How Does Steinbeck Use Power In Of Mice And Men

Power is a force that can be used to benefit or hurt others. In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, each character has a different status at the ranch where they live and work. Power is the most important theme of the novella because it affects how the characters act and the decisions they make everyday. The characters Curley, Slim, and Curley’s wife each have a certain type of power and they all use it differently.
Curley is one of the characters that has the most power in the story. He always gets what he wants and he likes to pick fights with guys who are bigger than him just to show them he is tough. Curley’s power comes from the fact that his dad is the boss. He could get any of the guys who work on the ranch fired if he wanted to. The men do not respect him, they are just afraid of what he could do and they try to avoid him to stay out of trouble. When Curley first met George and Lennie, he was very intimidating, “His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious. Lennie squirmed under the look and shifted his feet

Along with Curley, she has connections with the boss. She does not necessarily have power in general, but more of a power over other people. Also because she is Curley’s wife, whatever she tells Curley will be taken as the truth, and any other side of the story will be seen as a lie. When the guys are rude to Curley’s wife, she reminds them of her power. She said to Crooks, “I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny” (Steinbeck 81). Crooks was unhappy about Curley’s wife coming into his room, but when he tried to tell her to leave, she reminded him she has the power and he cannot tell her what to do. She also tells Crooks, Candy, and Lennie how if she framed them, nobody would believe the truth if the truth was against her word. Curley’s wife’s power makes her disliked by the men, but she uses it to her advantage so she can do what she