Of Mice and Men Themes Dreams, Weakness, Nature

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, tells the story of two migrant farm workers in California. By exploring themes such as the nature of dreams, the relationship between strength and weakness, and the conflict between man and nature, the novella paints a compelling and often dark portrait of Great Depression-era American life. The Nature of Dreams George and Lennie share a dream: to own their own land, allowing them to live off the fatta the lan. This dream comes up repeatedly throughout the novella in conversations between George and Lennie as well as with other farm workers. However, the significance of this dream differs depending on which character is discussing it. To innocent Lennie, the dream is a concrete plan. He truly believes that he and George will someday have their own farm with plenty of alfalfa and rabbits. Whenever Lennie feels scared or worried, he asks George to tell him about the farm and the rabbits. Hearing George describe the imaginary farm comforts and reassures Lennie. The farm plan is supposed to be a secret, but Lennie accidentally lets it slip during a conversation with Crooks. Crooks rejects the dream immediately. He tells Lennie that people are always making big statements about getting land or going to heaven, but that [n]obody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head.† For Crooks, there is no point in dreaming—dreams dont offer solace because he is certain that they wont come true. George has yet another relationship to the dream. For most of the novella, it is unclear whether he truly believes that the farm dream will become a reality, or whether he simply talks about it to keep Lennie happy and to pass the time. At the storys end, however, it becomes clear that for George, the dream was never a potential reality. Up until the instant he shoots Lennie, George is telling him about the farm theyll have one day. In this moment, George knows that Lennie will never see the farm, but still uses the dream to keep Lennie calm; Lennie, on the other hand, truly believes that he will one day be tending rabbits on the farm that George describes. This moment perfectly symbolizes the conflict between Georges skepticism of the dream and Lennies innocent hopes about the dream, as well as the violent power of the former over the latter. Strength vs. Weakness Violence is never far away in  Of Mice and Mens hardscrabble world, and one of the most important themes is the uneasy relationship between strength and weakness. The theme plays out in the behavior of most of the characters. Curley, a physically diminutive man, uses his position of authority on the farm to assert his dominance over the others. Curleys wife silences Crooks through racial slurs and violent threats, despite being physically weaker than him. And Carlson, one of the ranch hands, shoots the elderly dog owned by Candy, who happens to be an aging handyman himself. The theme of strength vs. weakness is most apparent in the character of Lennie, a man who is himself both strong and weak. Physically, Lennie is by far the most powerful man on the farm. However, his demeanor is gentle and often fearful—he doesnt want to fight the other men—and he has a mental disability that leaves him dependent on George. This tension between strength and weakness is highlighted when Lennie, who adores delicate objects and small creatures, interacts with animals. When the novella begins, George and Lennie are sitting by the side of the road, and Lennie is petting a dead mouse (he loves to feel soft materials). Later, Lennie gets a puppy from one of the farm workers. He adores the small creature, but he accidentally kills it by stroking it too strongly. This situation is repeated—with graver consequences—when Lennie breaks Curleys wifes neck while stroking her hair. Because he fails to understand his own strength, Lennie kills physically weaker beings: the puppy and Curleys wife. These mistakes ultimately lead to Lennies own death, as George shoots him in an effort to protect him from Curleys wrathful mob. In the dog-eat-dog (or, perhaps more accurately, man-crush-dog) world of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, strength in the form of mental and emotional toughness is essential, and the weak cannot survive. Man vs. Nature The novella begins with a passage describing an idyllic riverbank, where the golden foothill slopes curve up to the mountains and the warm water slip[s] twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight. When humans enter the scene, however, the passages tone shifts: there is a path beaten hard by boys and an ash pile made by many fires. This early passage demonstrates the uncertain (and potentially harmful) relationship between the natural and human worlds that arises throughout the novella. The characters in Of Mice and Men work on a ranch—one of the most fundamental examples of humans exerting control over the natural world. Lennie and Georges desire to own land again reinforces this theme; their image of success and fulfillment involves dominance over nature. However, the relationship between man and nature is not as clear-cut as these examples might suggest. Sometimes, humans destroy nature unwittingly, like when Lennie kills the puppy. On other occasions, humans destroy nature for morally ambiguous (maybe even natural) reasons, like when Carlson shoots Candys old dog in order to put it out of his misery. Lennie himself reflects some aspects of the natural world, as he seems largely unaware of many social constructs of the human world. Ultimately, the moment that most blurs the line between the human and natural worlds is Lennies death at Georges hand. The scene asks us to consider whether it is natural for George to kill Lennie for his own protection (to put him out of his misery), or whether the killing is an act of societal intervention. The novellas conclusion suggests that the distinction between human society and nature—and between mice and men—is, perhaps, not so great after all.

