Yedman 1

Bella Yedman

Mrs. Dill

American Literature

13 April 2018

The Choice Is Yours, Or Is It?

In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck employs symbolism and characterization to convey

the principles of Naturalism and Existentialism. According to the literary handout, Naturalism is

a literary movement that uses “realism to suggest the social conditions, heredity, and

environment have inescapable force in shaping human character”; Existentialism is a

philosophical movement that “centers on the analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable

universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for his acts of

free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad.” To establish

the ideals of Naturalism and Existentialism, Steinbeck first presents the image of a card game. In

the novel, George is often depicted shuffling cards, stacking cards, and cutting the deck. Many

times when George is playing with the cards, he is playing solitaire. For example, “George stared

at his solitaire lay” before he talks to Lennie (Steinbeck 29). Solitaire is a game for one person,

highlighting the individual similar to Existentialism. The solitaire cards are used to emphasize

the randomness and unpredictability of events that are characteristic of reality, and the lack of

knowing which choice is correct in the moment. Steinbeck also utilizes the playing cards to

indicate that events stem from deliberate actions. For instance, Lennie remarks to George that

“both ends the same” when he notices that a playing card is identical on both ends (55). The

word “end” indicates death or demise, which in this case would be the end of Lennie’s life,

specifically determined by George. With the word “both,” Steinbeck is foreshadowing how
 Yedman 2

Lennie and Candy’s dog will both die the same way: precisely, with a bullet in the back of the

neck. The ends of cards can also go as far as acknowledging that all living things must die, an

idea that further isolates human existence. In addition, Steinbeck often describes George’s card-

playing style as having a “deliberate, thoughtful, slowness” (55). Steinbeck’s diction frames

George as the controller of the situation. Because freedom of choice is an element of

Existentialism, Steinbeck has created a symbol in the form of playing cards.

Similar to solitaire, a horseshoe game is a game of chance: the horseshoe may land on the

peg, or it may not. By aiming and throwing the horseshoe, the men affect the horseshoe’s final

destination. Their freedom of choice is an element of Existentialism, and the men must take

responsibility for the tosses they make. However, Curley’s wife says that “they got four dollars

bet in that tenement” (Steinbeck 87). Steinbeck emphasizes how the men are placing bets on the

game to show that though the men control the course of the individual horseshoe, they do not

know what the outcome of the entire game will be. The horseshoe game occurs simultaneously to

Curley’s wife’s death, a stark contrast to the carefree events outdoors. Steinbeck juxtaposes these

two events to show that as the men’s actions outside lead to a winner in a game of horseshoes,

Lennie and Curley’s wife’s actions inside the barn lead to a death. Steinbeck alludes to poor

actions when Lennie leaves the barn after the incident: “he crept to the barn wall and peered out

between the cracks, toward the horseshoe game” (92). Lennie’s quiet observation suggests that

he is reflecting upon the choices he has made, but that he must take responsibility for what he

has done. In essence, Lennie’s situation developed from the existentialist principle of choices

and taking the blame.

In the background of many scenes, Steinbeck acknowledges the horses’ presence by

using their sounds and actions. Typically, “the halter chains rattled, and some horses snorted and
 Yedman 3

some stamped their feet” (Steinbeck 82). The rattle of the halter chains symbolizes the sense of

imprisonment that comes from the hostile environment of Existentialism and the inescapable

character-shaping forces of Naturalism. The existential character feels alone and unguided,

trapped in the decisions that they make. Steinbeck mainly points out the horses when Curley’s

wife is around, indicating that the trapped life she leads follows her around: she can always feel

the chains. The horses are also a symbol for Naturalism in the sense that they are part of the

environment. After Lennie kills Curley’s wife, the “horses stamped and snorted...and they

clashed the chains of their halters” (93). In other words, the horses will continue their existence

despite the tragedies of humans. The events of mankind can interfere with the lives of the horses,

but it is ultimately the horses that will affect the lives of the men. By being exposed to horses and

the environment of the Salinas Valley, the men’s characters have grown and evolved. The horses

are a part of the environment that shapes human character, making them a symbol of Naturalism.

Crooks can be viewed as an existentialist character because of his isolation and unique

condition of living among the men on the ranch. As Crooks explains to Lennie, “there ain’t a

colored man on this ranch” (Steinbeck 70). Crooks exists in a racist environment where he is

alone and not cared for. Crooks' existence can be deemed as unexplainable because the real

reason that he suffers in life lies in his race. He had no choice in his skin color, just as no other

human being could. Steinbeck further implies the existentialist morality of Crooks in the

description of his room: “scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions; for,

being alone, Crooks could leave his things about” (68). His small room in the barn is the only

place where he is free to be himself and own possessions, which showcases his freedom of

choice in a world of those who wish to take it away. In addition to portraying Crooks as an

existentialist, Steinbeck also characterizes him with principles of Naturalism. Crooks' major
 Yedman 4

complaint during his conversation with Lennie is that he is lonely, an issue that arises because of

Crooks' childhood. He explains that his two brothers were “always near me, always there” (73).

Since Crooks was raised with family always around him, he has grown to expect that he will

always have friends around him. Crooks' character evolved from that of his father; Crooks

inherited both his father’s skin color and his father’s views on white men. Crooks' upbringing

has clearly shaped his character; because of this, he is a naturalist character.

Another character that demonstrates the principles of Naturalism and Existentialism is

Curley’s wife. Similar to Crooks, Curley’s wife is isolated from the men on the ranch; she is

forced to “stay in that two-by-four house” because she is a woman (Steinbeck 78). Curley’s wife

is placed in a misogynistic environment in which men believe she should be a good wife and

keep quiet. Her existence is unexplainable because she could not have chosen to be born as a

female. Despite her strict lifestyle, Steinbeck emphasizes her freedom of choice by directing her

to break the rules: while talking to Lennie she exclaims, “I don’t know why I can’t talk to you”

(88). Curley’s wife is warned not to leave her house, yet she chooses to search for a friend on the

ranch, making her an existentialist character. According to Naturalism, Curley’s wife’s character

has evolved from her heredity and the environment that she lives in. Curley’s wife blames her

loss of an acting career on her mother, lamenting that “my ol’ lady wouldn’t let me” (88). Her

resentment towards her own mother causes Curley’s wife to act on impulse and to rebel against

authority. The refusal of her wishes also causes Curley’s wife to act sneaky in order to get what

she wants, a quality that she carries until her death. Steinbeck creates the upbringing of Curley’s

wife to develop and explain her character with Naturalism. Utilizing both characterization and

symbolism, John Steinbeck successfully demonstrates the principles of Existentialism and

Naturalism.