Prejudice In Of Mice And Men Essay
At the dawn of the miserable 1930s, John Steinbeck crafts his novella Of Mice and Men in the setting of the American West. Steinbeck employs techniques of naturalism and regionalism to characterize his plotline and major ideas. Prime themes of Of Mice and Men include power and powerlessness, social prejudice, and responsibility to others. A first theme Steinbeck conveys is the state of having power versus the state of powerlessness. This idea is primarily introduced in a flashback to George and Lennie’s escape from Weed. After Lennie innocently touches a girl’s dress and cannot physically loosen his grip due to his mental condition, the two are driven out of the town by men against whom they have no chance of fighting. Because of general misunderstanding
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Though the US had already granted women the basic right of suffrage by the 1930s, women are nonetheless represented in the novella as mere specimens at which to look; they still fall short of the social level held by men. Curley’s wife personifies the victim of this disparity: she is the cook, the cleaner, and, to some of the men’s pleasure, someone who “[doesn’t hide much.]” They hold a mostly disapproving attitude toward her, assuming that when she spontaneously drops in and “[throws her hips forward,”] she is only seeking attention. To reword, Curley’s wife and women at large are belittled. Another social issue is race. Crooks epitomizes the marginalization of the American black, which echoed for decades after the 19th-century civil rights movement into the 20th century. His dwelling is avoided, his company is ignored, and he becomes the scapegoat of every accusation on the ranch. He is referred to, impudently, as “nigger.” He is portrayed multiple times rubbing cream on his back, and it is left up to the audience to deduce what kind of abuse causes him to have to do this. The injustices against Crooks do not end. The theme of social prejudices against women and blacks are maximally developed through the characters of Curley’s wife and
Though the US had already granted women the basic right of suffrage by the 1930s, women are nonetheless represented in the novella as mere specimens at which to look; they still fall short of the social level held by men. Curley’s wife personifies the victim of this disparity: she is the cook, the cleaner, and, to some of the men’s pleasure, someone who “[doesn’t hide much.]” They hold a mostly disapproving attitude toward her, assuming that when she spontaneously drops in and “[throws her hips forward,”] she is only seeking attention. To reword, Curley’s wife and women at large are belittled. Another social issue is race. Crooks epitomizes the marginalization of the American black, which echoed for decades after the 19th-century civil rights movement into the 20th century. His dwelling is avoided, his company is ignored, and he becomes the scapegoat of every accusation on the ranch. He is referred to, impudently, as “nigger.” He is portrayed multiple times rubbing cream on his back, and it is left up to the audience to deduce what kind of abuse causes him to have to do this. The injustices against Crooks do not end. The theme of social prejudices against women and blacks are maximally developed through the characters of Curley’s wife and