Comparison Between Of Mice and Men and The Help
Being African American in the thirties and sixties was dangerous. Things such as the KKK and the Jim Crow laws that were put into place, made it near impossible for African Americans to go about an everyday life. A close look at the way Crooks from Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, and Minnie Jackson from The Help, written by Kathryn Stockett, confront the discrimination that they face in different time periods demonstrated the struggle of being an African American excluded from society.
To begin with, the two works of literature: Of Mice and Men and The Help, both have many similarities. For example, both of the characters, Crooks and Minnie, are both African American and are struggling to support themselves. Crooks is an African American man who lives on a ranch and works as a
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stable buck. He earns very little wages and is excluded from playing cards with the other men, so he spends his down time reading books,“S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy 'cause you was black. How'd you like that? S'pose you had to sit out here an' read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain't no good” (80) . Minnie Jackson from The Help, works for a rich caucasian family cooking, cleaning, and pleasing the family that she tends to. On top of working long hours during the day, she also is excluded from participating in activities, as well as using a special bathroom in the house of the couple that she works for because of a bill that was proposed to prevent “diseases”. “A disease-preventative bill that requires every white home to have a separate bathroom for the colored help. It's been endorsed by the White Citizen's Council” (8). These two quotes reinforce the similarities between the two because they show how cruel and uneducated others can be about a different culture or race. Another example of a similarities between the two works of literature, is the fact that both Crooks from Of Mice and Men, and Minnie from The Help, were abused and could little to nothing about it.
On Christmas Eve every year, Crooks is cruelly beaten by the other guys on the ranch, more specifically, the Boss and Curley. “They let the nigger come in that night. Little skinner name of Smitty took after the nigger. Done pretty good, too. The guys wouldn't let him use his feet, so the nigger got him” (22). Because he is African American and in living in the midst of the Great Depression, there is not much that he can do. In The Help, Minnie is stuck in an abusive relationship with her husband. “ Minny had that big bruise on her arm cause that's what Leroy do when he come home from work” (8). She also has kids in the house, and it is unimaginable how terrified they must be of their father. Not only is she an African American, but she is also a woman which makes the circumstances for her even worse. “If I didn’t hit you Minny, who knows what you become?” (30). Women in the 1960’s had no say or power in America’s patriarchal
society. Although there are many similarities between Of Mice and Men and The Help, there were also many differences. For example, the time period that the two works of literature took place in were very different. In Of Mice and Men, the 1930’s was plagued by a lack of economic structure and very few people in America had stable jobs with a steady income. As Crooks and Lennie were talking in his bunkhouse, Crooks seems rather pessimistic about Lennie and George’s dreams to own a piece of land one day. “ They come, an' they quit an' go on; an' every damn one of 'em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of 'em ever gets it” (62). Many families struggled to support themselves, let alone, feed their children and provide them with necessary items. Towards the end of the 1930’s, America then became involved in World War II. Even though the discrimination was still present, that was the least of America’s problems. The Help on the other hand, took place in the 1960’s. The economy in America was flourishing and many families had a stable income along with many benefits such as health care and a retirement plan. In the 1960’s the Cold War between Russia and the U.S. had also become a threat. Aside from these contributing factors, prejudice was still present and was nearly at the peak of its existence. Protests began to break out, and police violence became very prominent in the south. Many African Americans worked for wealthy families but were still treated poorly. In The Help, Minnie had just gotten a new job and has to take the bus everday to work. While riding the bus on her way to work, Minnie silently thinks to herself about the jobs that she has had in the past for white families, and what she will continue to do in the future. “ It’s something about that word truth. I’ve been trying to tell white women the truth about working for them since I was fourteen years old…” (169). This quote displays how hard these women and men worked, and just how long that they have been working. Another example of one of the differences between Of Mice and Men and The Help, was the fact that Crooks and Minnie had very different approaches of dealing with the discrimination they faced. Crooks, when confronted by Curley’s Wife, at first tried to defend himself, but was then put in his place and backed down “Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny” (120). On the contrary, Minnie from The Help, stood up for herself, not only when it came to the way the people she worked for treated her, but also when she became the victim of abuse by her husband. Towards the end of the book, there is a remarkable scene when Minnie bakes a pie for her “boss” and is very pleased to watch her reaction after she takes a bite. "I wouldn't go tattling on Minnie either, or you'll be known as the lady who ate two slices of Minny's shit" (91). In conclusion, African Americans in both the 1930’s and 1960’s faced life threatening circumstances while working among a prominent caucasian society. Both of these works of literature have touched the hearts of many readers. Not only did Steinbeck focus in and show his fellow Californians how they acted, but Stockett also became a voice for the African American community when writing this book. With little money and little respect, both Crooks from Of Mice and Men and Minnie from The Help, fought with dignity and pride to help eliminate the prejudice in America.
While the novel Of mice and men and the film What’s eating Gilbert Grape have different plots and settings, the themes of the two stories are very comparable. The stories depict how taking care of people with disabilities is very challenging and the problems they encounter in their day to day activities. Gilbert (What’s eating Gilbert Grape) has the task of taking care of Arnie his brother and George (Of mice and men) takes care of his childhood friend Lennie. Both of this characters Arnie and Lennie have mental disabilities and rely on their caregivers in life. The responsibility of taking care of Arnie and Lennie is frustrating but George and Gilbert still love them. This paper aims to compare and contrast the novel Of Mice
The black women’s interaction with her oppressive environment during Revolutionary period or the antebellum America was the only way of her survival. Playing her role, and being part of her community that is not always pleasant takes a lot of courage, and optimism for better tomorrow. The autonomy of a slave women still existed even if most of her natural rights were taken. As opposed to her counterparts
The book Of Mice and Men and Million Dollar Baby both show that though it is a hard and rough world it still brings the characters to shine. The men are tough, but the girls and even tougher, although the ranch life is not easy curley's wife still manages to talk a few times. Maggie has not given up trying to be trained by Frankie, and she will not stop until he trains her. One of the tough settings is the man's world setting. In the novelette curley's wife fights her urge to talk to other people besides curley and the boss. Which shows that it is a man's world through how the men talk and what they talk about and who they talk to. Although she tries to overcome it she can not, like Maggie in a way is an
African-Americans aged 12 and up are the most victimized group in America. 41.7 over 1,000 of them are victims of violent crimes, compared with whites (36.3 over 1,000). This does not include murder. Back then during the era of the Jim Crow laws, it was even worse. However, during that time period when there were many oppressed blacks, there were many whites who courageously defied against the acts of racism, and proved that the color of your skin should not matter. This essay will compare and contrast two Caucasian characters by the names of Hiram Hillburn (The Mississippi Trial, 1955) and Celia Foote (The Help), who also went against the acts of prejudice.
The movie of Of Mice and Men had many differences while still giving the same message that the book was portrayed to have. One of the major differences was that Candy never came into the room when Lennie and Crooks were talking to each other. This was major because Crooks never found out that the plan was true about the little house. In the book after he heard Candy talk about it he wanted to get in on the deal. Also the movie it never showed Lennie have his illusions of his Aunt Carla and the rabbits when he was waiting by the pond.
The plight of the civil rights movement stands as one of the most influential and crucial elements to African-American history. We can accredit many activist, public speakers, and civil rights groups, to the equality and civil rights that African-American men and women are able to have in this country today. We see repeated evidence of these historical movements describes in fiction, plays, TV, and many other forms of media and literature. An artistic license is provided to many authors developing these concepts amongst their writing. When examining specific characters and literary works you can see an indirect comparison to the personality traits, actions, decisions, and journey to that of real-life historical figures.
The classic novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck was made into a Hollywood Blockbuster in 1992. Directed and acted by Gary Sinise and John Malkovich, Hollywood took a stab at trying to recreate this literary success. The novel, which takes place in the 1930’s, follows the lives of two men, George and Lennie, as they try to attain their dream of owning a farm. George is a smart man who always seems to have things figured out. Lennie is massive, but has the mind of a young child. George looks after him, but it is not easy since Lennie always seems to get himself in some kind of trouble. As they struggle towards their dreams, George and Lennie face obstacles that test their friendship. In the end, with Lennie dead, George finds out that dreams aren’t worth striving for, and eventually, loneliness overcomes everything. The movie, running almost two hours, stays very true to the book, although some things are removed or added. While the movie differs from the book in a few ways, it still gives its audience the same message.
Of Mice And Men is about two migrant ranch workers' quest to actualise. the American Dream whilst trying to avoid tribulation on the ranch. where they are earning their living. However, there are some similar themes in the two novels, for example. the loneliness of the primary characters, and the way society reacts to something that is considered atypical by their standards.
Students today should be informed about the racials tensions and struggles that black people faced in the 1930s. To Kill A Mockingbird explains the difficulties of the racial divides of that time. In the book there were several different racial
The civil rights movement may have technically ended in the nineteen sixties, but America is still feeling the adverse effects of this dark time in history today. African Americans were the group of people most affected by the Civil Rights Act and continue to be today. Great pain and suffering, though, usually amounts to great literature. This period in American history was no exception. Langston Hughes was a prolific writer before, during, and after the Civil Rights Act and produced many classic poems for African American literature. Hughes uses theme, point of view, and historical context in his poems “I, Too” and “Theme for English B” to expand the views on African American culture to his audience members.
The Imitation of Life and The Help are both movies that revolve around black maids helping white families take care of their children and houses. In The Imitation of Life, Bea is a single mother raising her daughter, Jessie, while also trying to find a stable job to support her family. This is when Delilah shows up, with her daughter, Peola, asking for a room to stay in in exchange for a job that involves taking care of Jessie and Peola and keeping the house in order. In The Help, Skeeter, an up and coming journalist during the civil rights movement, heads home to Mississippi after graduating college to find a job writing for the local newspaper. Upon her return she finds that her old maid was unfairly let go and this encourages her to write
When was the last time you felt certain of your impending future? For cancer survivor, Hazel, the answer is never. In The Fault in Our Stars, sixteen year old Hazel lives with cancer and attends a support group where she meets Augustus, another young cancer survivor who changes her outlook on the world forever. He takes Hazel on an adventure of love, friendship, and pain, and together they yearn to have authority over their uncontrollable fates. Isaac, a blind teenager, and Hazel’s mom also play significant roles in her life. Similarly, in Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie strengthen their friendship through love and suffering, and they learn that humans have some control over their end destination. At the ranch they work at, Lennie and George have to choose how they want their lives to turn out, which directly impacts the choices they will make regarding the future. While John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men both establish motifs of friendship, games, and hands, they convey different universal ideas about humanity. In particular, Green suggests that humans cannot always manipulate every situation, while Steinbeck focuses on the ideas that men often have a choice in their destinies.
Of Mice and Men and the Death of a Salesman have different types of dreams which are incorporated in a variety of different ways. In Death of a Salesman, the dreams held by Willy, Happy and Biff have the same traditional American dream where you can become a wealthy, powerful and respected American. Willy is committed to his dream, as Happy Loman states “it’s the only dream you can have” and to be the “number one man”. In contrast, the characters’ dreams in Of Mice and Men, are extremely humble as George and Lennie only desire to have a 2 acre plot of land and a small home and “live off the fatta the land”. Whilst Lennie’s ambition is to have some rabbits and alfalfa,
In the book Of Mice and Men By: John Steinbeck, it gave us a lot of life lesson to learn about and a lot for us to think about. Also in the movie Million Dollar Baby directed by Clint Eastwood have a lot of similarities to Of Mice and Men. Some similarities are that they have some of the same themes like loneliness and poverty and have characters are have the same traits like Lennie and Maggie also, Frankie and George. Maggie in Million Dollar Baby has a large determination for becoming a good fighter.
Discrimination is “the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things.” On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks was ordered to give up her bus seat to a white passenger and refused. This act of opposition defied all normalities for the average black woman. The treatment of a woman who was black compared to the treatment of a white woman in that age was completely discriminatory. Rosa Park’s strength to influence justice against racial segregation has slowly influenced justice against all discrimination. “The Help,” a 2009 novel written by American author, Kathryn Stockett, is a story about African-American maids working for white households in Jackson, Mississippi set in the early 1960’s. “The Help” depicts these women as individuals similar to Rosa Parks, who want to influence change and equality. Through “The Help,” the reader can relate the thoughts and views of the characters to our society today, particularly on the grounds of race, class and gender.