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English GCSE Question Help on Of Mice and Men

Why does Steinbeck choose Carlson's voice to finish the novella?

Maybe because he is heartless so it shows that people dying is a normal and shouldn't be felt upset towards it. This highlights back to the 1930s where disabled people (e.g. Lennie) are not able to survive, so they are better off dead.

Hopefully this help!😊

Reply 2

fatiana

imaging if that actually came up
holy shiz 0_0

Reply 3

CaptErin

Original post by EmmanuellaUwaifo

Why does Steinbeck choose Carlson's voice to finish the novella?

Carlson is used to represent some of the harshest themes in the novella; he's bitter and nasty and has very little respect for emotional sentiment. As a result, Carlson represents the classic, stereotypical ranch worker and the harsh realities of migrant life. Using his voice to end the novella is significant because it epitomises all of the absurdities of the ranch way of life; at the end of the novel, George is left to face all of the same horrible realities as the rest of the workers, he has no companion and his dream is now out of reach. Having a character who represents all of those negative qualities of ranch life end the novel highlights the idea that George was always doomed to face those negativities. The rhetorical question is also significant because it's ironic and encourages the reader to continue questioning the book even after its end.

Reply 4

EmmanuellaUwaifo

Thank you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The help was well appreciated, I was sorta freaking out.
Thank you again !!!!!!!!!!!xxxxxxxxxxx

Reply 5

OkieGee

Well Carlson is a man with no friends, no hope or dreams and he is still clueless about companionship which tells the reader that Steinbeck wanted to end it as way of saying that the American dream was hopeless and unrealistic due to the idea that it was impossible to achieve even if you were of higher status or had more of an advantage to other workers (Slim etc...). You can link it to the theme of fate and loneliness and that the workers were never meant to find companionship as they all become lonely in the end (e.g candy's dog and the death of Lennie).
Another good interpretation could be that Carlson represents what George may turn out like without Lennie and that he may be fated to become like Carlson.