Gracie Shaw

Fitzgerald

English

Period 6

November 5, 2021

Impact of Fictional Novels

The quote by Jonita Mollins proves how Fictional books from history impact our lives

because our past crafts or future, “Our past shapes our future whether we realize it or not.

Remembering well is doing well.”The fictional novel Mice Of Men was about two immigrant

workers during the 1930’s in the Great Depression. The two workers, George and Lennie travel

together to a ranch to find new work. At the ranch racism and womens roles of society were

shown throughout the book by Steinbeck's great use of literary tools. George and Lennie made

great friends even though Lennie suffered from the disability of neuroversity. They showed what

true friendship is even though the two main characters faced struggles and sacrifices . Steinbeck's

use of techniques like stereotypes, conflict and many other literary devices were shown

throughout the book as well as life lessons that readers can learn from in the novel Mice of Men

written by John Steinbeck. Those tools were crafted by the author to create a relationship that

made the readers able to understand what characters in the book were feeling and also created

sensory perception throughout the novel.

John Steinbeck’s use of foreshadowing shows how he is great at drawing the reader into

the book. In the beginning of the Novel Steinbeck foreshadows what will happen at the end of

the book and that Lennie will do something bad at the ranch they are headed toward. A great

example in the book that shows Steinbeck's great use of foreshadowing is, “Course you did.
Well, look. Lennie- if you just happen to get in trouble like you always did before, I want you to

come right here and hide in the brush...Hide in the brush until I come for you. Can you remember

that?”This quote foreshadows that Lennie will do something to get himself into trouble making

him run away into the woods. .The event that the quote he is foreshadowing is when Lennie kills

Curle’s wife and the pups He then goes and runs off into the woods to wait for George just as the

quote said to do in the beginning of the book. Steinbeck's use of foreshadowing in his novel “Of

Mice Of Men '' was used to create hints to what will happen in and also create suspense with

other literary devices which draws the reader into wanting to read further into the book. Also

John Steinebeck makes the reader feel bad for Lennie because he lost control of himself because

of his neurodiversity. The author crafts the story to make the reader feel sympathetic or have

other emotions in many other ways throughout the story.

Steinbeck uses symbolism to show connection between the characters George and

Lennie. He does this by having Lennie and George talk about the dream farm that they are

planning on someday buying. In the beginning of the book it says “ We're gonna get a little

place. We’ll have a cow Georege said. And we’ll maybe have a pig and chickens.” George is

telling Lennie about the farm that they dream of living on someday. A form of symbolism is

being shown because it is something that liberates the two ranch workers into and having

independence and freedom. The ranch does this because they get to put all of their dreams and

what they want into their farm. It also symbolizes their strong friendship because it is

something that they have to look forward to in the future. This makes the two characters'

relationship closer. Stienbecks craft of using literary devices such as symbolism and

foreshadowing throughout the novel impacts the story by provoking emotions for the reader and

making them want to keep reading the book.

 Steinbeck shows how racism was during the 1930’s. He does this by having Crook, a

Skinner that works at the ranch, be left out and called racist names because of the color of his

skin. In the middle of the story when Lennie is talking to Crook, Crook says, “Cause I’m black.

They play cards there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink.” This quote is

showing that because he is black he is not invited to do things with the rest of the workers. Also,

with this quote Steinbeck creates the reader to feel sympathetic for Crook because he seems

lonely for not being able to hang out with the rest of the workers, making him be alone all of the

time. Also in the beginning of the book it says, “Sure. Ya see the stable bucks a nigger.” The

quote is proving that Crook was called racist names because of the color of his skin. Two ranch

workers were having a normal conversation with each other and said the racist name. This is

showing racism and how it was a common thing back in the 1930’s. Times have changed since

then but history is what crafts how society changes into how things are today and how people

treat each other differently.

Women's roles in society were shown through Curley’s wife during the 1930’sthroughout

the book Mice Of Men written by John Steinbeck. . For example Curley’s wife is never given a

name in the book and also is treated as a possession. In Steinbeck’s novel Mice Of Men it says,

“Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to anybody. I get awfully lonely...You can talk to

people but I can only talk to Curley. Else he gets mad. She said.” This quote is showing that

because she is Curley's wife she can only talk to him and not anyone else which is showing how

women back then followed everything their husbands told them. In the 1930’s women were

controlled by their husbands and did not make choices for themselves like women do now. Also

Curley's wife never gets a name and is just referred to as she or Curley's wife. To prove this in

the middle of the book it says, “Curley’s wife said angrily. Don’t you think of nothing but
rabbits?” Curley was not even in the scene of this book but she is still referred to as “Curley’s

wife”. This shows an insignificance of a character but she in fact plays a role in the book.

Women had very little right in the 1930’s like not being able to make many decisions in the

house, always doing what they are told by their husbands and not even being meant enough for

people to call them by their names. This is giving an example of how women were

underrepresented in society.

John Steinbeck the author of the novel, Mice Of Men crafts his non fictional story to

connect the reader to characters in the book by using literary devices and presenting life lessons

which draws the reader into the book. The book Mice Of Men gives readers an experience of

what life was like during the 1930’s and how society is much different now than it was today

which is why reading fiction stories is impactful. Knowing how life and society was like back

then helps people to better understand how history has impacted our lives in so many ways.

Having books that you read have racial discrimination and show how women were

underrepresented motivates people to keep changing society is today and reflect back on so that

history won’t be repeated. The book Of Mice Of Men educated readers on how life was during

the 1930’s in Great Depression times through literary devices, life lessons, and discrimination

toward character in the novel.