Of Mice and Men: Critical Analysis

It has been once said that, “all literature shows us the power of emotion. It is emotion, not reason, that motivates character in literature” this quote can be interpreted to mean that all books show us the power of feeling. It is feeling not reasoning that drives characters in it literatures. To fulfill whatever they want in the story. Feelings drive characters to succeed in every possible scenario. The validity of this interpretation can be seen as true by examining the literary elements conflict and characterization in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.

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Steinbeck, in Of Mice and Men, uses the literary element characterization to show the power of interpretation. George and Lenny as well as all the other farm hands dealing with the depression of the early 1900’s are forced to labor intensively for room, board and meager earnings.

In order to survive during this difficult time. The reader recognizes George’s sacrifice of his own emotional state by enduring guilt and loneliness. In the story curley lashes out in feeling because he is small and he picks fights with everyone that’s why he hits lenny he has no specific reason.lenny also has emotion like back in weed when he wanted to feel the girls dress and his strong feeling got the best of him and ripped the girls dress in half. All of the characters in Of Mice and Men are different but they all portray strong emotions to fulfill their desires. Steinbeck uses other literary elements to demonstrate the interpretations validity.

Steinbeck also uses conflict to validate the interpretation. Lenny accidently kills curlys wife out of his emotional desire to feel soft things that leads to their dream falling out of reach Man vs. Man conflict. George’s dreams of owning his own farm is to unrealistic with lenny and there job landscape Man vs society man vs man. George killing lenny is strictly out of emotion because he did what was best for lenny Man vs. Self. The characters internal and external conflicts are based off emotions and they put each other in different emotions. Remarque in All Quiet on the Western Front uses the same literary element validate the interpretation,

Remarque uses characterization to explain the interpretation Corporal himmelstoss is noncommissioned training officer who was a power hungry man to fulfill his need to be in some type of authority. Paul trying to do his duty in the field the enemy soldier jumps in his ditch and Paul’s reaction was to stab him out of emotion. Kemmerich dyeing was a sign of his will to live because he was crying cause he wanted to live so badly. The characterization was really positive and showed their true colors. Remarque also uses the literary element conflict further analyze the interpretation

The lost generation was fighting a war they think is wrong for world man vs. society. Fighting purely out of emotion and no reason because they dislike the war man vs. self. Paul telling kemmenrichs mom that kemmerich had a quick and painless death, which was not the case man vs. self. All the conflicts are to meet the goods to survive they need to get food and energy

All book do show us the power of feelings not reasoning that drives characters in literatures. To fulfill whatever they want in the story. Feelings drive characters to succeed. Characterization and conflict show validity to the interpretation and provide reasoning for it. They to success are up to the individual.