The Parallels Between Animal Farm and Soviet History...

The Parallels Between Animal Farm and Soviet History Prior to writing Animal Farm, George Orwell had stated: History consists of a series of swindles, in which the masses are first lured into revolt by the promise of Utopia, and then, when they have done their job, enslaved over again as new masters Together this statement and Soviet History provided a basis for a political allegory which is depicted through Animals and tells of the tribulations which surround certain political ideals. In many ways, the story parallels to an era of soviet history from the revolution in 1917 to the Teheran Conference in 1943. When many critiques review this book they fail to realize how each significant detail parallels to an entity in†¦show more content†¦This is in fact a witty and ironic example of specious Marxist polemics: A Birds Wings, Comrades is an organ or propulsion and not manipulation, It should there be regarded as a leg.(pg 31, Orwell) As the animals had their anthem known as the beast of England, the communist also had an anthem known as Linternationale (1848). The Animal anthem actually paraphrases several components of the Linternationale. In this magnificent fable, there lie many small similarities between Russian history and the Animal farm. In the prologue to Animal Farm George Orwell puts in writing: Although various episodes are taken from the actual history of the Russian Revolution, they are dealt with schematically and their chronological order is changed. As there are countless similarities a few significant ones are: the human beings are the capitalists, the animals are communists, the wild creatures who could not be tamed and continued to behave very much as before are the muzhiks or peasants, the pigs are the Bolsheviks, The Rebellion is the October Rebellion, the neighbouring farmers are the western armies who attempted to support the Czarists against the Reds, the wave of rebelliousness that ran through the countryside afterward, is the abortive revolutions in Hungary and Germany in 1919 and 1923; the hoof and horn is the hammer and sickle, the Spontaneous Demonstration is the May Day celebration, the Order of the GreenShow MoreRelated Messages of George Orwells Animal Farm Essay1412 Words   |  6 PagesOrwells Animal Farm Though Animal Farm can be considered nothing more than a charming animal fable depicting a doomed rebellion, its origin is actually of a more serious and political nature. It is not only the tale of Napoleon and Animal Farm, but a satire and commentary on that of the Russian Revolution, Stalin and Communism. For a person to gain a true understanding of Orwells meaning in Animal Farm, it is best that he or she has an understanding of the political parties and history surroundingRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwells Animal Farm1711 Words   |  7 Pagescharacter because his actions and bad deeds provoked the animal rebellion, similarly to how Tsar Nicholas II ignorance led his abdication, ending the Romanov rule and replacing it with the new Bolshevik government (Krieger 185). Moreover, in the story, the animals replaced what used to be â€Å"Manor Farm† to â€Å"Animal Farm†, and Orwell does this to resemble the transformation of Russia’s government. There are othe r events in the story that parallel the true events that resemble Tsar Nicholas. For exampleRead MoreAnimal Farm: An Allegory of Russian History Essay903 Words   |  4 PagesAnimal Farm is an allegory of the period in Russian history between 1917 and 1944. It is a satirical story written in the form of an animal fable. In writing Animal Farm as a fable, George Orwell is able to present his subject in simple symbolic terms by treating the development of communism as a story that is taking place on a single farm with talking animals. The characters of Animal Farm represent figures in Russian history during the Russian Revolution. Places, objects, and events of theRead MoreAnimal Farm By George Orwell Essay1430 Words   |  6 PagesAnimal Farm is of course, a satirical allegory, very specifically of the Russian Revolution and of Stalin (Napoleon in the book), but more generally of revolution, the idealism of utopias, and the way in which people take control of societies founded on principles of equality. It is a satirical allegory of Soviet totalitarianism. Orwell based major events in the book on ones from the Soviet Union during the Stalin era. Orwell, a democratic socialist, and a member of the Independent Labour PartyRead MoreAnimal Farm Or Ussr Part II1243 Words   |  5 Pages10 10 April 2015 Animal Farm or USSR Part II Animal Farm written by George Orwell is a hopeful novel about a group of animals that overthrow their farmer and create an animalistic government. Much like All the King’s Men a novel by Robert Penn Warren, Animal Farm has strong political undertones relating to the the skewed government of Soviet Russia. Throughout the book many animal characters can be identified with the political leaders and influences throughout Soviet Russia. According to NewRead MoreThe And Its Impact On Modern Society1578 Words   |  7 Pages The entirety of the story was written from the perspective of the â€Å"surrounding farmers† from Animal Farm. When the computers were created, the scientists wanted to use them as a tool to contain knowledge. However, they overthrow the initial leaders and dominates the government which parallels to the expulsion of Chiang Kai-Shek from mainland China. Although the initial leader is not physically