For centuries, people have been afraid or feared of a person who has more power.While our society is not quite there yet, Mice and Men story allows readers to imagine how fear of someone who has power has been a problem with this society.It shows how a small and smart man called George and his disabled, big and huge friend Lennie and how they feared and suffered a lot with Lennies ́s disability to face other people and find a job to buy their own dream ranch. Steinbeck's message about power is that people react differently in positions of power because in Of Mice and Men readers see characters with little to no power, who responsibly use their power, and those who abuse their power.
One example of power shown in the story is when Carlson
…show more content…
̈ Candy looked a long time at Slim to try to find some reversal. ̈(Steinbeck 48).
Candy tried to look for Slim to help him but he didn't care.Candy lost his hope for having his old dog with him and decided to give up and give it to him.-Candy said: ̈softly and hopelessly,"Awright--take 'im. ̈ At this point Candy lost his power against Carlson since he said take him and didn't try to keep the dog anymore.
This quote, “"What the hell you laughin' at?" Lennie looked blankly at him. "Huh?" Then
Curley's rage exploded. "Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. Lennie looked helplessly at George, and then he got up and tried to retreat. Curley was balanced and poised. He slashed at
Lennie with his left, and then smashed down his nose with a right. ̈. ̈(Steinbeck 64).In this quote, power has been shown by Curley over Lennie. Lennie laughed at Curley like everyone did, but
Curley was trying to show everyone that he is strong and decided to start fighting with Lennie because he has a disability even that Curley knows that Lennie is stronger than him and could beat him.but Lennie didnt want to hurt him or to get in trouble because he knows that curly in
…show more content…
"I didn't wanta hurt him."(Lennie 65).That shows how Lennie couldn't stop Curly from beating him but not because he is weak but because of that Curly has more power than him and he could be in trouble for trying to stop him,
Finally power has been shown as racism on African American in this story, as we saw what happened to Crooks(African American) from Curley's wife, as she used her power to abuse and bother him in his room ̈ You got no rights messing around in here at all. Now you jus' get out, an' get out quick. If you don't, I'm gonna ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more."(Crooks 81).She came to his room and she starts bothering him, He told her she had no right to be in his room,mess around and he will tell the boss about her.She answered ̈You know what I can do to you if you open. your trap?" Crooks stared hopelessly at her, and then he sat down on his bunk and drew into himself. She closed on him. "You know what I could do?
He shows his malevolence through his unnecessary need to provoke a fight with Lennie, even though the big man did not directly attack him in any way, but after first seeing Lennie, Curley is described: “His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and
When Curley became aware of what occurred, he grew so angry and threatened Lennie’s life. “‘I’m gonna shoot the guts outa that big bastard myself, even if I only got one hand. I’m gonna get ‘im.’” (Steinbeck) George knew it had to be him to kill Lennie rather than Curley.
(Steinbeck, 63) A giant of a man with the intellect of a child has a limit to his usefulness. However what he has fades away when he ends up meeting Curley’s Wife. Once she let him stroke her hair, Lennie’s “fingers closed on her hair and hung on.” (Steinbeck, 91) Then with one mighty shake, “she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.”
After Curley finds out about his wife’s death, he realizes that Lennie had done it. Curley says that he will kill Lennie and he most likely would have if George hadn’t done it himself, “‘That big son-of-a-bitch done it. I know he done it. Why-ever'body else was out there playin' horseshoes.’ He worked himself into a fury.
Also, Curley just generally constantly targeted Lennie for absolutely no reason besides his disability. He constantly treated him as less than and unimportant. Racism can sometimes make people lose complete trust in others. One character in the book, Of Mice and Men, Crooks, was treated completely differently because he was black, and therefore, he lost trust in everyone else.
After Lennie killed Curley’s wife he ran away to his hiding spot in the bush because he knew he was in trouble. George had later found him in which he held Carlson’s luger. He was aiming the gun to the back of his head trying to reassure and calm Lennie before killing him in the head and getting caught and be brutally killed by Curley. “George raised the gun and his hand shook, and he dropped his hand to the ground again. “Go on,” said Lennie.
Lennie would never try to hurt anyone but when George tells Lennie to fight Curley he does it. “George yelled again, ‘I said get him’. Curley’s fist was swinging when Lennie reached for it” (pg. 63). When George tells Lennie to fight even if he doesn’t wanna, Lennie does it with 0 hesitation. George told Lennie not to talk and Lennie actually agreed not to say a word.
He started to fight Lennie. Lennie was just trying to mind his own business, and was telling George to get Curley to leave him alone. “‘Make ‘um let me alone, George’ (Steinbeck 63).” “‘Make ‘um stop, George’ (Steinbeck 63).” This shows that Lennie did not want to fight Curley, he just wanted to be left alone.
In the world there are some people who have more advantages than others because of their spot in society. Such as people with no disability have more power than disabled people. Furthermore, that is why everyone is treated differently by the outside world. In the novel, Of Mice And Men, by John Steinbeck, the characters George, Lennie, and Curley all show the use of some sort of power.
This quote tells us that Curley would kill Lennie and shoot him in the guts. It tells us that Curley wants him to suffer. George killing Lennie was the right choice
Although Curley regularly has more power than Lennie on the ranch, when Lennie was told to exert all of his strength out on Curley, he did, and he defeated him. This also connects to a reoccurring message about Lennie of not being aware of his own
“He backup until he was against the wall, and Curley followed, slugging him in the face. Lennie’s hand remained at his sides; he was too frightened to defend himself.” Furthermore, Curley Pushes Lennie into a corner. While in the corner, and repeatedly smacked Lennie kept his hands down.
“His eyes slipped on past and landed on Lennie; and Lennie was still smiling with delight at the memory of the ranch. Curley stepped over to Lennie like a terrier. ”What the hell ya laughing at?” Lennie looked blankly at him. ”Huh?”
Therefore, he is powerful for the very reason that he is “untouchable.” He does not use the power for kindness but uses it to show who is best and in a bullying matter. Curley is not a kind fellow and not a lot of people are his friend in the book. He is described as a “thin young man with a brown face and a head of tightly curled hair.”
The point of physical violence has not been touched upon. In the midst of the rising action in the novel, Curley starts to beat Lennie because he was grinning at the thought of the ranch, but Curley thought that he was laughing at him. Lennie made a remark that he does not want to fight him. Consequently, Curley assaults Lennie, and he accepts it. It was only at George’s call for permission that Lennie crushed his hand.