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Forshadowing In Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck

Decent Essays

In the book Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses foreshadowing to clue events throughout the entire book. The book follows two migrant workers, George and Lennie, while they are working on a ranch in California, during The Great Depression.During the book George and Lennie meet five other characters; Slim, Candy, Crooks, Curley, and Curley’s nameless wife. Foreshadowing, the literary device used to hint an event.Foreshadowing is used in the title of the book using allusion, Lennie’s obsession with soft things, the idea of the American dream, and the parallel of Lennie and Candy’s dog’s death.
Steinbeck uses foreshadowing through the name of the book, given to it by the poem, “To A Mouse” by Robert Burns. The poem is a story of a farmer, plowing his farm, when he plows a mouse’s home. The mouse then begins to run away. “But Mouse, you are not alone...The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew.” (Burns, To a Mouse) In the poem it is implied that the mouse’s dreams are forgotten and lost. John Steinbeck references the poem in the name, implying, the mens’ dreams will not come true.
Steinbeck uses foreshadowing through Lennie’s obsession with soft things to imply that Lennie’s obsession is a problem. “ Jus’ wanted to feel the girl’s dress - jus’ wanted to pet it like it was a mouse _” (Steinbeck Chapter 1) telling the reader Lennie likes to pet soft things. “Lennie sat in the hay looked at a little dead puppy in front of him… he put his huge hand out and stroked it”

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