active in the story, they are presented throughout some o f the major events demonstrating their opinionsRead MoreAn Allegory In Animal Farm By George Orwell?819 Words   |  4 Pagesopportunities does writing Animal Farm as an allegory rather than an academic essay offer Orwell? The novel Animal Farm was written by George Orwell. This book was published in 1945 during the time of World War 2. It intended to portray the communism that was happening throughout Russia. Orwell took a massive risk in publishing and jeopardized his wellbeing to publicise his thoughts and to get his point across to the public. This essay will discuss what opportunities Animal Farm provides Orwell by writingRead MoreOrwells Comparing Animal Farm and The Russian System Of Communism971 Words   |  4 PagesOrwells Comparing Animal Farm and The Russian System Of Communism Animal Farm is a satire and prophecy of the Russian revolution, which was written by George Orwell in 1945. George Orwell was a political satirist who led a somewhat strange life. His original name was Eric Arthur Blair, which was later changed to his familiar pen name for its manly, English, country-sounding ring. He was a lonely boy and had many uncertain jobs until he finally became a writer, crossing Read MoreRevolutions Everywhere!: Animal Farm by George Orwell873 Words   |  4 Pages Revolutions are a big part of our world and throughout history, for thousands of years, we have experienced more of these uprisings than we can keep track of. Revolutions are necessary to bring change to a country’s government unwilling to listen to its people. When a government becomes a tyranny, it’s time for a revolution! A revolution aims at overthrowing a government or a certain part of one and this is important to us in order to repair a country undergoing abuse of power on its citizens.Read MoreGeorge Orwell s Animal Farm2708 Words   |  11 PagesLuke Shadley 20th Century Russia 10/16/14 Orwell’s Animal Farm: Fact and Fiction, Caution and Critique George Orwell’s Animal Farm is, first and foremost, a political satire warning against the pursuit of utopian desires through unjust and oppressive means. Operating under the pretense of an animal fable, Orwell disparages the use of political power to poach personal freedom. He effectively alerts his readers to the dangerous price that can accompany the so-called â€Å"pursuit of progress†. And

Qnt565 Free Essays

University of Phoenix Material – Sonya Cargill 11/12/12 Week Five Calculations Read the following scenarios, and answer the accompanying questions. 1. Statistics students were asked to fill a one-cup measure with raisin bran, then tap the cup lightly on the counter three times to settle the contents. We will write a custom essay sample on Qnt565 or any similar topic only for you Order Now If necessary, they were instructed to add more raisin bran to bring the contents exactly to the one-cup line, then spread the contents on a large plate, and count the raisins. The 13 students who chose Kellogg’s Raisin Bran obtained the results shown below: 23334436294231336136342324 †¢ Calculate the mean, median, and mode. Is the distribution skewed to the left or to the right? Mean: 34. 5, Mode: 23,33,36, Median: 33 The mean is greater than the median†¦. therefore the distribution should be skewed to the right. †¢ Which is the best measure of central tendency and why? Mean – the data doesn’t have any real outliers and is roughly symmetric. Calculate the standard deviation. Why is there variation in the number of raisins in a cup of raisin bran? Why might it be difficult for Kellogg’s to reduce variation? Standard deviation is: 10. 3087. The variation in the number of raisins in a cup of raisin bran could be a result the size flakes or possibly the size of the raisins that may skew the numbers from being equal. 2. The following are monthly rents paid by 30 students who live off-campus. 730730730930700570 901030740620720670 560740650660850930 600620760690710500 730800820840720700 †¢ Find the mean, median, mode, and standard deviation. Mean: 725 Mode: 730 Median: 720 Standard Deviation: 114. 28 †¢ Describe the typical rent paid by a student. 720 †¢ Do the measures of central tendency agree? Explain. Yes, they are pretty close to each other (mean, mode, median) in range. †¢ Are there outliers or unusual data values? No †¢ Do you think the data could come from a normal population? Yes How to cite Qnt565, Papers

Internet Addiction for Behavior and Social Network- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theInternet Addiction for Behavior and Social Network. Answer: Introduction Addiction is a specific type of brain disorder that is characterized by the obsessive engagement in satisfying stimuli in spite of unfavourable consequences (J Kuss et al. 2014). Despite of the involvement of several numbers of psychological factors, a particular biological procedure is induced by the repetition of exposure to an addictive stimulus. This type of brain disorder forces the victim to be addicted to any particular thing or place. One of such dangerous and infamous addiction is in the connection of Internet (Kuss, Griffiths and Binder 2013). This addiction is extremely common in todays world and is especially found in the youth or young generation. The following report outlines a brief description about the addiction in Internet. There are several harmful effects due to this addiction (Kardefelt-Winther 2014). This report focuses on the various causes and effects on modern society and how this addiction is affecting the