"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

Essay by ACEsuperheroHigh School, 10th gradeA, August 2003

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Many books have titles that are meaningful. Lucy Grealy's Autobiography of a Face has an apt title because the book develops Lucy's attitude toward her face. Cisnero's House on Mango Street has a title that reflects the symbolism of the house and reflects the events on Mango Street. John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men has a significant title because the title has so many interpretations. Of Mice and Men is an appropriate title because the characters are mice and men, the plot moves from mice to men, and the theme is about unfulfilled dreams of mice and men.

The characters in the book are both mice and men. The first example of an individual who was a mouse is Lennie. Lennie is a mouse because he completely relies on George and can't even take care of himself or do mundane things such as drink water from the proper source.

Another mouse is Candy. He is a mouse because he is physically disabled and cannot perform any jobs except that of a swamper. Candy also couldn't even shoot his own dog when it was necessary. On the other hand, an example of a character that was a man is George. George proves himself to be a man in several ways. To start off, he holds responsibility for Lennie by taking care of him. Also, he tries to teach Lennie things that he can't understand. An additional person in the book who was a man was Carlson. Carlson takes the initiative to shoot Candy's dog when Candy was too mouse-like to do it on his own. Characters in the book who were included as mice were Lennie and Candy, while examples of men were George and Carlson.

The title Of Mice and Men also reflects upon the plot of the book,