Romeo and Juliet

Emily Paterson 10a

‘Of Mice and Men’ has been described as a pessimistic story. Do you agree? What can you find in the story that might be seen as hopeful, or optimistic?

‘Of Mice and Men’ was set during the Great Depression in America. During the Great Depression the atmosphere would have been very pessimistic, as there were few opportunities to succeed in life at that time.

I agree with this statement as there are many aspects of the story that are pessimistic, for example the series of deaths that escalate through the novel. The first death is of the mouse that Lennie killed while trying to stroke it in his pocket “Jus’ a dead mouse, George.” The second death in the novel is of Candy’s dog. The ranch hands, including Slim, decided that it was best for the dog for him to be shot; so Carlson took him outside and shot him. “He ain’t no good to you Candy. An’ he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n’t you shoot him?” The dog was useful to Candy as he was his only companion in a world that was unfriendly and lonely. The next death in the novel is of Lennie’s puppy. Lennie killed him “‘You ain’t so little as mice. I didn’t bounce you hard.’” It also makes Lennie incredibly unhappy. He had finally received a puppy, but killed it before he could play with it properly. The subsequent death is that of Curley’s wife. Lennie breaks her neck, so that “her body flopped like a fish”. This is Lennie’s first time that he has killed a human being. Her death has a huge impact on the ranch. Immediately all the men, apart from Candy, rush off to try to find Lennie and kill him. No one stays to mourn for Curley’s wife, not even her husband. Candy does stay with her, but blames her for ruining his dream of owning a ranch with Lennie and George. The final death in the novel is that of Lennie. George kills Lennie so that he does not have to suffer for doing something he couldn’t help. His death most affects George, as Lennie was his only true companion and friend. The loss of a companion is a theme through the story, with the death of Candy’s dog and the death of Lennie. These events all leave the reader feeling pessimistic about the novel.

Despite the fact that the majority of the novel is pessimistic, there are some elements that can be seen as optimistic, e.g. there is companionship between characters in the

Emily Paterson 10a

novel. Lennie and George are friends, and Candy has his dog as a companion. This is optimistic, as it shows that friends can be found if people learn to trust each other. Lennie and George have known each other since they were children, and have grown up together. When George went to find work, Lennie came with him and they “‘Got kinda used to each other after a little while.’” Although they seem