could anyone help me ?
i was wondering what the significance of the mice are in the novel.
They must play more of a role than a dead mouse in lennies pocket.
cheers !
The significance of the mice is also in the title of the novel 'Of Mice and Men'. The title is taken from a poem by Robert Burns, a Scottish poet. The original poem was called 'To a Mouse'. The lines which apply to the novel are the following -
The best laid schemes o' mice and men
Gang aft agley
These lines illustrate the novel in that however the men plan to lead fulfilling, profitable lives, their circumstances prevent them doing so. The significance is that plans made by any living thing, from mouse to man 'Gang aft agley' - which means 'often go wrong'.
For George and Lennie, their planning of their futures with the social, economic and emotional challenges they face is as futile as Lennie trying to keep a mouse as a pet: both are doomed to destruction.
