Examples Of Powerlessness In Of Mice And Men

Power is known as the ability to influence the behaviour or actions of others. It can be seen as evil or unjust, however, the exercise of power is accepted by all societies. Power and powerlessness are presented in several ways in Steinbeck’s novel ‘Of Mice and Men’, intellectually, financially and socially.

Intellectual power is evident in the relationship of George and Lennie. Lennie is described as a buff man with physical characteristics similar to a bear. George is directly opposite, described as a small and slender man. Although George is the smaller of the two, he has more power and authority due to Lennie’s mental handicap. Lennie is powerless in society against his urges and the only power he possesses is physical. In the quote,

“Lennie, for God’ sakes don’t drink so much,” it is evident that George has the responsibility of taking care his larger friend, despite him being a full grown man. Lennie has trouble understanding what is considered right or wrong due to his child-like way of perceiving the world and hence, he must rely on George. Knowing that, he is always obeying his orders and waits to be told what to do. An example is when Lennie is getting attacked by Curley and does not know how to react. He looks at George for help in which he says “Get him, Lennie. Don’t let him do it.” This emphasises the power George has as Lennie would not even fight back until he is instructed to. Despite being physically large and having tremendous strength, Lennie is powerless due to his mental disability and is constantly being taken care of by a much smaller man.
Economic power is present throughout the novel as most characters struggle financially. George and Lennie join a ranch in hopes to save enough to buy their own land and fulfil their dream. However, working at the ranch, they realise it is difficult to do so as they are paid so little. It is also seen that everyone at the ranch has a similar dream, as Crooks states, “I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land, but ever’ time a whorehouse or a blackjack game took what it takes.” This suggests that the men are so financially helpless that as long as they continue to spend money on the weekends, they will remain powerless. However, there are a few powerful people living within the ranch. An example is the boss. The boss holds power as he is the hierarchy of the ranch. He controls everything and everyone. He is described wearing ‘high heeled boots’ in which symbolises wealth and status. Along with his son Curley, the two are seen as the powerful ones at the ranch as they both are financially stable. The events that take place at the ranch allow the reader to see how money can play a part in power and control.
Social power is seen through the various social positions each character stands on.

Curley’s wife has a sense of power over the other workers because she is married to Curley. Despite being female, she is able to do as she wishes and fool around, as even her husband cannot control her. She has the power to intimidate and threaten the male workers, as seen in the quote directed at Crooks, “Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” Crooks is the only African-American character in the novel. Despite being a male, he possesses less power than Curley’s wife due to his skin colour. The use of tone in this quote highlights her authority over the dark skinned man as a white female. In the novel, Crooks is made to be isolated by his colour, living alone in a separate room with the horses. His room symbolises a jail cell of the repressed. He is not wanted in the bunk house and cannot socialise or play cards with the other workers. He is always called the ‘nigger’ by the men, which shows how racism is taken for granted. This is an example of how defenceless he is in society. Another example is when Steinbeck describes Crooks room. “Crooks had his apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and for the horses,” suggests that he is treated like an animal. Social power and powerlessness are demonstrated throughout the novel in which shows us how different people are treated in

society.
In conclusion, power and powerlessness are presented in various ways throughout the novel. The power each character possesses allows us to see how people were viewed or treated in the 1930s. Most characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are defenceless in society in some shape or form, whether they are powerless intellectually, economically or socially.