Of Mice and Men/Symbols

In the Of Mice and Men book there were a lot of symbols that represented many different things to some of the characters in the book. Symbols are described as objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. In the book there were many symbols that were not hard to find if you read the book. There were three symbols that stuck out to me. The three symbols are George and Lennie's farm, Lennie's puppy, and Candy's dog.


The first symbol was George and Lennie's farm that they had dreamed about through the entire book. The farm is the first symbol in the book that George and Lenny both dream of together. The farm that George and constantly describes to Lenny, which is "those few acres of land on which they will grow their own food and tend their own livestock, and George promises Lenny that he will be able to tend the rabbits which really makes him happy. The men dream of this farm because it somehow gives them hope one day they will be free and they will have there own one day. The farms represents a paradise for men who want to be masters of their own lives, the farm represents the possibility of freedom, self-reliance, and protection from the cruelties of the world.

The second symbol is Lenny's puppy. Lennie's puppy somehow represents new dreams, a new beginning, and even a new start for him and George. Lenny accidentally kills the puppy in the book as he has killed many mice in the past. After killing this puppy it seem as if all his dreams and his new start and beginning has just died as well.

The final symbol is Candy's dog.Candy's dog represents the fate awaiting anyone who has outlived his or her purpose. Candy is an old handyman, aging and left with only one hand which is is a result of an accident that he had recently in life, Candy is the only man on the ranch that worries that the boss will soon declare him useless and demand that he leave the ranch. Of course, life on the ranch especially Candy's dog, once an impressive sheep herder but now toothless, foul-smelling, and brittle with age supports Candy's fears. Past accomplishments and current emotional ties matter little, as Carson makes clear when he insists that Candy let him put the dog out of its misery. In such a world, Candy's dog serves as a harsh reminder of the fate that awaits anyone who outlives his usefulness. This dog represents death, and old dreams, I think that they should just leave him and let him go even though he will be missed a lot.


These are the three symbols that stuck out the most to me in this Of Mice and Men book. These symbols represents many different things and I am sure there are many more that I didn't talk about.