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Power Struggle In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men follows George Milton and Lennie Small as they attempt to survive the destitution of the Great Depression. The two travel together, making them different from the rest of the ranch workers, who are alone in their hardships. However, their relationship is more complex than the surface: it presents a power struggle with the ulterior motive to help oneself. Through the characterization of the ranch workers, Steinbeck makes a claim about human’s innate characteristics: people in power will use their status in order to solidify their position over the weak.
Through George and Lennie’s relationship, Steinbeck exemplifies a power struggle in which the stronger of the two, George, prevails over the other. George continuously uses his mental advantage to belittle Lennie; George states, “Used to play jokes on ‘im ‘cause he was too dumb to take care of ‘imself...Made me seem Goddamn smart alongside of him” (Steinbeck 40). George and Lennie’s relationship is particularly complex: it is not affectionate, but, rather, one of dominance. Both George and Lennie have very low positions in society; they own no property, have little money, and are migrants looking to work for someone else. Lennie is George’s only outlet for control. In a society that reveres masculinity and strength, this is of the utmost importance: having authority over Lennie gives George the illusion of control, which makes his pauperization more bearable. George takes advantage of Lennie’s mental handicap …show more content…

Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men presents complicated relationships that deal with power struggles and human nature. While Of Mice and Men only focuses on one small ranch, the ideas Steinbeck expresses can be related to society as a whole, then and now: those that have a higher position in society will continuously utilize their power to oppress the

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In John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men”, Lennie and George travel together to work. They discuss the trouble they experience with Lennie's touching things he shouldn't and how that forces them to run, hide, and constantly search for work. Throughout the book, Steinbeck gives just a small picture of all the trouble Lennie has caused and how George continues to guide him to get by. A problem with a girl leads us to chapter 1 and 6, and how they share in setting, but George and Lennie's interactions differ. The similarities and differences of chapter 1 and 6 show how Lennie and George's cohesive friendship with a bright future develops into a loving bond that had to end.

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Of Mice and Men tells a story based in California during the 1930s; of two men who have very different characteristics, but share the same goal. The men, George and Lennie, are migrant workers. At their new job, they meet many individuals: Candy, who is very old and cleans the bunkhouse; Curley, who is the boss’s son; Curley's wife, Crooks, the stable hand; and Slim, who is known as the “prince of the ranch.” Though they recently started, their new job quickly goes downhill. John Steinbeck’s book is carefully written and often uses hints to foretell what will happen next.

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Lennie is in many ways helpless and does not know how to care for himself. George helps him by giving him short commands and telling him to repeat things to himself to remember things. George has no responsibility to take care of Lennie, yet George is willing to do anything for Lennie. ‘“When his Aunt Clara died, Lennie just come along with me out workin’. Got kinda used to each other after a little while.”’

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This also shows the overpowering control George has over Lennie’s conscience, and the consequence that Lennie can’t remember his own actions, only the stories George repeats. He is never truly angry with Lennie for his petty mistakes, he is simply thinking of the limitations of their dreams because of Lennie’s unpredictable actions. It seems George can only control Lennie by threatening him with the thing he cares about most which is the farm, “But you ain’t gonna get in no trouble, because if you do, I won’t let you tend the rabbits” he threatens, trying to make Lennie remember the importance of his actions (36). George is constantly complaining that he could have a better life and even have a farm without Lennie to look after, but he also wants a companion. Lennie is often simple minded and easily influenced, but intuitive enough to manipulate George’s loneliness, “If you don’t want me George I can go up in that cave over there and leave,” George quickly denies this saying “No, look I was just foolin’ Lennie, ‘cause I want you to stay with me” (20).

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But he was too dumb even to know he had a joke played on him.” (40) This shows that George used Lennie’s mental disability to amuse himself, completely disrespecting Lennie as a person and making himself feel more powerful. A third example of this from the book is where Curley’s wife says to Crooks “Well you keep your place then, Nigger.

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