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Of mice and men - language tecniques

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Reply 1
dumbgeek
can someone help me with the language technqiues from of mice and men

e.g. "drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse"

here the language techinue used is a simile

do you get the idea

any help will be appreciated
Thanks.x


I'm assuming these are the gestures that describe lennie.
ok..language techniques hm.

steinbeck uses a lot of emotive language to describe lennie.
at one point I can recall, Slim says: "just like a kid"
that was when lennie was playing with the pups in barn..
it reflects lennie's mannerisms to his surroundings and his state of mind.
he just likes to touch soft things.. which makes the reader sympathise.
Reply 2
What sort of level?
Is this GCSE analysis, A level or what? :smile:

It's a decent novel that is. I'm yet to read the Grapes of Wrath, though i'm told it's a bit tedious...
Of mice and men is rather a touching novel isn't it? Lots of techniques to write about there mate; just have a good look and they'll be cropping up everywhere, and a little thought and you can explain their effect :smile:
Sometimes a little thought is better than being spoon-fed answers. :biggrin:

Good luck with that,
urh =]
Reply 3
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Reply 4
Errr hallo everyone!? Is English your second languages or something??? Steinbeck is using that language to familarise the reader to the idea that Lennie is, maybe not an animal, but with animal traits and the dangerous spontaneous nature that comes with it.
Also, notice this trend throughout the whole novel, ie in the case of Candy's dog, and the way Lennie went in the same kind of way to it. When Lennie and George are first described, Lennie is likened to a bear if i can remember rightly, draging his feet as well i think...
Reply 5

Haven't read this for years now, but I remember a bit...
*Candy's dog is a metaphor for Candy himself: "old an' a cripple"
*Curley's high heeled boots - he is uncomfortable with his height - napoleon complex "like a lot of little guys, he hates big guys". His glove fulla vasaline is a symbol of oneupmanship he has sex and money, the other ranchers dont. This also shows he sees his wife as his property that he can boast about, not an individual.
*Curley's wife described as a "rat trap".
*Think about dialect too, and where this places people on the social ladder.
*Short sentences eg. "So I married Curley." - disguise - makes it seem simple, even right.
*And of course the simile you've already mentioned. Lennie is repeatedly reffered to as being like an animal. Like a bear to show that he is potentially lethal.

I don't know if any of that makes sense, it's been a while. Good luck anyway.

Oh, and relax Hippy. What the OP is asking for is other techniques used in the novel, rather than to explain the simile posted. It was just an example. But I wont be mean because you didn't understand... maybe English is your second language.
Reply 6
Can someone tell me what techniques are in this quote? "******, I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny":smile:
Reply 7
I need help as well does anyone know any linguistic devices used to describe Lennie apart form him being described as a animal, as it is urgent for my CA??
Original post by student125
Can someone tell me what techniques are in this quote? "******, I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny":smile:

You could talk about how non-standard English is used eg "ain't" and that it reflects Curley's wife's lack of education (and her ignorance/naivety about the world) Also the use of aggressive imagery and threats;she's talking about lynching him and using her social power and higher status in society to intimidate him. Hope that helped?:smile:
Okay so, throughout the novel many characters are compared to animals. This has been done, as animals were very badly mistreated in 1930's America, so making characters very similar to animals, and giving them their features, comparing their behaviours is reflective of the mistreatment of people/animals & also the harsh reality of America in that time period. In chapter 1, Lennie is referred to as a horse, and a bear. Some people view bears as cute and cuddly, like a teddy bear, however they are extremely strong mammals, quite like Lennie. Horses, are often seen as loyal companions which is something Lennie is to George, and this is why many people view their relationship as a pet-owner one. George is described almost as mouse (with his pointed features) & this could link to the Robert Burns poem 'to a mouse'. Crooks' medicines in chapter 4 aren't separate from the horses, which portrays the way he is looked upon in society, as there is no difference between him and an animal. Curley is described as a terrier, and this is due to his aggressive nature in which many small dogs, typically terriers have. Curley is small himself, and when small dogs/even people feel threatened, they retaliate by being aggressive to feel like the bigger person, or the alpha male in this instance. By giving these characters animalistic features, it enables the reader to relate to the text, and its gives the characters a personality. I hope this could be of some help:smile:

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