youth generation. The report will also discuss about the probable and available treatment interventions for the Internet addiction. Discussion Internet Addiction Internet Addiction Disorder or IAD is the characterization by poorly or excessively managed behaviours, urges or preoccupations about the utilization of Internet. This can lead to distress or even impairment (Brand, Young and Laier 2014). Internet addiction can be referred to the obsessive requirement to be present online in such a way that it can be interfered with normal life and which can negatively affect acquaintances. There are various types of Internet addiction. They are as follows: i) Cyber Relationships: This is one of the most important type of Internet addiction. Cyber relationships is the addiction to all types of social networking sites, social media, messaging, chat rooms and many such things to such a point where online friends or virtual friends become more vital than the real life relationships (Kuss et al. 2013). The victim of this type of disorder is more interested in cyber or virtual relations, rather than affected with his or her own family or friends in real life. ii) Cyber Sex: This is the second type of Internet addiction that focuses on the compulsive utilization of the Internet pornography, adult fantasy and adult chat rooms (Young 2015). This obsession about cyber sex affect the youth generation in concentrating in their studies. Internet Compulsion: This is the third type of Internet addiction. The compulsion over Internet lead to constant gambling, online gaming, visiting auction sites, stock trading and many more and thus, the victim is constantly affected with the Internet connection (Starcevic 2013). This type of Internet addiction often result to various job related issues and financial problems. iv) Online Shopping: This is another type of Internet addiction and here the victim is constantly visiting and shopping from the online stores in all over the world. Online shopping often lead to financial crisis and the victim is affected by this. v) Internet Surfing: This is the fifth type of Internet addiction, where the victim is obsessed with the Internet surfing. He or she surfs the Internet and is obsessed with web surfing or any type of database searching (Cheng and Li 2014). This often leads to productivity of low work and lower social interaction with friends and family. Thus, this affects his personal, professional and social life. Causes of Internet Addiction There are various important causes of the Internet addiction. These are the sole reason ns of enhancement of Internet addiction is spread in all over the world. The most important and the most significant causes of the Internet addiction are as follows: i) Loneliness: This is the most important cause of internet addiction for the youth generation (Goel, Subramanyam and Kamath 2013). When the victims do not have someone to talk with or share their problems, they often end up in the virtual world of Internet. ii) Depression: This is the second important cause of this type of addiction. Victims are often depressed and they try to find peace and bliss in the cyber world. Overwhelmed: The third major cause of Internet addiction is being overwhelming. Statistics denote that around 35% of the youth generation spend their time on Internet, as they are overwhelmed with any kind of topic or situation (Lortie and Guitton 2013). They want to share their experience and want the people to know about their life and activities. This type of addiction is mostly seen in children, young adults or people aging between 20 to 30 years. iv) Introvert: This is again one of the major causes of Internet addiction. Many people or children are introvert in nature. They face problems in sharing their feelings or issues with others in face-to-face meetings (Starcevic 2013). However, they can speak freely when they are in the virtual world. These types of individuals spend most of their time online and are affected with Internet Addiction Disorder. Effects of Internet Addiction on Modern Society The above-mentioned causes clearly depict that there can be serious issues due to this type of harmful addiction. Although, Internet has various advantages, there are several disadvantages or demerits for this Internet addiction. The major disadvantages for the Internet addiction are as follows: i) Isolation: This is the most significant disadvantage of Internet addiction. The person is addicted to this type of connectivity and he spends most of his or her time alone by locking himself in a particular room. Due to his isolation, his social life is affected. ii) Health Problems: The second disadvantage of Internet addiction is poor health. This type of Internet addiction often leads to extreme health issues or problems (Goel, Subramanyam and Kamath 2013). It has been noticed in recent statistics that most of the health problems of the youth generation is due to Internet addiction. Poor eye sights, migraines, spondylitis, back pain, neck pain are some of the major health problems caused by Internet connection. Life Interference: It has been noticed that some of the addicts are losing their jobs or failing in classes as they are spending most of the time on online activities. Often people are not present in schools, colleges or work places since they are completely indulged in online activities. iv) Aggressive Behaviour: This is again one of the major disadvantages of Internet addiction. People are turning aggressive when they are interrupted or disturbed while present