How does John Steinbeck use animals in ‘Of Mice And Men’? Essay

For the duration of Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck makes references to animals and animal behaviour in portraying the characteristics of the characters. Not only does he do this, but also uses actual animals as a medium in which to show emotions and symbolisms. It is this theme which I plan to explore in this short essay. In the title of the book, Steinbeck chose to mention mice, taken from part of a poem by Robbie Burns, who wrote: ‘The best laid plans of mice and men Gang aft aglee and leave us naught But grief and pain for promised joy’. This is quite apt considering what happens in the book and it could be said that the book revolves around the poem. Steinbeck lets the reader know that the story will contain animal references from the beginning of the book. On the first page, rabbits are mentioned coming â€Å"out of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening.† Later in the chapter, Lennie says to George, â€Å"I remember about the rabbits, George†, to which George responds, â€Å"The hell with the rabbits. That’s all you ever can remember is them rabbits.† It is strange that rabbits are mentioned both in nature and in converse dialogue in the same section. However, it is not so much the rabbits that Lennie is looking forward to, but the dream of something better, his ideal world. George takes it upon himself to ground Lennie, bringing him back to reality. Their relationship is complex and we only get glimpses of their history together. This technique is used by the author so that the reader can come up with their own interpretations. Lennie is described further on â€Å"dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws†, creating imagery that Lennie is like a bear. When the majority of people hear the word ‘bear’, they immediately think ‘vicious’, ‘ferocious’, or even ‘wild’. Steinbeck makes it clear that Lennie is none of these things but is in fact a gentle giant who is unaware of the impression he makes upon others. The imagery of a bear is contradicted later on when Lennie is again described to have animal characteristics, those of a terrier. When he is slowly coming towards George, he approaches, draws back, and approaches again. When the pair arrive at the ranch, a whole batch of characters are introduced, including Candy and his dog. This is not the only dog on the ranch, as Slim also owns one, one which is pregnant. Candy’s dog symbolises old age and the past while Slim’s represents life and things to come. When Candy is bullied into having his dog shot due to it’s annoyance of others on the farm, it is the separation of a connection to the past, a tie that has been severed. Around the same time, Slim’s dog gives birth and puppies are introduced into the world. The killing of Candy’s dog is a determined action to begin to erase the old and to celebrate for the future. It could be said that this is reflected in the American Dream that happened during the Great Depression. The characters in Of Mice And Men are all working towards a goal or aspiration. George and Lennie realize this when they arrive at the ranch and they see that what they have now is a fresh start. A chance to clear their past and work towards the future. The theme of life being reflected in nature is not uncommon for the rest of the book, and John Steinbeck makes several other references to death and how life continues to move on despite it, as though death is an integral part of life, how it is unavoidable and should be honoured, not mourned. This theme plays an important role in the scene where Curley’s Wife meets Lennie in the barn. Before she even enters, George has already killed one of Slim’s puppies by stroking it too hard. This is reinforcing the image of him being bear-like, how he doesn’t know his own strength. When the naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve character of Curley’s Wife begins to ‘flirt’ with him, he says that he likes to stroke soft things and so begins stroking her hair. When she begins to struggle, Lennie gets scared and doesn’t realize that he breaks her neck. In the book, it says that her â€Å"body flopped like a fish†. The reader is now left with the image of a bear with a flailing fish in it’s paws, not in a malignant way, but in one that is trying to calm it down. When Lennie rushes off to the brush where George told him to hide if anything goes wrong at the start of the book, he is met by two apparitions, one of his aunt Clara, and one of a giant rabbit. The rabbit is a connection to the dream that Lennie held at the start. Steinbeck is trying to convey to the reader that the dream that these people in the Great Depression held was too unrealistic, how a series of unfortunate events leads to the compete destruction of the dream.