Lefkowitz1

TallulahLefkowitz
OConnor
HonorsEnglish
23February2016
SufferingLeadstoSacrifice
TheGreatDepressionwasasadandtryingtimeforallAmericans.Noonewasexpecting
itsarrival,andnooneknewhownearorfartheendwouldbe.Steinbeckcommunicatesthis
feelingofhopelessnessandunrelentingsacrificethroughhismanyuniquecharactersin
OfMice
andMen
and
TheRedPony
.Aboyandhiscolt,andamanandhisfriend,alonetogether,
fightingthemonsterthatwaseatingtheAmericanpeoplealive.Thesecharactersemotionsand
actionspersonifytheGreatDepression,leadingtoanunderstandingofthetimeasawhole,and
itsoverwhelmingeffectson1930sAmerica.
JodyistheyoungmaleprotagonistinJohnSteinbecks
TheRedPony.
Atthestartofthe
story,heisgiftedabeautifulandstrongcolt,whomhenamesGabilan.Hespendstirelesshours
cleaning,grooming,andtrainingGabilaninpreparationtoberidden.Thefuturelooks
promising,untiltheraincomes.Theponyisaccidentallyleftinthestorm,andbecomesill.At
first,itseemsasifhewillfullyrecover.JodyspendseverypossiblehourwithGabilan,caringfor
andlovinghim:LateintheafternoonJodywenttothehouseandbroughthisbeddingdownand
madeupaplacetosleepinthehay.Hedidntaskpermission.Heknewfromthewayhismother
lookedathimthatshewouldlethimdoalmostanything.Thatnightheleftalanternburningona
wireovertheboxstall.Billyhadtoldhimtorubtheponyslegseverylittlewhile,(Steinbeck
30).Afterfruitlessattemptstosavethepony,hediesbeneathanominouscloudofbuzzards.At

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thestartofthestory,Jodyisgivensomethingsoamazing,almostincomprehensibleforhim,only
tohaveitsnatchedawayinthemosttragicofways.SteinbeckusesJodyssituationtorepresent
abiggerpicture.Thisnovel,likemostofSteinbecksworks,takesplaceduringtheGreat
Depression.ThiswasatimeofgreatsorrowanddisappointmentformanyAmericans.Jody
representsthistime,andthetransitionintoitfromtheroaringtwenties,whichwasatimeof
economicgrowthandflourish.GabilansymbolizedtheAmericaneconomyyoung,healthy,
strong,andreadytobetakenforaride.Almostovernight,everythingchanged.Hewassickand
weak,andeventuallydied,hisdemiseleavingalastingimpactonJody.Hewasleftlostand
griefstricken,asmanyAmericanswereduringthistime.Duringtheremainderofthestory,the
readercanfeeltheweightofGabilansdeathonJodysshoulders.Hetakesupviolenthabits,
killingbirdswithslingshotsandthrowingrocksathisdogs,somethingcompletelyunnaturalto
himthathewasforcedtoresorttoasaformofgrieving.Thesehabitsindirectlytellthereaderof
theeffectsofunemploymentandpovertyoneventhebrightestandmostintelligentpeople.
Astorywithsimilarthemesto
TheRedPony
is
OfMiceandMen.
Thestoryfollowsthe
livesofGeorgeandLennie,strugglinglaborworkersincentralCalifornia.Georgeisasmalland
smartman,andafriendandcaretakertoLennie.Lennieislargeandclumsy,withcognitive
abilitiessimilartothoseofachild.TheirrelationshipisfarfromthatofJodyandGabilan,but
hasmanysimilarliterarysymbols.George,likeJody,seemsunabletofindsolaceinastruggling
economy.Heisthrownfromonebadjobtothenext,thankstoLenniesunfortunateapttocause
havoc.Bytheendofthestory,GeorgeendsuphavingtokillLennieunderseverecircumstances.
Despitehisissues,Lenniehasbeenlikeayoungerbrothertohim.Afteryearsofknowinghow
mucheasierlifewouldbewithoutLennie,heisforcedtoshoothimonhisown,asacraficeso

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great,yetnotcompletelyuncommonduringthistime.GabilancanbecomparedtoLennie,
George,andCandysplanofmovingtoasmallranchhome,andlivingontheirownterms,
withoutabossincontroloftheireveryactions.WhenLenniekillsCurleyswife,itisknownto
bothGeorgeandCandythattheirfarfetcheddreamisfarfromrealistic.Candyisawareofthis
themomentheseesherdeadinthehayonthefloorofthebarn:Icouldofhoedinthegarden
andwasheddishesforthemguys.Hepaused,andthenwentoninasingsong.Andherepeated
theoldwords:Iftheywasacircusorabaseballgamewewouldofwenttoherjussaidta
hellwithwork,anwenttoher.Neverastnobodyssayso.Antheydofbeenapigand
chickensaninthewinterthelittlefatstoveandtheraincomin...anusjussettin
there(Steinbeck96).Thisdream,asintangibleasitmaybe,iswhatkeptthethreemengoing
inthedarkestoftimes.NowthatLennieisdead,takingwithhimthatlasthope,abeaconof
light,thefutureseemsquitebleak.Steinbeckleavesthepossibilitiesopen,nottellingthereader
whathappenstoGeorgeorCandy.Onecaninferthattheyneverendupmakingittotheirhouse.
Candymayendupdyingattheranch,orgettingcannedwhenhebecomestoooldtowork
efficiently.Onecanonlyhopehedoesntkickthebuckethomeless.Georgeprobablyendedup
takinganotherjob,somewherefarawayfromSalinas.WealthhassomuchweightinAmerican
societythatlackofitleadstoalossofdignity,selfworth,andrespectability.
JustasGabilancanbecomparedtofarfetcheddreams,acottageoftheirownwasagoal
alwaysinthebackofGeorgeandLenniesminds.Justwhenthesehopesseemedfeasible,
tangible,theywerewhiskedawaybytheGreatDepression,ablackholeofsadnessand
hopelessness.Steinbeckdoesanincrediblejobofgivingthereaderaglimpseatwhatthestock
marketcrashdidtotheAmericanpeopleinthe1930s,showingonehowitaffectedeverydaylife

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acrosstheboardrichorpoor.Thecharactershecreatedembodythedisappointmentandweight
ofoneofthedarkestperiodsinAmericanhistory.
WorksCited:
Steinbeck,John.
OfMiceandMen
.NewYork:Penguin,1993.Print.
Steinbeck,John.
TheRedPony
.Bantamed.NewYork,NewYork:Viking,1948.Print.