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Stereotypes In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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John Steinbeck is an author famously known for his work in books such as The Grapes Of Wrath, Cannery Row, East Of Eden, and others. John became well-recognized for his extreme social realism and his naturalism which allowed his work to reach a new more profound meaning. In John’s most famous novella Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck depicted life as one of seclusion and stereotype. In particular, the author views Curley's wife's life as one of temptation and insignificance. These views can be attributed to her being a female, which causes her to already be naturally isolated because of the marginalization of women. Although most men believe in gender equality, women are still not represented fairly in a just society. Of Mice and Men accurately …show more content…

Especially when in the context of Curley's Wife. According to Kevin Atell, she is seen as a “purely menacing figure—an ominous portent…”(Atell) Steinbeck characterizes her this way with intent in order to show the inequitable social norms that are occurring in everyday life. While modern society may have these inequitable sex roles they are still not as apparent as they were in the past. For example, throughout the novella, Curley's Wife is allowed no interaction with anybody outside of Curly. The reason for this being is due to the fact that men on the ranch believe her to be a distraction to their work and they believe if they are tempted she will destroy and ruin their American Dream. This causes her to be segregated and leads her to want attention from …show more content…

In the excerpt The Harvest Gypsies by John Steinbeck, he says “The migrants are hated for the following reasons, that they are ignorant and dirty people, that they are carriers of disease…”(“Gypsies Harvest”) Steinbeck's progression of ideas in this excerpt contributes to the theme that although migrant workers are needed in society they are not generally accepted as a person and are seen as inferior to the rest of society. This theme is revealing because it directly relates to how Curley's wife was treated in the novella Of Mice and Men. The author portrays Curley's wife as a distraction and is objectified by the men around her. Steinbeck does this in two ways: by not allowing her to speak to anyone except curly, which causes her to be isolated. He also does this by not mentioning her name during the novella, making her appear only as a non-important character and making her more forgetful to the audience. According to Kevin Atell, The author does this because of unjust social norms that are caused by customs throughout our history that make women be seen as less dominant and submissive to men. This common theme throughout the novella and with the migrant workers reveals a dark truth, we all may think we are individuals that are just and would not judge one just because of origin, but because of society's

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1457 Words | 6 Pages

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3550 Words | 15 Pages

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