Sunday, August 31, 2014

What are some foreshadowing quotes in Of Mice and Men?

In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
that the one woman in the narrative is going to be trouble is clearly suggested in
Chapter 2.  Here are some examples of foreshadowing:


1. One
day as the men glance up, they see a girl standing in the doorway.  Her posture
indicates that she is flirtatious, and her manner suggests that she is looking for more
than Curley when she repeatedly comes around.


readability="10">

She put her hands behind her back and leaned
against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward.  "You're the new fellas that
just come, ain't ya?"...


She smiled archly and twitched her
body.  "Nobody can't blame a person for lookin'," she
said.



2.  In Chapter 2 after
Candy has told George and Lennie about the pugnacious Curley, George "pretended a lack
of interest.  'Looks like we was gonna have fun.'  Then Lennie mournfully says, "I don't
want no trouble...I never done nothing to him."


Of course,
the reader senses that there will be a confrontation between Curley and probably
Lennie.


3. When Curley's wife comes around the bunkhouse in
Chapter 4,


readability="6">

Lennie watcher her, fascinated; but Candy and
Crooks were scowling down away from her
eyes.



Then, when Candy tries
to discourage her from staying around, she "flared
up."



"Sure I
gotta husban'. You all seen him.  Swell guy, ain't he?  Spends all his time sayin' what
he's gonna do to guys he don't like and he don't like nobody.  Think I'm gonna stay in
that two-by-four house and listen how Curley's gonna lead with his left twict, and then
bring in the ol' right
cross?"



After George's having
related to Slim how Lennie got into trouble in Weed, the suggestion of more trouble is
evident.


4. A more subtle foreshadowing than the previous
three is the shooting of Candy's old dog by Carlson.  This act  also suggests that Candy
may be put out, too, as he has outlived his usefulness.  In addition, this act becomes
meaningful as a suggestion of the anthropomorphic Lennie's being shot in the same manner
at the end of the novella:


readability="7">

"The way I'd shoot him, he wouldn't feel
nothing.  I'd put the gun right there."  He pointed with his toe.  "Right back of the
head.  He wouldn't even quiver."


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