Archetypes In Steinbecks Of Mice And Men - 1115 Words

In the story Of Mice and Men, it follows a disabled man and his crafty caretaker looking for work on a farm. The few characters that are shown in the book possess very diverse personalities that fit into different archetypes, many of them challenge the stereotypes that surrounded them during the early twentieth century. Archetypes are characteristics that are commonly seen in literature and real life. In the book Of Mice and Men there are seven distinct archetypes that all have different characteristics in them. One thing that all the characters have in common, though, is loneliness. Throughout the book the theme of loneliness is constantly there, and one of the loneliest characters is Crooks. Crooks fits the archetype of an outcast†¦show more content†¦Now you jus; get out an’ get out quick.† Even though he tries and kick everyone else, he is once again reminded how little power he has when Curley’s wife threatens to get him killed. Steinbeck used more t han just indirect and direct characterizations to show Crooks’ personality, he also used literary devices. Steinbeck used tone to relay Crooks realistic down to earth side. When talking to Lennie, Crooks had a more realistic down to earth feeling, while Lennie’s tone was more dreamlike, with everything working out in the end and everyone happy. While talking to Lennie and Candy about the dream, Crooks says, â€Å"You guys kiddin’ yourself. You’ll talk about it a hell of a lot, but you won’t get no land.† Although Steinbeck doesn’t say it directly, he shows us through Crooks and Lennie’s dialogue that Crooks is a very down to earth person. While Candy and Lennie are both fooled by the dream, Crooks shows himself not to be so gullible. Steinbeck also uses the setting to show Crooks’ loneliness. Crooks’ shack is literally separated from everyone else. The setting is detached from everyone else, just as Crooks’ is. Even though Lennie comes and gives Crooks some company, that does not help him at the root of the problem; Crooks lives being separated from everyone else, all he did was bring comfort with the ideas of a dream, one that Crooks knew would not happen. Throughout Of Mice and Men Crooks is shown to have an archetype of an outcast. The archetype of an outcastShow MoreRelatedArchetypes In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men838 Words   |  4 Pageswrong with it. The archetype I am giving Lennie is innocent. Archetypes are characteristics of easy or well-known traits from children’s literature, pop culture, or even everyday life, they help the readers connect with the characters quickly and accurately. Lennie’s archetype is innocent because he is always so caring to others. He is also taken advantage of a lot. Lennie is always so positive even when the hardest situations are thrown at him. 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