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Biblical Allusions Throughout of Mice and Men
“He calls Of Mice and Men a parable that illustrates the biblical conflict between the brothers Cain and Abel” (Goldhurst 48). Therefore the people who have read the story Of Mice and Men can automatically see the resemblance between the two stories. Of Mice and Men is a novelette by John Steinbeck, it is about two men who are migratory workers that works on farms. Of Mice and Men contains many Biblical allusions including the Story of Cain and Abel, the longing for Eden, and facing temptation.
In Of Mice and Men and the Old Testament the themes are similar. It is stated in the “A Parable Curse of Cain.” “Of Mice and Men is a story about the nature of man’s fate in a fallen world, with particular emphasis upon the question: is man destined to live alone, a solitary wanderer on the face of the earth, or is it the fate of man to care for man, to go his way in companionship with another? This is the same theme that occurs in The Old Testament” (Goldhurst 49).
This proves that Of Mice and Men and The Old Testament have a similar theme.
One reoccurring theme in Of Mice and Men and The Old Testament is loneliness will always follow man and innocence keeps ideas alive. The curse that the Lord placed upon Cain was that agricultural labor was going to be difficult, and he will be lonely while being a fugitive (Genesis 4:12). In Of Mice and Men George and Lennie are fugitives that are migratory workers but George at times feels lonely even though he has Lennie because he doesn’t have a romantic partner. This shows how these two stories are similar within their themes.
Worked Cited
Goldhurst, William. “A Parable of the Curse of Cain.” Readings on John Steinbeck- Of Mice and Men. Ed. Jill Karson, Bruno Leone, Brenda Salcup, and Brenda Szumski. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1998. 48-58. Print
The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Ed. Bruce M. Metzger, Roland E. Murphy, and
Bernhard W. Anderson. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. 2-7. Print. Owens, Luis. “Of Mice and Men: The Dream of Commitment.” Modern Critical View John Steinbeck. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 145-149. Print.
