Of Mice and Men

Okay, for school I have to write a paper based on the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. The assignment:

A literary critic once said, "All characters in literature are seeking happiness, but it is not the happiness that defines the character. It is the seeking." Looking at the characters in "Of Mice and Men", discuss how the characters' "seeking" defines them as human beings."

Please review and let me know if it makes any sense. I struggle on essays and could use some help. Thanks!

Essay

All characters in any literature book seek their happiness; they seek for something that would make them happy so they may leave all their troubles behind. However, it’s not their happiness that makes them who they are in the world, but how they seek it. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, plenty of characters live a harsh life in hope to fulfill their dreams of owning their own little place to live in peace, but they all make it through their harsh life in their own unique ways.

One of the prime examples of a character in this book seeking happiness is none other than Curley’s Wife. She dreamed of becoming a movie star, people around California asking her to be in their movies. However, she never had the permission from her mother and was stuck marrying Curley. Curley’s Wife seeks her happiness among the movies and Hollywood, yet she is trapped with Curley and where he lives. Curley’s Wife would talk to the workers of the farm whenever she could, no matter how annoying she was to them. She sought more for her life than living in a house, searching all over for Curley.

Sadly, Curley’s Wife never found her happiness. Known as a ‘tart’ or ‘tramp’ around the fields of the manor, none respected her for who she was inside. She became slightly bitter, fooling with the house workers. She became jealous of Lennie’s happiness, how he was always cheerful, had hopes of his own place to live with his friend George. Being the temptress she was and showing off her charm and natural acting skills, she managed to talk to Lennie alone and get killed in the process. She never reached her dreams of being a movie star, of being away from Curley. She never had the chance to make up for her mistakes. As she entered the barn, death was just around the corner.

Lennie, good friend of George, one of the guys working around the manor, was also an example of one who seeks happiness. Lennie’s an innocent fellow, one who does not know what goes on in life. He is always cheerful, yet when he does something bad, he feels utterly guilty over the situation. He worked with his friend George, they traveled together from one job to the next, working for money for their future dream home, an imaginative home George has created to keep Lennie’s mind on the job. Unfortunately, that fantasy home was never to be.

Lennie’s great strength accidentally killed, not only a small newborn pup, but Curley’s Wife, and he ran away. Curley found the evidence, picked up a gun, and made to hunt Lennie down and kill him. George would never allow Lennie to die at the hands of a stranger, just as a fellow worker, Candy, had let his dog get killed by a stranger. “I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog” (61). Taking these words to heart, George shot his friend himself and Lennie never got to “live offa the fatta the lan’” (57).

Lennie and Curley’s Wife never made to live their dreams. Tragedy struck and they both had lost their chance. Lennie’s innocence led him to absolute devotion to his friend George who created Lennie’s one hope for life. Curley’s Wife dreamt of going to Hollywood to become the movie star many have told her she could easily have developed into. However, her temptations and a desire for some company from the workers of the manor led Curley’s Wife into a most tragic end as well. Neither of these characters have made it to their happiness, however they each had a different and unique way to find their happiness, making them different and unique people. No two humans are alike, and how Lennie and Curley’s Wife attempted to reach their dreams were completely different, so different that it made these two completely and utterly human.

All characters in any literature book seek their happiness; they seek for something that would make them happy so they may leave all their troubles behind. However, it’s not their happiness that makes them who they are in the world, but how they seek it. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, plenty of characters live a harsh life in hope to fulfill their dreams of owning their own little place to live in peace, but they all make it through their harsh life in their own unique ways. [This is pretty much a repetition of the title. An introduction is necessary but it should outline what you are going to write about rather than a few facts. Try something like -] 'The quest for happiness is experienced by every character in every piece of prose ever written. Very few people can say that they have fulfilled this search and no individual is ever truly happy so this shared failure can be used to define the human race. A character who finds happiness is not realistic but a character who strives for happiness and fails can be related to. That character is human. In 'Of Mice and Men' all the characters fulfill this requirement to some degree and I shall discuss to what extent their search for happiness defines them as human beings.' I know it's not brilliant but I'm sure you get the idea. I have to go to maths now but I'll finish this critique later. If it's not done by tomorrow, pm me a reminder.]

