Amitej Babra

Mrs. Regnier

Honors English 9

16 September 2019

Naturalism Essay

1. Humans as animal-like; instinctive.

2. Death as natural, survival of the fittest.

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a work of naturalistic art because humans

are consistently portrayed as animal-like or instinctive, and death is viewed as

something natural. Ideas such as survival of the fittest are highlighted often throughout

the entirety of the novel.

Throughout the novel, survival of the fittest is shown, because many people are

fighting to survive. Especially Lennie, who died towards the end. Lennie couldn’t

survive, as he wasn’t smart enough and couldn’t use his mind towards surviving, unlike

George. For example, the text says, “‘George.’ ‘Yeah?’ ‘I done another bad thing.’ ‘It

don’t make no difference,’ George said” (103). This part emphasizes the idea of survival

of the fittest, since despite all the mistakes Lennie made, George was finally compelled

to kill him, because of the idea of survival of the fittest, and there was no other option. At

one point or another, George wouldn’t be able to protect Lennies anymore, and would

have to worry about himself. Also, the novel shows an example of naturalistic work,

which is that it is focused on the lives of the lower class, who were fighting for survival.

George and Lennie are trying to survive in the story, and are part of the lower class.
Some ideas like this go hand in hand with the ideas of naturalism. It brings back the

example that there should be “no imperfect creatures in a perfect world.” In the process

of them trying to survive, they show how George and Lennie have a final goal they’re

trying to accomplish. Instead of barely surviving like everyone else, they have a better

goal: to get their dream farm. This shows the survival of the fittest, because they plan to

actually survive and have an undisturbed, peaceful life.

The Novel Of Mice and Men also is more negative, and death is portrayed as

natural. For example, Lennie, has killed mice, the puppy, and Curley's wife. All these

deaths seemed unimportant, and not a big deal, showing the idea that death is

portrayed as natural. Even when he killed Curley’s wife, it was “natural,” but actually it

should have been a bigger deal. The text says, “Then Lennie grew angry. ‘Now don’t,’

he said. ‘I don’t want to yell’ (91). Lennie gets mad, and accidentally killed Curley’s wife,

which is almost “natural.” This shows how death is natural, and Lennie is showing

survival of the fittest in his own way.

The naturalism throughout Of Mice and Men also shines through Lennie’s

character. He’s constantly described as if he were an animal. This is especially

apparent when the text states, “Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless

of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders... His arms did not swing at

his sides, but hung loosely” (2). Here, as John Steinbeck paints a picture in the minds of

readers as to what Lennie should look like, it’s not difficult to picture him as some sort of

animal, such as an old wolf or something of the sort. Lennie is even directly compared

to a bear when, in this description, Steinbeck states, “and he walked heavily, dragging

his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws”. Just a short bit later, in the text, as
Steinbeck is still describing the two men, he writes, “His huge companion dropped his

blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank

with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse” (4). After George tells him to slow

down, Lennie, “continued to snort in the pool”. This is an example of how Lennie is often

compared to different sorts of animals, especially in his initial description. Finally, there

are constant little bits and pieces throughout Of Mice and Men that hint at him being an

animalistic creature, sometimes due to his size or other physical features, such as how

his hands are often described as “paws” (28). This all helps to drive in the point that

Lennie is animal-like.

In the end, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is clearly a naturalistic piece of

writing because of consistent factors of works of naturalism, such as humans being

portrayed as animal-like or instinctive, or death being viewed as natural, and even

survival of the fittest, that are apparent throughout the novel.

Amitej Babra

Mrs. Regnier

English Honors 9
 16 September 2019

Naturalism Essay

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a work of naturalistic art because humans

are consistently portrayed as animal-like or instinctive, and death is viewed as

something natural. Ideas such as survival of the fittest are highlighted often throughout

the entirety of the novel.

Throughout the novel, survival of the fittest is shown, because many people are

fighting to survive. Especially Lennie, who died towards the end. Lennie couldn’t

survive, as he wasn’t smart enough and couldn’t use his mind towards surviving, unlike

George. For example, the text says, “‘George.’ ‘Yeah?’ ‘I done another bad thing.’ ‘It

don’t make no difference,’ George said” (103). This part emphasizes the idea of survival

of the fittest, since despite all the mistakes Lennie made, George was finally compelled

to kill him, because of the idea of survival of the fittest, and there was no other option. At

one point or another, George wouldn’t be able to protect Lennies anymore, and would

have to worry about himself. Also, the novel shows an example of naturalistic work,

which is that it is focused on the lives of the lower class, who were fighting for survival.

George and Lennie are trying to survive in the story, and are part of the lower class.

Some ideas like this go hand in hand with the ideas of naturalism. It brings back the

example that there should be “no imperfect creatures in a perfect world.” In the process

of them trying to survive, they show how George and Lennie have a final goal they’re

trying to accomplish. Instead of barely surviving like everyone else, they have a better
goal: to get their dream farm. This shows the survival of the fittest, because they plan to

actually survive and have an undisturbed, peaceful life.

The Novel Of Mice and Men also is more negative, and death is portrayed as

natural. For example Lennie, has killed mice, the puppy, and Curley's wife. All these

deaths seemed unimportant, and not a big deal, showing the idea that death is

portrayed as natural. Even when he killed Curley’s wife, it was “natural,” but actually it

should have been a bigger deal. The text says, “Then Lennie grew angry. ‘Now don’t,’

he said. ‘I don’t want to yell’ (91). Lennie gets mad, and accidentally killed Curley’s wife,

which is almost “natural.” This shows how death is natural, and Lennie is showing

survival of the fittest in his own way.

The naturalism throughout Of Mice and Men also shines through Lennie’s

character. He’s constantly described as if he were an animal. This is especially

apparent when the text states, “Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless

of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders... His arms did not swing at

his sides, but hung loosely” (2). Here, as John Steinbeck paints a picture in the minds of

readers as to what Lennie should look like, it’s not difficult to picture him as some sort of

animal, such as an old wolf or something of the sort. Lennie is even directly compared

to a bear when, in this description, Steinbeck states, “and he walked heavily, dragging

his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws”. Just a short bit later, in the text, as

Steinbeck is still describing the two men, he writes, “His huge companion dropped his

blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank

with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse” (4). After George tells him to slow
down, Lennie, “continued to snort in the pool”. This is an example of how Lennie is often

compared to different sorts of animals, especially in his initial description. Finally, there

are constant little bits and pieces throughout Of Mice and Men that hint at him being an

animalistic creature, sometimes due to his size or other physical features, such as how

his hands are often described as “paws” (28). This all helps to drive in the point that

Lennie is animal-like.

In the end, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is clearly a naturalistic piece of

writing because of consistent factors of works of naturalism, such as humans being

portrayed as animal-like or instinctive, or death being viewed as natural, and even

survival of the fittest, that are apparent throughout the novel.