... and seacoast of California and Mexico come to life, but also tell intriguing stories of the lives of real people. Steinbeck's characters are not the rich men and women of California's boom days, but are the homeless, the migrant workers, the poor fishermen ... A dream of independence usually remains a dream, and when it becomes a real plan, the plan is defeated. Chapter one, "The Gift," introduces all the main characters: the ranch hand, Billy Buck; the little boy, Jody; Jody's father, Carl Tiflin; and Jody's mother, Mrs. Tiflin. Jody's journey to manhood begins ... scientific principl...

• Word Count: 4593
• Approx Pages: 18
• Grade Level: High School

... and Men". Steinbeck describes brings his readers into the lives of two lonely farm workers and describes the negative, painful and destructive power loneliness can have on people. Three key characters in the novel exhibit true loneliness and each has a different reason for experiencing it: sex, age, and race.  One character in "Of Mice and Men" that represents loneliness is Crooks ... 's Wife and Candy, all for different reasons. In spite of this, Steinbeck knew that discrimination is a poison in the human heart. This is shown by the fact that all three characters insist that their righ...

• Word Count: 3171
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: High School