*Edit* Okay I'm back...

One of the prime examples of a character in this book who seeks happiness is [s]none other than[/s] [Too colloquial] Curley’s Wife. She dreamed of becoming a movie star, and reflects on her missed opportunity to be in the movies due to her mother's disapproval. With this route to happiness denied to her, Curley's wife seeks other paths. For example, she yearns for companionship other than Curley and searches for it amongst the workers on the ranch. It could be said that this character achieves her dream, just before her death. In Lennie, Cureley's wife finds someone to talk to and this grants her a limited amount of happiness. It is even possible to contemplate that this small amount of happiness is too much and must be balanced with her inevetible death at the hands of the person who has liberated her from the chains of failure.

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I'm not going to go through and change the whole essay because then it would be my work rather than yours but that's an example of how you could improve this. Look at the rest and see if you can read deeper into the story. Like miya says, you need to consider both sides of the question. Do the characters find some happiness and if so, does that make them any less human? Don't forget that that's the key issue in this essay. How do the character's dreams and wishes make them realistic and easier to relate to? It's a good start but you need to expand parts.

I had to do this for GCSE!!

Ok, i think Kitty sorted out the begining there, but I think that you could show that maybe Lennie did sucseed in his quest for happiness:

Lennie never got to “live offa the fatta the lan’”

Before George shot Lennie He told him to think of the little house they would have and the rabbits and stuff, Lennie said he could see it and was happy, then George shot him, you could interpret this as Lennie having his dream at the end as he could actually see what he really wanted infront of him.

Anyway thats just my suggestion

Good luck!

All the best,
Meevs
x

Thank you very much for the tips, I'll take them into consideration!

Okay, for school I have to write a paper based on the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. The assignment:

A literary critic once said, "All characters in literature are seeking happiness, but it is not the happiness that defines the character. It is the seeking." Looking at the characters in "Of Mice and Men", discuss how the characters' "seeking" defines them as human beings."

Here it is redone. Please tell me if it's slightly better. I'll still work on it, but ill let any comments come in as i review what I've written.

essay:

Every character in literature is on a quest to seek out happiness in their life. However, no one is ever truly happy. They search all they can, but there is always something better to chase after. It is the decisions the character makes that makes them who they are, the failures make them the human being they have become. No one is perfect, for we are all human. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, each individual character lives a harsh life in hope to fulfill their dreams of finding their happiness, but they each choose a different path to reach that happiness.

One of the prime examples of a character who seeks happiness is Curley’s Wife. She dreamed of becoming a movie star, however her opportunities of becoming one have been denied by her mother. Curley’s Wife sought her happiness among the movies and Hollywood, yet she is trapped with Curley and where he lives. She also seeks better companionship than with Curley, and searches for it among the workers of the manor.

Sadly, Curley’s Wife never found her happiness. Known as a ‘tart’ or ‘tramp’ around the fields of the manor, none respected her for who she was inside. She became slightly bitter, fooling with the house workers. She became jealous of Lennie’s happiness, how he was always cheerful, had hopes of his own place to live with his friend George. Being the temptress she was and showing off her charm and natural acting skills, she managed to talk to Lennie alone and get killed in the process. She never reached her dreams of being a movie star, of being away from Curley. However, Curley’s Wife is human because, though she has not reached a perfect happiness, her failures and mistakes show just enough that she is not perfect.

Lennie, good friend of George, one of the guys working around the manor, was also an example of one who seeks happiness. Lennie’s an innocent fellow, one who does not know what goes on in life. He is always cheerful, yet when he does something bad, he feels utterly guilty over the situation. He worked with his friend George, they traveled together from one job to the next, working for money for their future dream home, an imaginative home George has created to keep Lennie’s mind on the job. Unfortunately, that fantasy home was never to be.

