Of Mice and Men and Into the Wild Essay
of Mice and Men’ and Sean Peen’s ‘Into the Wild’ explore the fundamental themes of freedom, companionship and following your ambitions. (QUESTION). ‘Of Mice and Men’ is set during the Great Depression in which George and Leonie explore the realism of freedom and hardships by hoping to one day have their own farm. In contrast, Chris from ‘Into the Wild’ achieves ultimate freedom by choosing to run away and live In the wild. Both texts explore different perceptions of freedom. Steinbeck novel demonstrates how everyone’s perception of freedom is suppressed.
George and Lien’s idea of freedom is to have their own land and yield themselves from the peril of the world. However, they are denied this freedom because of their lack of money. The technique of multiple perceptions Is adopted by the omniscient narrator to access various view points of the characters that represent different types of freedom suppression. This is depicted in the sentimental quotes by Curlers wife who says “l tell yea I could of went with shows’. ћ She was breathless with indignation” or Crooks who states “Cause I’m black. They play cards In there, but I can’t play because I’m Black. Similar to George and Leonie, Chris desires freedom however, he does this by moving away from a lavish lifestyle to one of struggle which he calls “ultimate freedom”. This change is contrary to that of George and Leonie who are looking to free themselves from the chains of poverty. Through the poetic phrase “The freedom and simple beauty Is too good to pass up” Chris expresses his new found freedom in the laws of nature. Therefore both texts explore a heightened sense of suppression for the protagonists when it comes to the idea of freedom.
The necessity of companionship is integral in both texts. Companionship can have both positive and negative ramifications. In Steinbeck novel Leonie Is shown to exhibit child-like behavior which makes him completely dependent on George. As a result of his disability, Leonie spends all of his time with George and the pair often find themselves running from authority. Despite the difficult situations that Leonie Imposes on George, George describes his gratitude towards Lien’s companionship through a sentimental tone when he states “… With us it anti like that…
We got somebody to talk to… ” This highlights that through a time of great difficulty where people avoided each other as expressed through the quote, Maybe everybody in the whole damn world is scared of each other” George values Lien’s companionship. In contrast. Peen’s film explores Chris’ distaste for human companionship in order to achieve his ultimate freedom. He expresses this through his aversive tone, “You don’t need human relationships to be happy… ” Chris demonstrates that companionship isn’t necessary to have happiness and that it can be found In nature.
HIS viewpoint of companionship Is a result of his parent’s physical disputes. However he later realizes that he was happiest when in the company of other travelers. He expresses this through the technique of regretful tone as he says “Happiness only real when shared”. Therefore both texts signify the Importance of companionship. Both texts promote the Idea of following your ambitions to ultimately lead you to happiness. George and Leonie strive to have their own farm but their dreams remain unfulfilled.
In the end George has to kill Leonie 1 OFF Burns’, “To a Mouse”, which contains the couplet, “The best laid plans of mice and men / Often go awry’. Hence, it is a novel that Juxtaposes the nature “of mice” – and the social world – “men” and provides an insight into the fading nature of ambitions. The manifestation of handicapped characters such as Crooks having a crooked spine, or Leonie being mentally slow, metaphorically schemes the theme of men going ‘awry by trying to achieve a disillusioned dream.
Peen’s film contradicts Steinbeck novel and shows that Chris indeed found happiness by following his ambitions. His ambitions involved trying to understand the human condition which can be seen through his zealous poetry when Chris states ” Two years he walks the earth… The climactic battle to kill the false being within… No longer to be poisoned by civilization…. Chris wanted to understand the raw power of human experiences which he says is “… The core of man’s spirit… And his dedication to fulfill this ambition led him to find what he was looking for and ultimately find happiness. Therefore in conclusion, the protagonists in “Of Mice and Men” and “Into the Wild” uniquely express the fundamental ideas of freedom, companionship and following your ambitions. Their desire for freedom is shared but their perception of obtaining it is different. Steinbeck shows that the ambitions of men will remain unfulfilled while Peen’s film depicts that the ultimate freedom is to share happiness. (Question)
