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Control In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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The link between power and control has existed since the first king ruled the first kingdom. It also exists in relationships. In the realistic fiction novella, Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, shows the effect power has on relationships.The story is about two characters who find work on a migrant farm, and get themselves into a bit of trouble, due to a mental disability. It also proves that society discriminates against those with disabilities, or the powerless. Power and control and the effect it has on the disabled is linked to the relationships of Candy and his dog, George and Lennie, and Crooks and the farm workers. In the novella, the two protagonists, George and Lennie, travel to Soledad, CA, to get away from trouble and find …show more content…

Though it may sound like a negative connotation, it is actually a good type of power. George promised Lennie’s Aunt Clara that he would watch after Lennie and has done that since. This is evident when they get to the ranch and the boss wanted to talk to them. George speaks for Lennie in a way of protecting them both. “The boss pointed a playful finger at Lennie. "He ain't much of a talker, is he?" "No, he ain't, but he's sure a hell of a good worker. Strong as a bull." Lennie smiled to himself. "Strong as a bull," he repeated. George scowled at him, and Lennie dropped his head in shame at having forgotten. (35 Chp. 2) George knew that Lennie could not always control what he said, considering his mental disability, and so he did not want to lose their new jobs because Lennie said something he should not have. The boss gets frustrated with this but George knows he is doing the right thing. "Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is." (45 Ch. 3) The boss is confused with their relationship and why Lennie can’t do things on his own. Another example is when George shoots Lennie. Lennie killed one of the farmer’s wife and so that farmer, Curley, was looking for him to “blow his guts out”. George wants to do this so Lennie can die content, and so that he doesn’t have to die in fear. Lennie begs George to tell him about the dream farm, one last time. George tells him about the farm because he knows that it is what makes Lennie the happiest. When George and Lennie get done talking about the farm, Lennie wants to make sure he didn’t do something wrong, by his standards of “Will George be mad?” so he asked George. “Lennie said, “I thought you was mad at me, George.” “No,” said George. No, Lennie. I ain’t mad. I never been mad, an’ I ain’t now. That’s the thing I want you to know.” (106 Ch. 6) After that, George put the gun on the back of Lennie’s head, and

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“Lennie said, “George.” “Yeah?” “Ain’t you gonna give me hell?” “Give ya hell?” “Sure, like you always done before.

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One obstacle is gender equality, the ranch is a “male-dominant” society where women are seen as untrustworthy. The fact that Curly’s wife is the bosses wife is the true cause of her alienation. However, the simple fact that she is a female separates her from interactions with others as seen when the men refer to her as having “the eye” (28). Here the men refer to everything they think women are – a distraction and temptation for men, instead of actual human beings. Candy is also oppressed in a social inequality as he is afraid that when he is too old to work, he will be thrown out of the “ash heap”, a victim of a society that discriminates against the disabled and has no value for age or experience.

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According to the overview, “between 1500 and 1800, European nations traded for slaves, gold, and ivory along the west coast of Africa, but they did not go deeply into the continent.” In 1884, fourteen countries met in Berlin to discuss the division of Africa to prevent war from breaking out.. This meeting would come to be known as the Berlin Conference led by Ottoman Bismarck. Up until 1885, they stated that if a leader wanted to control a certain part of Africa, then they must prove that they have control over that area and that was it. This was the beginning of European imperialism in Africa.

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The way that George killed Lennie was a quick and unpainful way. If he had not shot Lennie in the back of the head, things for Lennie would have been much worse. Even Curley says, “When you see ‘um, don’t give ‘im no chance. Shoot for his guts. That’ll double ‘im over” (Steinbeck 97).

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I want you to know,’” (Steinbeck 106). This dialogue shows that George hadn’t wanted to kill Lennie, but he did because Lennie would have been and terrified when murdered by the other men. George made sure Lennie was happy and was not scared before he killed

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George also defended Lennie whenever someone talked bad about him because he knew Lennie couldn't comprehend what was happening and couldn't defend himself. Lennie saw George as an authority figure and tried to do everything he said. George also let

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In the classic American novel Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, power is a recurring theme. Most of the characters have direct ties to power, whether it is physical, social, economic, or intellectual. But the author balances their powers with flaws. Lennie, a main character, has a lot of physical power. Yet due to his mental disability, he does not understand the consequences of his actions.

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George was disgusted by the fact that he had to kill his best friend, but he knew that it was the only way Lennie could achieve happiness and not get tortured. Because of this, George knew that he had just gave up his dream for Lennie in an act of

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(41) George says that Lennie is dumb, and that because of this he gets into trouble. " Course he ain't mean.." He says that Lennie doesn't intentionally get into trouble, but that it is Lennie's limitation.

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At times, George has mentioned how nice and loyal Lennie is and that he will do anything he tells Lennie. Additionally, George murdered Lennie because he always gets him and George in trouble because he does not know how to handle situations, for example, when Lennie grabbed the ladies red dress in weed and did not let go when she started screaming. Yet George keeps Lennie in check and makes sure that Lennie knows what to do when things go wrong, so he does not get them in

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After all the anger that George has shown towards Lennie, he utters these words now so Lennie can die with a sense of peace. George does not want to pull the trigger, but he knows that the further consequences of Lennie’s actions will only worsen. To save Lennie from Curley’s wrath, possible imprisonment, and perhaps years of suffering, George takes Lennie’s

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Turning on the news to see another powerful dictator, or a new segregation issue is heart crushing. The fight for power is never ending, resulting in a disproportionate spread of it. The severity of these problems are rising to be a larger issue, an issue that Steinbeck noticed and brought much attention to in his novella, Of Mice and Men. He uses his characters to display the idea that power is too often unequally distributed, meaning some have too much power and others have too meager of an amount. Differing ranges of power then have negative impacts on people, as does Curley's power.

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After hearing this, he expresses his pity towards Lennie and his inability to listen. Early in the novella, George lashes out in anger towards Lennie, he says, “ ‘An whatta I got,’ George went on furiously. ‘I got you! You can 't keep a job and you

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Crooks was required to be reclusive because he was not wanted around. Racism was an extreme issue in the world in the 1930s and in America alone. All in all, power has important roles in the relationships in Of Mice and Men. Power is shown through the relationships of Lennie and George, Curley and his wife, and crooks and society. This bias power is determined by competence, gender and race.

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Lennie with his simple mind, always gets into trouble. This time, Lennie gets himself in a bind once again, that George can’t save him from. George decision to kill Lennie in the story, was due to his responsibility, sympathy, and love for Lennie. George’s decision to kill Lennie was out of sympathy for him.

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