Lennie’s great strength accidentally killed, not only a small newborn pup, but Curley’s Wife, and he ran away. Curley found the evidence, picked up a gun, and made to hunt Lennie down and kill him. George would never allow Lennie to die at the hands of a stranger, just as a fellow worker, Candy, had let his dog get killed by a stranger. “I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog” (61). Taking these words to heart, George shot his friend himself and Lennie never got to “live offa the fatta the lan’” (57). However, Lennie’s foolhardy mistakes prove that he was also as human as any other. He was not perfect and made his own decisions as to reach that one happiness in life.

Lennie and Curley’s Wife never made to live their dreams. Tragedy struck and they both had lost their chance. However, they reached small happiness after another. Lennie may not have lived in that dream home, but he had his friend George and had the image of the farm he and George worked for. Curley’s Wife did not become a movie star, but she certainly had plenty of men to fool around with, using her natural acting skills as the temptress she was. No two humans are alike, and the choices Lennie and Curley’s Wife made on their way to the one happiness no human could ever reach were so unique and different that it made these two completely and utterly human.

Well, i have no critiques for what you've already posted; but there is room to improve by including more characters (or where they excluded because you have a word count limit?)

Crooks, longing to be treated as an equal; he isn't and becomes enbittered by it (his hostility towards lennie when he enters the cabin)

George, seeking for a life without Lenny, though he knows it is something he can never have (See the 'if i didn't have you' in chapter one)

There's probably another character or two i could quote, but i can't really recall them :]

Yeah this is much better but Denouement has a good point - there are other characters to explore. That's up to you though and like I say, it's better now.

Okay, for school I have to write a paper based on the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. The assignment:

A literary critic once said, "All characters in literature are seeking happiness, but it is not the happiness that defines the character. It is the seeking." Looking at the characters in "Of Mice and Men", discuss how the characters' "seeking" defines them as human beings."

My teacher gave my class a chance to rewrite it and gave us tips as to how to make it better. I took a totally different approach to it and would LOVE a review. It's not due tomorrow, but the next day, so I'd like it reviewed, pleases!

It ended up being really long, the longest paper I've ever written. Any tips on shortening it would be welcome, but if length is just fine, then tell me that too. ^^ Also, the italics are the long quotes that make their own paragraph, ya know? Well, I was a bit iffy on doing that too to start each point. Tell me how that goes. Then overall, how effective it is. I'm afraid I blabbed a lot and went off topic or didn't tell the reader my point.

One final question. Should I put the story in the beginning and the end in italics as well? Or keep it in normal font?

Essay:

I stood among my fellows in standby, my chin held up high and proud despite my exhaustion. My feet and ankles were sore, my calves and thighs burned, my heart beat so fast I was afraid it would burst from my chest. I was more than positive Nicole could hear my rapid heart, my rushing blood beating in my ears. Sweat dripped from my face, my hands shook with anxiety. My thoughts trailed off to the couple months that passed, how we all worked so hard to get where we were today, after thousands of push-ups, marching in the blazing heat of the summer sun, ending the day swimming in our sweat, yet we kept going. No one dropped out; we all were determined to become the best in the state. I could see us now, celebrating our victory this night, becoming first place, ahead of the other bands here. The Knightpride Marching band would become the best in the state—no, we already were the best in the state! It was just a matter of proving the truth!

Don’t we all wish to be the best in the state? Or maybe hope we get a brand new instrument that plays so much better? Or a more perfect body so we would never be tired so quickly? Or dream of owning rabbits or to “live offa the fatta the lan’” (57)? Or maybe you would wish to run away from where you are now to become that famous actress you know you could become when given the chance? Don’t we all wish something would happen that would make us all perfectly happy the rest of our lives?

