Of Mice And Men Quote Analysis

In the 1930’s, migrant workers were very common and were usually treated very unfairly by their bosses. Of Mice and Men is a novella by John Steinbeck that focuses on two migrant workers who are best friends. The story focuses on their experience working on a ranch with a group of strangers. John Steinbeck reveals the weaknesses of migrant workers in his book to show the Marxism that migrant workers went through in the 1930’s.

When George and Lennie meet their fellow workers, they are told how angry their noss was that the two didn't get to the ranch on time. John Steinbeck writes, “and he says, “Where the hell’s them new men?’ An’ he gave the stable buck hell, too.” (Steinbeck, 19).This quote talks about how the boss got angry and took it out on someone who didn’t deserve it. The quote shows this by saying that he gave the stable buck “Hell”, how unfairly he treats his workers and how he abuses his power. A little later in the story, John Steinbeck writes, “His eyes passed over the new men and he stopped. He glanced coldly at George and then Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands bent into fists.”

Steinbeck writes, “Ever’body out doin’ sumpin’. Ever’body! An’ what am I doin’? Standin here talkin’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs- a n***** and a dum-dum.” (Steinbeck, 78). This quote shows how Curley's wife believes that she is better than the workers- partly because she is their boss. “She turned on him in scorn. ‘Listen, you n***** she said. “You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?” (Steinbeck, 80). Curley’s wife feels that she is above Crooks, and she calls him slurs because she can. She goes on to actually threatening them, and she knows that she won’t get in trouble for it. Crooks is abused a lot as a workers because the bosses think that it's okay to discriminate against