Good Literature

          In John Steinbecks Nobel Prize Acceptence speech, he explains to us what exactly Good Literature is. Of Mice and Men is a book full of good literature, with all of the adventures George and Lennie go through, the tasks they have to deal with and much more.
          So what exactly is good literature? In the speech John Steinbeck states "Mans proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit-for gallantly in deafeat, for courage, and love." That sentence to me is what stuck out the most, and sounded like it explained to us what we want to know, back to my question; What is Good Literature?
          In John Steinbecks speech he also states, "human conflict with itself seemed worth writing about. Most men were aware of human strength as well as human weaknesses. The understanding and the resolution of fear are a large part of the writers reason for being." Pretty much what he is saying is that Good Literature is showing faults, greatness, helps us overcome our fears, and shows inner struggle which all examples we came up as a class shows up in the book; Of Mice and Men.
          In the ending of the book Lennie ends up killing Curlys wife because she wouldn't quit yelling at him. Lennie having mental retardation it didn't connect with him that he was hurting her, he didn't understand how strong he was and that she just wanted him to let go of her hair, but in his head he got scared and just griped tighter because that is all that he could think to do. I think that part in the book shows what John Steinbeck was getting at what good literature was. Like, for example it shows how Lennie is having inner struggle with his self. He has trouble seeing what he is really doing, to him he wasn't hurting the girl. But if it was anyone else like George he would of known when to stop. After George found Lennie at the creek, Lennie kept repeating "I didn't mean no harm George, I didn't mean no harm." He didn't realize what happened until after it was done.
          Another example from the book was when George had to shoot Lennie. He was telling Lennie about the little farm they were going to have someday together. Lennie loved hearing that story, he had a smile on his face when he died. To me I think that shows greatness in George by doing that, some people might take it the totally oposite way but to me I take it as him not wanting Lennie to suffer anymore, to be kept in prison or jail being tortured, or letting just a stranger killing him. But letting him die happy.
          Of Mice and Men shows many different examples of good literature. But what I think John Steinbeck was trying to point towards us that good literature isn't just how they talk, or what kind of book it is but how they make the story out to be.