The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck does a wonderful job with his characters, giving them a happiness to dream for. “All characters in literature are seeking happineness…” as a literary critic once said, and John Steinbeck certainly backs this up with all his characters, specifically Lennie and Curley’s Wife. However, “…it is not the happiness that defines the character. It is the seeking.” No one can just be happy, they have to work for it. What they do to accomplish their dream is what makes them who they are—the decisions they make, the paths they choose. No band can just win the competition and just become the best in the state. We have to work for it, and the work and energy we put into the show to make it the best it can be will surely, and most definitely, make it the best it can be. We have to work at it to reach that happiness. No pain, no gain.

“‘Well,’ said George, ‘we’ll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with goin’ to work, and we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof...’” (14).

“Tell me—like you done before [about the rabbits]” (13), Lennie would urge George on in his explanation. Who wouldn’t want to raise a whole cage of rabbits? Lennie certainly found it worth looking forward to. It made him happy just thinking about it. Imagine what it would be like if he actually accomplished his dream! Being the big, strong man he was, Lennie and his co-migrant worker would work from one job to the next, earning the money that would give them their dream house and those rabbits. Every minute outdoors, every bead of sweat dripping down their backs, every insult and rude gesture taken in was worth getting the money, in Lennie’s eyes. Despite his mental-handicap, he worked hard to get what he wanted. As naïve as he was, he followed George’s orders, did everything George told him to do.

“God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble....An’ whatta I got,’ George went on furiously. ‘I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get. Jus' keep me shovin’ all over the country all the time. An’ that ain’t the worst. You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out’” (11).

Reading this, one would believe George to hate Lennie, to be angry and frustrated that he was stuck with such a dumb companion. The reader feels sympathetic for George. Poor guy has to take care of a mentally handicapped kid who doesn’t have a hint of common sense. Wouldn’t you think George could get along by himself? I’m sure most readers would think so. However, because of Lennie, George kept his mind on track. He didn’t spend the little money they earned on beer or gambling. His mind was on work, to achieve that dream home, to take care of Lennie like an older sibling would look out for its younger sibling. George was the brains of the pair, had the common sense to keep them going.

“Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes—all them nice clothes like they wear. An’ I coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers took of me. When they had those previews I coulda went to them, an’ spoke in the radio, an’ it wouldn’ta cost me a cent because I was in the pitcher. An’ all them nice clothes like they wear. Because this guy says I was a natural” (89).

Fame. The one word that everyone wished they could own, to become. I wouldn’t mind being famous. I would like being an actor; however, that’s not my dream. At the moment, I’d like to be the best band in the state—that’s how I want to be famous. Poor Curley’s Wife, however, could never become the actress she wanted to be. She had the chance, but she let the chance go. She was forced to marry Curley. “I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella” (89). The reader can feel sorry for the girl, especially since the women nowadays have more rights than they did back then. Notice she has no name? She’s considered a possession. She’s Curley’s Trophy—only there to make him look good.

However, her dream of becoming an actress gives her more of a purpose in this story. She has a goal she’s aiming for. She shows she is a human, rather than just some temptress strolling around the workers of the farm. She admits her loneliness, her unhappiness in the life she lives. What does she do about it that makes her seem realistic? Nothing. She complains about her life now, but cannot do anything about it. That makes her the character she is. She makes the worst of the situation rather than finding the good part of her life. That is the decision she made, the path she chose, to reach her happy goal as an actress.

Standing there on the football field, instrument in hand, I realize how all my hard work is worth this moment in time. My beating heart, rushing blood, sweating and nervous hands prove that I am just as excited to lose as I am to win. I had a good performance, thanks to the hard practices I had, the hard work I put into it, the determination I possessed to reach this point of my life. Same goes for dear Lennie and his friend George. Job after job, sweat drop after sweat drop, coin after coin—it was all worth it. In the end, they didn’t know if they could achieve that dream home, but they lived a good life because they tried. They found a purpose in life, a goal to aim for, and they made their own humanistic decisions to attempt to reach it. Curley’s Wife was also like that. She wanted to be an actress, and she continues to dream of being one. Though it seems impossible for her to escape her situation, she shows herself through her actions around the farm. Rather than doing something about her dream or making the good of the life she had now, she goes around the farm, trying to get the workers to feel sorry for her as well.

