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We have listed below The author’s technique in of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck. We hope the information provided helps you with your GCSE English Literature.

The author’s technique in of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck, article written by Andrew Moore

Structure

Steinbeck’s narrative method is unremarkable but effective in a simple way; for this reason it is not an obvious subject for study. The structure of the novella is clear and quite simple: each chapter is an extended episode, in the same place. Some things happen while others, which have happened, are re-told (George tells Slim about Weed; Whit tells the hands about Bill Tenner’s letter; Curley’s wife tells Lennie about her past).

Time and place

Steinbeck controls time and place very skilfully. Though he recalls events from earlier, what he narrates directly takes place over a single weekend. The narrative is framed by the opening and closing chapters, which are set in a beautiful clearing by a stream, close to the ranch. All the other chapters are set on the ranch, inside: in the bunkhouse, in Crooks’s room or in the barn. The text is very short, and yet a great proportion is taken up with dialogue, in the form of direct speech. It is clear from all of this (a series of “scenes”; no single viewpoint, nor access to thought; unity of time and place; past events recalled in conversation; indoor locations, and heavy reliance on dialogue) that the novella has been written with an eye to dramatization. It is not surprising to discover that Steinbeck himself did write a dramatization for the stage, and that this has subsequently been made into (two) very successful feature films.

Viewpoint

The novella is written in the third person, but there is no single viewpoint. We read of scenes in which George or Lennie or both are present, but we may briefly follow other characters (Candy or Crooks, say). We are never told what anyone is thinking, but must work this out from what people say, with one curious exception. In the final chapter, Steinbeck describes the imaginary talking rabbit (as one would expect from Lennie, it does not see anything odd in telling him he is not fit “to lick the boots of no rabbit”!) and the remembered Aunt Clara, who appear to Lennie, their voices supplied by his talking aloud.

Language and symbolism

The language of the narrative is fairly simple; most vocabulary is of an everyday kind, except for names of items of farm equipment to which Steinbeck refers. In the dialogue, Steinbeck uses slang and non-standard terms (“would of”, “brang” and so on) to convey an authentic sense of the speaking voice.

Apart from the symbolism in the title, we should note the symbolic function of the killing of Candy’s old dog. At various points in the novel shooting is mentioned as a way out of trouble (as when George says he would shoot himself if he were related to Lennie). The killing of the dog parallels the shooting of Lennie: both are depicted as merciful, in both cases the shot is in the same place (base of the skull) and Slim approves both killings.

Be sure to check out our of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, GCSE English Literature learning song

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