Allegory In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

When you’re first introduced to a character you can depict their role within the story, but sometimes they can portray a much larger meaning. Many characters in numerous stories can be considered allegories due to author trying to show a bigger picture. Such as the story Of Mice and Men. This John Steinbeck novella can be viewed as an allegory due to the characters being able to embody certain groups in society. Three characters that symbolize a particular group are Curley’s wife, George, and Lennie.
Curley’s wife could be considered an outcast in society. Women were not supposed to be adventurous, talkative, and mischievous; she was the opposite of what women were supposed to be in society. Every member on the ranch seen her as trouble and

could lead to nothing but misery and anguish. George even tells Lennie that she is good for nothing and is a bad person. She is always out of the house, looking for Curley, and being flirtatious towards all the men. All of these make her a social outcast based on the way she acted.
Also you could consider George as the normal working man. Even though he takes care of Lennie and helps him throughout the conflicts of the story there is nothing that makes George standout compared to the other characters. All George does is wake up, go to work, come back to the bunk and this repeats throughout the story over and over. He may be a main character, but he has no characteristics that really make him stand out. An example being he just played horseshoes like all the other men while Lennie was having struggles in the barn.
Lennie personifies the handicapped within the realm of society. You could tell from the beginning of the story that Lennie had some issues when he got in trouble in Weed. He shows throughout the story his handicaps’. Including his speech impediment, his underdeveloped mind, and too much strength for his own good. Everything Lennie touched ended very badly. Examples being Curley’s hand, the pup, and Curley’s wife. Lennie doesn’t have a clear grasp of the English language which is obvious throughout the story. Lennie often shows his underdeveloped mind often acting as a child. Including at the beginning of the story where he attempts to hide a mouse from George. George even states that Lennie often thinks like a child and calls him dumb throughout.
In conclusion, many stories can have a larger meaning. Characters can also have a much larger in such stories including Of Mice and Men. These characters represent more than just their literal meaning in the story. In these allegories you can view such characters as groups in society. Including the characters in Of Mice and Men Curley’s wife, George, and Lennie.