Of Mice And Men And The Pearl: Characterization

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of
Steinbeck's favorite books when he was growing up was Paradise Lost by John
Milton. In this long poem, Milton describes the beginnings of evil in the world.
He tells of Lucifer's fall from heaven and the creation of hell. He also
describes Adam and Eve's fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. By giving George
the last name of Milton, Steinbeck seems to be showing that he is an example of
fallen man, someone who is doomed to loneliness and who wants to return to the
Garden of Eden. Perhaps this is why George is always talking about having his
own place and living "off the fat of the land," as Adam and Eve did before their
fall. Lennie is anything but small physically. He is a big man who is often
described with animal images. In the opening scene of the book his hands are
called paws and he snorts like a horse (Steinbeck, Mice 3). Yet Lennie is small
on brains and on responsibility. Someone has always taken care of Lennie and
done his thinking and talking for him. First his Aunt ...

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As Lennie says (repeating George's words): "But not us!
An' why? Because... because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look
after you, and that's why." It is said that Sigmund Freud, the famous
psychoanalyst, has written that each person has two sides - the ego and the id.
The ego is the person's thinking side, the leader figure within him or her. The
id is the physical side of the person, the body and senses. George is obviously
the leader of the two men; he does all of their thinking. He remembers the
things that must be remembered and instructs Lennie about them. Lennie, on the
other hand, is all body. He "thinks" with his senses. The most important parts
of ...

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