed and when Lennie has the fight with Curley.

-They share the same dream of owning their own place and living ‘off the fatta the lan‘ ‘.

-Carlson feels sceptical about George’s reaction to shooting Lennie at the end of the novel, as he does not understand the love that George and Lennie shared 

- Lennie loves animals and anything soft.

-Throughout the novel, Lennie loves to pet soft things, such as the mouse and puppy.

-When talking with Curley’s wife, he fondly remembers the piece of velvet that his Aunt Clara gave him.

-It is Lennie’s obsession with petting and stroking soft things that leads him first to the trouble in Weed and later accidentally killing his puppy and then Curley’s wife, when he strokes her soft hair

-Candy loves his old dog and is devastated when Carlson suggests that he should be shot.

-Candy proudly recalls how he has had the dog since he was a pup and has ‘herded sheep with him‘.

-Candy is distraught when his dog is shot and tells George that he ‘ought to of shot that dog‘ himself, which foreshadows the ending of the nove

- the lack of love and affection between Curley and his wife is made clear.

-Although the couple have only been married for two weeks, Curley’s wife is lonely and seeks the company of the ranch hands.

-Her flirtatious nature creates tension, such as when Curley believes that she is with Slim in the barn.

-Curley’s wife is like a trophy wife to him 'vaseline hand' and how he walks around showing it off

-she confesses to Lennie that she does not even like her husband: ‘I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella‘.

-The couple always appear to be looking for each other and the only time in the novel we see Curley with her is when she lies dead in the barn

- the idea that itinerant workers were often seen as the 'loneliest guys in the world', and as a result they did not have the opportunity to form friendships or loving relationships.

- the book was set in the 1930's during the Great Depression, so at the time, many were forced to leave their families and loved ones in search of work.

- George and Lennie had found brotherly love between the two of them and they had companionship, which was rare. However, in order to help Lennie, George had to sacrifice this love and then he later became 'lonely'.

- Lennie relies on George to care for him.

- There was little or no provision of social care.

- Without George, Lennie would most probably have been put in a ‘booby hatch’ and, as Crooks taunts, he would be kept like a dog: ‘They’ll tie ya up with a collar’

- the novel gives a backdrop of the lives of itinerant farm labourers and how animals provided comfort and companionship, such as the mice that Lennie petted and Candy’s dog being the only companion he has, combating loneliness.

- Candy had had the dog 'since he was a pup' 

- women were often objectified and had clear roles in society.

-It was seen as normal for the men to go into town on a Saturday night and spend time at ‘old Susy’s place’, even the newly-married Curley who shows little respect, love or affection for his new wife.