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Power And Control In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

678 Words3 Pages

The novel Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck shows how power and control is used in the majority of the novel. Through the use of metaphor, simile, and diction, Steinbeck evaluates the theme of power and control. Steinbeck’s use for the strategies is to appeal to the reader’s sense of pathos. Pathos is shown through the use of diction and metaphors used in the book. The novel takes place in Southern California where George and Lennie try to find a way to make their dreams come true. Lennie a character who is strong and tall has a mental problem where he can’t think as fast as normal people, so his friend George is there to take care of him and tell him what to do when Lennie can’t make the choices. In Of Mice and Men by …show more content…

George yelled again, “I said get him”(Steinbeck 30-31). Lennie did everything George said so when George told him to fight back he started to fight back. When Lennie started to fight back Curley was about to punch him than, “The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish”(Steinbeck 31). Lennie’s overpowered strength crushed Curley’s hand and made him “flop like a fish.” After Lennie had defeated Curley he, “sat down on the floor, looking in wonder at his crushed hand”(Steinbeck 31). Curley was wondering how the fight switched from him winning to Lennie winning. Lennie’s strength had made Curley wonder how George was able to convince Lennie to fight. The end of the fight showed that power and control can make people do any action told.
In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck uses metaphor, simile, and diction to create pathos to perpetuate the theme of power and control. In the novel George and Lennie have a friendship were George tells Lennie what to do and Lennie does it. Lennie’s mental states causes him to sometimes forget stuff, and can’t makes decisions as quick as everyone else. George has to take care of Lennie and he tells Lennie what to do. Steinbeck uses George and Lennie to show the theme of power and control. Lennie’s strength is used to show that having power was a big thing during the Great

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