1st+American+art+of+the+1930’s

This Picture Shows the Civilized not taking Crap from the wild side. The Hogs which the depict the civilized side and the snake represents the side of wild. In the book we are constantly rmeinded of the two side and must always be aware of what they are. Lenny was obviously part of the wild side for he was an animal trying to live in society. He did not know how and was constatnly being ridiculed by George nad the other ranch hands. When he beaks Curly's hand we are shown the power of the wild side and what it can do. The civilized side is the domain of order and Goerge is in that category. We are shown constatnly that the so called "dream" was more for Lenny and just a story being told to keep Lenny at bay. George was constantly being asked why he was with Lenny due to Lennys nature, and the answer was always the same. There are clearly common differences between the wild and civilized side, but it think that none of the two can properly exist without one another. If Lenny wasn't the way he was, I think that George's character wouldn't hve been as impactful, and the same thing with Lenny, without George, Lenny's character I feel would have suffered aswell. When civilization and the wild side ultimately square off when Lenny kills Curly's wife everyone at the ranch goes after him ang George must make a decision. He decides to kill Lenny and send him to the dream they had talked about. Everyone knew he had to do it because much worse would have happened to him if he didnt. This picture by John Steuart Curry is a perfect example of when to sides meet one must ultimately beat the other, but they cannot coincide with each other without each other. -Eric Sowers



The following pictures by John Steuart Curry are examples of Regionalism. Regionalism, the American Scene Painters, was made up of two groups known as the Social Realists and the Regionalists. Regionalists focused on painting more positive subjects to provide hope of a better future for the nation. Most of the paintings depicted midwestern rural scenes that expressed themes of hard work and self-preservation. The themes of Regionalism (hope, hard work, and self-preservation) are demonstrated in //Of Mice and Men// by the characteristics of Lenny and George, as well as others who are mentioned in the book. The scenes painted above express the setting that Steinbeck paints in the chapters of the story. The first painting depicts the wild side and the animal-like nature of Lenny and other characters such as Curly, as well as George at the end after he kills Lenny. The second painting is a representation of civilization and how George must be like a father and care for his child, Lenny. These Regionalist paintings and their themes also express the hope of Lenny and George's dream of having a place of their own, the hard work that they continue to face in order to achieve thier dream, and the idea of self-preservation and the struggle of fighting for what they believe in. - Coulson Hoover