Of Mice & Men - Symbols

Of Mice & Men - Symbols

1. Animals

   • Lennie
     • dog
     • horse
     • bull
   • Candy and his dog
     • George and Lennie
   • Curley and his wife
     • 'flopped like a fish'
       • both victims of Lennie's strength
       • the only thing the had in common
   • Curley's wife
     • Lulu
       • she was less important than a dog
       • both controlled by men
     • Dove
       • final freedom from a life of restriction

2. Circles

   • the ranchers' lives
   • Lennie's Behaviour
     • inevitability of Lennie getting into trouble
       • they find somewhere; Lennie does something wrong; they have to run away - > cycle starts again
   • The cards ( appearance & the game playing )
     • It doesn't matter which way you hold the cards the start matches the end
   • Structure of the novel as a whole

3. Gloves/ Hands

   • Hands = power
   • workers hands = unaccustomed to sentimentality
   • George = unaccustomed to functionlity
     • Shaking hands when shooting Lennie
   • Candy has only 1 hand
     • limited power/ usefulness on the ranch

4. God

   • functional vs sentimental
   • Slim
     • passes judgement
       • good & bad
     • understanding
     • concern and insight

5. Divisions

   • the bunk house door
     • who is/isn't allowed in ?
   • Crook's room
   • Light and Dark
   • Bars of light across Curley's wife when dead

6. Foreshadowing

   • Death of candy's dog = death of Lennie
   • The woman in Weed wore red = Curley's wife also wearing red
   • the increasing impact of Lennie's strength
   • the setting
     • prey and predators
   • the structure of the novel as a whole

7. Beginning vs. Ending

   • the story begins and ends in the same place
   • The idea of predator and prey is present in both
     • Water-snake and heron
     • reminder that predators always get their prey