FREE ESSAY ON OF MICE ANDMEN

OF MICE ANDMEN

Of Mice and Man
In many pieces of literature authors discuss human potential. 
In the novel Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck Illustrates human potential 
and its effects on Lennie Crooks and George. Steinbeck suggests humans 
have the natural potential to seek happiness although the potential can 
be fatal or harmful. 
Although Lennie does not have the potential to be smart, Lennie 
has the potential to be a hard worker. However, Lennie's strength did 
not work with him and the result was fatal. Lennie is an extremely 
large man who had the strength of a bull. With the use of his strength, 
he was great worker but did not understand how strong he was. George 
alone than most pairs can( Steinbeck 34). Through his size and his 
enormous amount of strength Lennie could out work the other men of the 
ranch by himself. Through the use of Lennie's strength he became a 
great worker who knew nothing more than to work. Lennie uses his 
potential to work hard, but does not understand how strong he is. 
Without George, Lennie does not understand what to do. Lennie gets 
frightened and uses his strength to hold on to objects. Lennie is just 
like a child. He will do what ever George tells him to: Curely was 
flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie's 
hand. George slapped [Lennie] in the face again and again and still 
Lennie held on(63). Through Lennie's actions we can see that Lennie is 
very similar to a child. Lennie's first instinct when he is scared is 
to hold on. Just as a little kid holds on to its mom or dad when they 
become frightened, Lennie holds on to objects. Because of Lennie's low 
intelligence to understand his strength, he becomes frightened and kills 
Curley's wife and as a result, she ends up being killed by is 
potential: She took Lennie's hand and put it on her head... And then she 
cried angrily. Lennie's fingers closed on her hair and hung on. He 
shook her and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still(91).
Lennie did not understand his strength and became frightened, and 
once again just like just like a little child he held on. But he ended 
up breaking Curley's wife neck. As a result of his actions Lennie ended 
up dead. Lennie had an extremely great potential to use his strength 
and become a great worker. However his difficulty to understand his 
strength lead to his death.
Unlike Lennie Crooks potential is his knowledge, and Crooks has 
the ability to use his knowledge to, try to escape the problems he has 
on the ranch. However Crooks falls back into a 1930s attitude and 
chooses to neglect his knowledge. Crooks also uses his knowledge to 
express his ideas and feelings to Lennie. Books ain't no good. A guy 
needs somebody to be near him... A guy goes nuts if ain't got nobody.(72) 
Crooks is proving that he is a very knowledgeable man When around others
he may chooses to use his knowledge to express his ideas and become a 
stronger influence. Crooks uses his wisdom to express his ideas and 
feelings and leave a very strong impact. Crooks has the likelihood 
to use his knowledge, but how he uses his wisdom will determine his 
fate. 'I said s'pose George don't come back no more. S'pose he took 
a powder and just ain't coming back. What'll you do then?'... 'He 
won't do it' Lennie cried.... 'He'll come back tonight'---(71). Crooks 
is using his knowledge as a power trip on Lennie who does not understand
what Crooks is saying. Crooks is doing this because he has never had 
a chance to use his knowledge in such way before, but is really abusing 
it. Crooks chooses to use his knowledge around Lennie. But when a higher 
authority is around Crooks chooses to ignore it for his own safety. 
'Listen nigger', [Curley's wife] said, (y)ou know what I can do to you 
if you open your trap?'... Crooks seemed to grow smaller, and he pressed 
himself against the wall .... 'Yes ma'am', and his voice was toneless(80). 
When a higher authority is present Crooks chooses to ignore his 
knowledge because he is scared to speak out for fear of losing his job. 
Despite Crooks, knowledge he chooses to ignore it around higher 
authority, this ending up in a 1930's attitude with his knowledge going 
to waste. 
Unlike Lennie or Crooks George has the potential to be his own 
boss. If George does not work hard enough his potential to be his own 
boss will be lost and his dream will be crushed. George has always 
wanted to be his own boss. When he sees that the potential is there, 
George tries to act on it. George says: 'We'd just go there, we wouldn't 
ask nobody if we could'(61). George would love to be his own boss 
and do his own thing, mainly because George would not have to take 
orders from any one. To accomplish being his own boss, George tries to 
save his money so that he can buy the ranch: 'If me an' Lennie work one 
month an' don't spen' nothing, well have a hundred bucks'(60). To 
fulfill his potential to be his own boss, George says he will save his 
money and not spend any. If George can accomplish this he will be his 
own boss. When Lennie breaks Curley's wife's neck, George realizes that 
the potential to be his own boss is lost. Candy says:  'You an' me 
can get that little place, can't we George?'... Candy
dropped his head and looked down at the hay. He knew(94). Now that 
Lennie has broken Curley's wife's neck, George realizes that his 
possibility of being his own boss is gone. Without Lennie, George feels
there is no hope. As a result the potential to be his own boss is lost.
George has a great potential to be his own boss, but with the death of
Lennie, George loses hope. George has chosen his fate to be a worker 
and not to be his own boss.
In his novel, Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck illustrates to us 
that all humans have the potential to do well, but how they use their 
potential will determine their fate. Lennie, Crooks and George all have 
one thing on their mind: to accomplish their potential and make it 
reality. If they do not use their potential It can a source of pain and 
an unfulfilled dream.
Bibliography
http://essays.simplenet.com/papers/books/micemen.txt