Power In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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In Of Mice and Men, the author, John Steinbeck suggests that power has a negative and corrupting affect on humans. After Lennie’s Aunt Clara dies, George and Lennie go out to find work together, and George is very mean to Lennie, taking advantage of Lennie’s mental disability. When George and Lennie start traveling together, George has “a hell of a lot of fun with ‘im [….] play[s] jokes on ‘im ‘cause he [is] too dumb” (40) and the jokes “make [him] seem God damn smart alongside him” (40). The usage of the word “fun” to describe George’s tormenting of Lennie indicates that his jokes were meant for his own pleasure. Even the usage of the word fun in this context makes the joking seem almost sadistic and cruel. Additionally, George benefits from