“Fourth place goes to…Francis Howell North Knightpride!” announces the judges. My band cheers. It was better than fifth place. It may not have been first, but it was one step closer, and it just tells us that we have more work to improve the show before achieving our dream of best in the state. Just like characters in literature, I find happiness in just trying to reach my goal. I find enjoyment in every practice, every push-up, every sweat drop. It’s all worth it to reach the end.

Hi Jabber. You say you're worried about the length and normally I would say that as long as it's all relevant, you should extend and extend and extend as much as you can but you've focused on your own story too much here. If this was a piece of general literature then that would be fine, great even but you're being marked on your observations of the characters in the book and not your own experiences so cut down the beginning and the end a little.

Also, you need to look at another character in the book. Just a brief look would do but two characters isn't quite enough and you need to show another side, you need to show the successful characters and make comparrisons between the characters. For example, George is still alive at the end of the book so perhaps he will reach his dream. Now that he no longer has Lennie to watch over, there is a chance that he will achieve happiness. And Curley. Curley does not appear to have any hopes and dreams which makes him harder to relate to and less human than the other characters. If you just cover those points briefly and add quotations from the book, I'm sure you'll gain a few extra marks.

Also here's a few specific suggestions -

I could see us now, celebrating our victory this night, [s]becoming[/s] achieving first place, ahead of the other bands here.

Or a more perfect body so we would never be tired so quickly? [This sounds a little awkward. Perhaps 'Or a better body, a more attractive, athletic body.']

Or maybe you would wish to run away from where you are now, to become that famous actress you know you could [s]become when[/s] be if given the chance?

The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck does a wonderful job with his characters, giving them a happiness to dream for. [Again, re-phrase this. Maybe 'In his book, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck makes his characters more realistic and likeable when he gives them dreams of happiness to strive for.']

Reading this, one would [s]believe[/s] expect George to hate Lennie, to be angry and frustrated that he was stuck with such a dumb companion.

Rather than doing something about her dream or making the [s]good[/s] best of the life she [s]had[/s] has [s]now[/s], she goes around the farm, trying to get the workers to feel sorry for her as well.

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Does any of this help? Feel free to pm me if you have further questions.

I felt this was too long. The best essay writing is concise. You say what needs to be said. That means elaborating only as far as is effective, using the most accurate words, and knowing when to stop. Read through this again. Read it out loud, word for word. Are there spots that take too long to describe a single point? Too many extra phrases? Cut it down.

I agree with Kitty15 that you write too much about yourself. I think that cutting out some of the band allusions in the middle and getting rid of the last paragraph will help. Take the essence of the last paragraph (every push-up is worth it ect.) and add it to the end of the previous one to end your essay.

Or dream of owning rabbits or to “live offa the fatta the lan’” (57)? Or maybe you would wish to run away from where you are now to become that famous actress you know you could become when given the chance? Don’t we all wish something would happen that would make us all perfectly happy the rest of our lives?

You said "we", and then you changed to "you" as the subject. Stay consistent please. Pick one or the other.

Every minute outdoors, every bead of sweat dripping down their backs, every insult and rude gesture [s]taken in[/s] (thrown their way) was worth getting the money, in Lennie’s eyes.

I think that works better.

They found a purpose in life, a goal to aim for, and they made their own humanistic decisions to attempt to reach it. Curley’s Wife was also like that.

I don't like this at all. Curley's Wife was not like George and Lennie at all. ?Yeah, she had a dream, but, as you have said, she gave it up and just complains. You need to change that last sentence.

All in all, the writing's pretty sound. Just add an analyst of at least another character and cut down on your band allusions. Then, I think you should get a good mark.

Thank you everyone for editing my paper. I have good feelings for this paper for the first time in my entire life of writing high school papers. ^^ And I have you all to thank. I would be MORE than happy to return the favor. Just PM me and I'll get to it straight away!

Jabber, the One and Only!