Preview

You Cannot Judge a Book By its Cover: Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
626 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
You Cannot Judge a Book By its Cover: Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
You Cannot Judge a Book By its Cover

- Lord Chesterfield once said, "You must look into people, as well as at them." If you apply this logic to Curley's wife and Crooks in the book, Of Mice and Men, you will find that they are the same in many ways despite their differences in race and sex. These two unfortunate souls live in a world full of shattered dreams, discrimination, and loneliness.

Langston Hughes once said, "Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." This statement is undoubtedly a summary of the goals in Crooks, and Curley's wife's lives. Crooks had a glimmer of hope when Candy and Lennie told him of their plans of having their own farm. At first, he refused to believe in this because he had seen many men with the same intentions. Soon after, Crooks gets demoralized and realizes that he cannot enter a white world. He finally decides not to join the group.

Curley's wife also had a goal, which was to become a movie star. Before she married Curley, she met an actor who came through her town with a show. He promised her that she was a naturally good actress, and that he would get her into the movie business. He also promised he would write her, but she never received the letter. She thought that her mother destroyed the letter before she could read it. It can be assumed that the actor used his fame and position to have fun with Curley's wife. He promised to get her into movies to make her happy so she would not feel used. The actor probably never wrote her or even remembered her. Curley's wife married Curley because she was pressured by her family to find a husband. Curley had money, which was something that she needed so she chose him for a husband. She then is disappointed with her present life and unhappy with her new husband.

Discrimination is a prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment of a human being based on age, sex, or race. This is one of the main themes of the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Curley’s Wife is portrayed as a “tart” and “tramp” according to the male characters in Of Mice and Men. She frequently flirts with the ranch hands on her father-in-laws’ farm. Even though she’s a trouble maker, Curley’s Wife experiences extreme loneliness and the hurt of her own broken dream. She explains on page 97 that she had a chance at an acting career but instead she was trapped into living an unhappy life with Curley. This proves that Curley’s wife is not a heartless “bitch” but actually a human being that has aspirations and…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In fact the only reason why she married him was to rebel against her mother as she thought that her mother hid the letter that would’ve led her to her dream of being a famous movie star. As well as crooks, Curley’s wife also links her dreams to her loneliness because if she had followed through with her dreams then she never would’ve ended up lonely with no one to talk to as her husband doesn’t. Instead she hangs around the bunkhouse seeking attention or someone to provoke…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Curley’s wife was discriminated from talking to anyone but Curley, because as a women in the 1930’s you wouldn't have the right to do things or talk like the men did. A quote from the book about Curley’s wife, Pg.51. In this quote George is explaining to Lennie that he shouldn’t have anything to do with her, don't look at her, or talk to her, just think about working. This is an example of how Curley’s wife is discriminated, she doesn’t have anybody to talk to and regrets marrying Curley.…

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In current times and in the past people have divided for many different reasons. This prejudice can be the result of many things, some of which include race and gender. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, set on a Californian ranch during the great depression, two individuals are targeted by prejudice. One of them, a worker by the named Crooks, is experiencing discrimination because he is an African American on a ranch filled with whites. The other, Curley’s wife, is disregarded and avoided by ranch hands because they perceive her as jail bait because of her overprotective…

    • 102 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Discrimination means the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.…

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Crooks is separated from the other men because of his color. Back in the 1930’s many African Americans had no rights and were discriminated against because of their color. He understands the men don't like him around and he would rather be isolated instead of ridiculed for something he simply can't change about himself. Because Crooks is so disliked he doesn't often get much company. When Crooks first meets Lennie he doesn't push him away like the other because he also realizes that Lennie doesn't understand much and will just listen to anyone. Crooks explains to Lennie that life is no good without a companion to turn to in times of confusion and need. “‘A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya.” he cried, “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick’”(35) He believes that everybody needs a friend and being lonely is one of the worst feelings in the world. Just like Candy, Crooks also wants to share the farm because he also wants to feel free and wanted. He knows that if he were to leave the ranch and have his own place that he wouldn't be so discriminated against. He would actually be able to live a carefree…

    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Curley's wife is a static character. She never changes throughout the whole novel. She was considered a tart or hussy. She exhibits a strong desire throughout the novel to work or have an occupation. "Think I like to stick in that house alla time?" She uses the habits and skills of an actress as a means of relating to the men on the ranch. She performs in front of the ranchers as an actress would perform for her audience through her actions as well as her appearance.…

    • 432 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The definition of discrimination is the unequal treatment of individuals usually on the basis of gender, religion, age, race, or disability.it is a negative action towards a social group.…

    • 2725 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Of Mice and Men

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages

    ---Curley's Wife ended up being a major character in the plot line. Aside from causing the major conflict, or her death, in the book, she also causes small offenses. In chapter five you can see how Curley's Wife enjoyed preforming immensely in a past life. This could be proven by her desire to join the traveling show at the age of fifteen. Although, this hope was shortly crushed as she was not allowed to join. Later on in her life she was promised by a talent scout to go to Hollywood to become an actress, although the scout never got back to her. In a result of failure after failure, she decided on the most practical movement of action and marry Curley to be well set in The Great Depression. This selfish act of marrying someone she hates caused her misery that ultimately led her to become the flirtatious, scandalous, and lonely women she is depicted as.…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Discrimination is the result of unequal or excluding behaviour. It describes the disadvantage that people experience because of being unfairly treated or being excluded from society. People can be refused access to society, services, employment or education because of…

    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unit 03 Diversity

    • 1941 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Discrimination is the act of recognizing, seeing, and distinguishing differences and choosing to show prejudice and bias. It is the…

    • 1941 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Discrimination: Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. Discrimination covers four areas:…

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Discrimination is the treatment of one group or person in a less or more favourable way than another on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age or other prejudice.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Discrimination is the treatment of individual or a group of people differently based on their religion, race or gender. Discrimination differs from prejudice and stereotyping in many ways, discrimination just don’t have negative attitude that rejects a group of people who they feel are different. Discrimination is denial of equal rights to individuals and group of people as well as denial of opportunities. Stereotyping is unreliable generalization about all members of a particular group without knowing the individual and who they are. Prejudice is a negative attitude base on a person opinion or feelings. Discrimination has many forms besides race; they also have age and sexual orientation.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Discrimination as defined in the Oxford dictionary is “the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age or sex”. This can be explained by, one person or a group of people treating someone less favourably than another due to having a difference. An example would be a group or an individual would choose to show bias and prejudice to an individual who has a different skin colour to them.…

    • 2648 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics