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Of mice and men characterization
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John Steinbeck, in his novel Of mice and men, represents many characters as disenfranchised due to their gender, race or social class. (Definition of Disenfranchisement ) The characters of the book are presented in a sort of social hierarchy, with those that are wealthy and own property being at the top of the hierarchy with the lower social classes engaging in a power struggle to reach the top. The workers, women and coloured people all of whom are unable to own such things are subjected to being lesser than those wealthy people and in the case of women are even seen as material possessions to the wealthy men. This portrayal of society as one where the wealthy are prioritised over those who don’t have wealth is studied in the literary theory
why Lennie and George Travel together and is not very understanding. Although you never find
The American dream is the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Even though the dream does not discriminate, people during the 1930s did. During this time period multiple groups of individuals were excluded from this iconic dream. In John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men he exposes the ageism, sexism, racism, and ableism in the 1930s. Steinbeck’s use of allusion, metaphor, symbolism, and juxtaposition create archetypes of the most commonly discriminated against people during the 1930s.
didn't allow him to hang out in the bunkhouse with them. At one point in the
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses stereotypes and discrimination to convey a message of how the characters feel. A lot of the stereotypes and clichés are just common beliefs of the times, but a few are situational. To quote a quite distinguished reader, "Characters are ‘trapped’- either by what others think of them, or by their situation." A lot of the character’s feelings about themselves and what others think of them will lead to loneliness.
Several characters in the novel Of Mice and Men are presented with additional obstacles throughout the book. Whether because of color, sex, or disabilities, John Steinbeck purposefully did this to illustrate oppression. Of Mice and Men explores the
One of the factors that create an imbalance of power within a society is a person's socioeconomic status. Often people with low socioeconomic status are undervalued in society. This imbalance can cause issues with the feelings of security and confidence. Also opportunities and choices can be limited for some people, but expanded to others. People often identify with roles of different socioeconomic status groups, based on their own socioeconomic status, and this can limit creativity and the potential of groups or individuals. If the world believes that people can go from “rags to riches” in America, then there should be an opportunity for all socioeconomic groups.
When you’re in a position of high authority, it comes with a great sum of power. Having a great deal of control can corrupt and can lead to the abuse of it. Abuse of power is using their power for their own benefit even if it may harm others. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the effects of the abuse shown by Curley and Curley’s wife to the other characters will ultimately lead to a tragic end.
The book, Of Mice and Men is not just about the death of Lennie, as one might think, it’s also about power. Throughout the book, one can observe each character’s attempts to gain influence over the ranch crew, or at least to be accepted into a society. However, only one man can be on top, and that man became Slim, the ageless jerkline skinner. Unlike Curley, he lead with an understanding mind instead of abusing the power gained by achieving the American Dream.
and has no family and the only old man on the ranch. We are told him
There’s a trope of women being labeled as property, careless, and destructive as it has been shown and written in many texts of literature- The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men are two culprits of this trope. Women are the downfall of the American Dream in Of Mice and Men as well as The Great Gatsby according to the Marxist Theory, for there is a commodification of women, such as Daisy and Curley’s wife, which add to the failure of the American Dream as both women are seen as property of another, which makes men have a desire to compete after as these women as they give status and value to the men. The women all have inspired and caused the death of the following men: Gatsby, Wilson, and George, and had also killed the American Dream the men
Of Mice and Men, by Steinbeck, shows many different views on society. This book has a lot different messages you can take and apply to real life. All the people in the story can relate to someone today and also to some stuff that still happens all around the world. When reading this book you can really start to understand and connect with the characters and identify their weaknesses and their strengths. Some things you really start to notice is how powerful some people are and how they use that power in everyday living. Many characters had power, because of that it helped some get by, helped some take advantage and boss people around, but power also hurt them.
Conflict, by definition, is a back and forth struggle between two opposing forces. In the literary work, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, it is clear, the protagonist, George Milton, undergoes many conflicts that lead to the novel’s overall purpose. Steinbeck weaves together George’s conflicts with others, himself, and with society to illustrate what the true meaning of friendship is.
Written in 1937, Of Mice and Men, by John Adolf Steinbeck Jr., American author and Pulitzer Prize winner, follows the lives of downtrodden farmhands, George and Lennie. As with many of Steinbeck's books, the themes in Of Mice and Men include his favored themes of class warfare and oppression of the working class. Steinbeck also focuses his literature on the power of friendship and the corrupt nature of mankind. In 1993, Professor Thomas Scarseth wrote a critical analysis of the novella analyzing many aspects of Steinbeck’s work including the presentation, themes, and writing style. In his essay, Scarseth explains the key themes of the Novella. He noted that the corrupted nature of man, the injustice of life, and the power of friendship were three important themes of the book. Much of Scarseth’s analysis contained numerous thoughtful insights. Were his insights and opinions valid, or were his, and Steinbeck’s, perspectives on these issues flawed?
My Graphic is meant to show the dreams turned into darkness. I chose the themes loneliness and dreams because I think that is what represents the end of the story the dreams turned into darkness. This graphic shows George shooting Lennie in the head, with Curley’s wife with the dead dog beside her in the upper left. I chose to have the dark line in the middle to represent the darkness that is eating away at “the boy’s” dreams, and the lost dream of Curley’s wife going to Hollywood to be an actress. The quotes that I use are from just before Curley’s wife dies when she talks about her possible “career” in acting. Another quote that I use is when George shoots Lennie in the back of the head, while “The shot rolled up and down
The theme of power in prevalent in John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice And Men’ and is presented and developed in many different ways. Power is first established in the title, which introduces the recurring wrath of fate implying that men, like beast, are helplessly fated to live a disempowered and isolated life. Some however seek comfort in their powerful dreams, and companionship in their romanticised fraternal bonds, most notably that of Lennie and George, whose unconditional love for another leaves the reader with questions regarding their own morality. Steinbeck’s powerful prose, a strong single plot line over a short time span drives the tragic events forward, and his depiction of the foreshadowing natural world gives the novella a certain aspect of duality.