on the Internet (Starcevic 2013). Moreover, they are not paying attention to their family or friends and are thus being totally separated from the rest of the world. These effects have totally conquered the world and are responsible for many of the cyber crime or depression. Available Treatment for Internet Addiction The addicted people are required to be treated as soon as possible so that they are not affected any more (Winkler et al. 2013). This is only possible with the help of medical science and psychologists. Medical science is conquering the world by its amazing therapies and invention. The available treatments for the Internet addicts are as follows: i) Group and Family Therapy: This type of therapy is considered as the best therapies in the world. Family therapy refers to the quality time spent with the victim by counselling him or her (Young 2015). It has been noticed that the victims believe their families more often than any other doctors or nurses. If the victim does not have a family, his friends can also do the same task. This reduces his depression and he is able to share his problems. ii) Dialectical Behavioural Therapy: DBT is a cognitive behavioural treatment that emphasizes training classes on group skills and individual psychotherapy (Lortie and Guitton 2013). These classes help the victims to learn as well as utilize innovative strategies and skills for developing a successful life. When the victim is learning new skills, he is diverted from the world of Internet. Art Therapy: This is a specific form of psychotherapy that involves encouragement of free self expression with the help of art skills like painting, singing, moulding and many more. This also reduces the addiction of Internet. Recreation Therapy: This type of therapy uses recreation and several other activity based interventions for addressing the assessed requirements of individuals, who are suffering from psychological problems (Ko et al. 2013). Recreation therapy mainly helps to build confidence and restore gross motor skills. Conclusion Therefore, from the above discussion it can be concluded that, addiction is the most dangerous and harmful brain disorder for any individual. It causes and brings out various disadvantages, which can cause extreme harm to the society. The most significant disadvantage of this addiction is distraction. People are distracted with this di0soirder and thus often face problems in concentrating in work or studies. Addiction can be featured by the compelling engagement for fulfilling the demand or satisfying the stimulus. A person is usually addicted to anything; right from a small pen to a building. The most dangerous or significant addiction in todays world is with the connectivity of the Internet. The most affected people in this type of addiction are the children and youth generation. They face problems in concentrating on studies and thus their career is affected. The above report has provided a concise description regarding the Internet addiction. Moreover, this report has also mentio ned about the several causes that are the sole reasons for this type of addiction. The effects of Internet addiction on the modern society are also given here. The report has also described about the treatments that are available for removing this type of addiction from any particular individual. References Brand, M., Young, K.S. and Laier, C., 2014. Prefrontal control and Internet addiction: a theoretical model and review of neuropsychological and neuroimaging findings.Frontiers in human neuroscience,8, p.375. Cheng, C. and Li, A.Y.L., 2014. Internet addiction prevalence and quality of (real) life: a meta-analysis of 31 nations across seven world regions.Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking,17(12), pp.755-760. Goel, D., Subramanyam, A. and Kamath, R., 2013. A study on the prevalence of internet addiction and its association with psychopathology in Indian adolescents.Indian Journal of Psychiatry,55(2), p.140. J Kuss, D., D Griffiths, M., Karila, L. and Billieux, J., 2014. Internet addiction: a systematic review of epidemiological research for the last decade.Current pharmaceutical design,20(25), pp.4026-4052. Kardefelt-Winther, D., 2014. A conceptual and methodological critique of internet addiction research: Towards a model of compensatory internet use.Computers in Human Behavior,31, pp.351-354. Ko, C.H., Liu, G.C., Yen, J.Y., Chen, C.Y., Yen, C.F. and Chen, C.S., 2013. Brain correlates of craving for online gaming under cue exposure in subjects with Internet gaming addiction and in remitted subjects.Addiction biology,18(3), pp.559-569. Kuss, D.J., Griffiths, M.D. and Binder, J.F., 2013. Internet addiction in students: Prevalence and risk factors.Computers in Human Behavior,29(3), pp.959-966. Kuss, D.J., Van Rooij, A.J., Shorter, G.W., Griffiths, M.D. and van de Mheen, D., 2013. Internet addiction in adolescents: Prevalence and risk factors.Computers in Human Behavior,29(5), pp.1987-1996. Lortie, C.L. and Guitton, M.J., 2013. Internet addiction assessment tools: Dimensional structure and methodological status.Addiction,108(7), pp.1207-1216. Starcevic, V., 2013. Is Internet addiction a useful concept?.Australian New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry,47(1), pp.16-19. Winkler, A., Drsing, B., Rief, W., Shen, Y. and Glombiewski, J.A., 2013. Treatment of internet addiction: a meta-analysis.Clinical psychology review,33(2), pp.317-329. Young, K., 2015. The evolution of Internet addiction disorder. InInternet addiction(pp. 3-17). Springer, Cham.