Curley wears high-heeled boots to show that he isn’t a working man. Curley also married an attractive woman and as none of the other men are married this makes him feel that he is better than the rest. The men see him as the Boss’s son and apart from having that name there is nothing at all that sets him above the others. Curley uses blackmail though and the others know that if they do anything to him then they will be punished seeing as his father is the Boss. The fact that Curley has to wear high-heeled boots to distinguish himself from the workers shows that his power is not natural at all.
Slim has natural power; his authority is gained through respect of the other men. They come to him voluntarily to ask his advice and to talk to him. Slim’s height is also used to reflect his status and shows us that even though he could have physical power over the men, he chooses not to, instead he respects them. Slim is seen as the leader by the men even though it seems that he is equal to them. The fact that Slim is very modest seems to make him even more powerful. The relationship between Slim and the men is symbiotic because he gives them as much respect as they give to him. “Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him.” This shows that the men are willing to let Slim go before them, because of the relationship that they have, and it appears to happen in a natural way.
There is a big difference in the way that Slim and Curley use their power. Slim does not abuse the power he has, unlike Curley. Slim if fairly equal to the other men as he wears the same type of clothes, works hard and sleeps in the bunkhouse along with them. I think that this makes the men respect him more as he is one of them and does not see himself as superior to them. Curley wears boots to make himself stand out and does not work like the others do. He also sleeps in the house away from the other men and this makes him think that he is superior over the other men. Curley has to use means of violence to get power and respect from the men, which then, is only given to him in fear. Slim however has never felt the need to prove his strength and power on the ranch by picking fights and bullying people into doing what he wants them to do. “Nobody knows what Slim can do.”
Curley constantly picks fights to try and prove this power that he has and pounces upon anyone that he doesn’t seem to like in order to assert his authority. In chapter three, Curley starts a fight with Lennie. Lennie crushes Curley’s hand easily with the strength that he has and this is ironic as Curley’s power is so weak that it too can easily be crushed. Curley does not respect Lennie and when this incident happens it is on a moral level, a payback for Curley not respecting him.
Curley is described as unpleasant character. He does not really seem to know how to be friendly towards people, and I feel that he does not want to really get to know them and be friendly he just wants more power. I think that he just bullies them in the hope that they will respect him and follow his commands. “He glanced coldly at George and Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists.” We are told that Slim is a “hell of a nice fella” and the men feel that they can easily trust him. Slims trustworthiness in the eyes of the men can be seen in this quote:“You wouldn’ tell? – no, course you wouldn’.”
In the novel I see Curley as a dictator figure because he is a bully who abuses the power that he is given. I think that Steinbeck is trying to say that if you abuse the power that you have, you will not be able to maintain it but you will end up loosing it all. This can be seen throughout the novel when Slim gives the men as much respect as they give him and therefore he is rewarded for the way he uses his power by maintaining his position of authority. However, Curley abuses his power and therefore he undermines the position he holds on the ranch. The novel hence presents itself as a moral tale that explores the uses and abuses of power and the effect that this has in society.
