Examine the theme of status in 'Of mice and men' - In what ways does the character status influence their actions?
Examine the theme of status in `Of mice and men'.
In what ways does the character status influence their actions?
"Of mice and men" was written by John Steinbeck in 1937, during the
time of the great depression in America. The great depression lasted
nearly over 10 years, from the end of 1929 until the early 1940's. It
was the worst and largest economic collapse in the industrial world
ever. People all over America lost their jobs, savings and homes
in1933 at the worst point in the depression, more than 15 million
Americans were unemployed.
Over these years many people in America still managed to
keep hope, a lot of people held a belief in the American dream. There
were extreme amounts of prejudice during these times, against anything
remotely different. For example, people of a different race, disabled
people and even women. They were treated with no respect, and were not
accepted.
The American dream was about achieving goals and equality. This
concept is displayed all the way through `Of Mice and Men'.
All the characters in this novel have a different status.
The way different types of people are treated because of their skin
colour, mentality or gender is shown clearly.
Curley's wife as a woman has a low status, the stable buck
as a Negro and Lennie because he was mentally disabled. Although,
George and Lennie still hold faith in the American dream, that one-day
they will get their land.
"Everyone wants a bit of land, not much Jus' something that was his."
One character in `Of Mice and Men', who has an extremely low status,
is Crooks. Crooks is intelligent but has no outlet. He is restricted
because of his race and physique.
"Crooks was a proud aloof man. He kept his distance and demanded that
other people kept theirs"
In Steinbeck's novel, we first hear about Crooks from Candy. "Ya see
the stable bucks a nigger", this shows he is known to everyone as a
`nigger'. This instantly reinforces a low status. We are never
informed of Crooks's real name. He is called by his job title, or his
physique. "Stable buck" or "Crooks". In `Of Mice and Men', though he
has a low status, he has an entire chapter written about him. In the
first sentence of this chapter, we are told about Crooks sleeping in a
separate bunk, "a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn".
Crooks is excluded from the other men. All the other men sleep
together, Crooks is isolated. From where he has been excluded, his
actions towards people turn bitter and harsh. During the novel `Of
Mice and Men', there is only one main time when we see human
interaction from Crooks. His spare time is spent reading, learning his
rights, unlike the other ranch workers who socialize among each other.
Despite that his intelligence rates much higher than the other ranch
worker, he is still seen as an inferior outsider.
Crooks is not given the credit he deserves. He is skilled and
intelligent, "And he had books, too;" "a range of medicine bottles,
both for himself and the horses", Steinbeck does this to show he is
like the veterinary of the ranch. He should be treated with the
respect of a doctor, although gets none at all.
Therefore he becomes tense when with contact. For example When Lennie
`appears in the doorway' of his room, "He stiffened and a scowl came
on his face." The language Steinbeck uses to describe Crooks ...
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Crooks is not given the credit he deserves. He is skilled and
intelligent, "And he had books, too;" "a range of medicine bottles,
both for himself and the horses", Steinbeck does this to show he is
like the veterinary of the ranch. He should be treated with the
respect of a doctor, although gets none at all.
Therefore he becomes tense when with contact. For example When Lennie
`appears in the doorway' of his room, "He stiffened and a scowl came
on his face." The language Steinbeck uses to describe Crooks is quite
detailed. The way he describes Crooks's eyes, "his eyes lay deep in
his head, and because of their depth seemed to glitter with
intensity". Showing there is still passion in him, despite all the
rejection in his life.
So when Lennie approaches Crooks, the language he uses is sharp, "You
got no right to come in my room". After Lennie explains why he came
into his room, Crooks still goes on viscously about his rights and
tells Lennie to get out. Crooks carries on angrily to Lennie.
Steinbeck uses short clauses when Crooks is speaking, like small
punches in each sentence, as if fighting with Lennie. He mocks Lennie
and his dream, showing his negativity. Crooks has no positive beliefs
after the way he has been treated over the years.
When Lennie tells Crooks about their dreamland, Crooks is extremely
cynical about it, he has no hope or faith. "I seen too many guys with
land in their head. They never get none under their hand."
When Candy comes into the room, Crook's begins to become slightly
sociable. However when Curley's wife comes in and instantly insults
him, by calling him "a nigger" he goes back to his old self. "Crooks
had retired into the terrible protective dignity of the nergro". When
Curley's wife becomes even nastier, he "reduces himself to nothing".
At the end of this chapter, after Crooks has been completely
humiliated and offended, they all leave and everything goes back to
the way it began. His actions are bitter and full hurt. The reason
being is from the way he has been treated on the ranches. A prime
example is what Curley's wife does to
him.
When crooks discovered that Lennie is "crazy as a wedge", he begins to
treat him differently. His actions change towards Lennie when he
discovers there is someone with a lower status than him. His contained
anger built up, comes out on someone weaker than him.
After all the time of being treated as nothing, because of his race,
his actions come out in the way he speaks, and the way he feels.
He is a bitter man who feels pleasure from hurt. "Crooks face lighted
with pleasure in his torture"
Crooks actions are nasty and bitter, from where he has been treated as
a low status being.
Another character in `Of Mice and Men', who has a low status is
Curley's wife.
"She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the doorframe so
that her body was thrown forward". Curley's wife is the only female at
the ranch. Throughout Steinbeck's novel we are shown how low the
status of women was during these times. Like Crooks, in the novel we
are never told Curley's wife's name. She is always referred to as
`Curley's wife', Curley's possession, a mans possession. As Curley's
wife is the only woman on the ranch she uses this to her advantage.
Her actions are all based on what she can do using her sexuality, her
status as a woman. "Her face was heavily made up", she superficially
tries to get all the men to notice her. Steinbeck spends a long time
to describe her. "Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like
sausages", this detailed description of how her hair shows she must of
taken a lot of time and care on her hair.
Steinbeck describes her voice having a "nasal, brittle quality". Her
appearance is described as a pretty young nice girl. however the
language used to describe the way she speaks, the way she smiles, is
`brittle', "she smiled archly". Showing she's not such an innocent
woman. Steinbeck also describes her as a "girl", not a woman. She is
constantly trying to get any mans attention, " her eyes traveled from
one face to another", she tries to make eye contact.
When she first meets with George and
Lennie, she tries to playfully talk to them, make conversation. George
can see straight through her and replies "brusquely". She tries using
reverse psychology on him, "Nobody can't blame a person for looking".
Although the first thing George says when she's gone is "Jesus what a
tramp", he continues to describe her as "jail bait", "poison",
"bitch".
There is one example on the novel when we see how her status is
marginally higher than another charact. This is the incident with
Crooks in section four. When she finds she is left with people of a
low status, `bindle stiffs, a nigger, an' a dum-dum, and a lousy ol'
sheep'.
When Crooks begins to speak of his rights, she becomes very harsh all
of a sudden. She scorns at him and begins to reduce him as a person.
"Listen nigger", instantly here she is making a racist comment.
"Crooks seemed to grow smaller". Curley's wife uses her status not
only as a woman, but a white woman to threaten Crooks. She justifies
how easily she could get Crooks killed, just for the sake of being
malicious. "I could get you strung up a tree so fast it ain't even
funny". She uses her status here to reduce him to nothing.
Later on in the story, in her last moment before death, she confides
in Lennie. After having described him as a "dum-dum", she is still
desperate for some conversation. She becomes weak, confessing how
lonely she is, "think I don't like to talk to somebody ever' once in a
while". She sits and explains her whole life story to Lennie. Lennie,
having only just a higher status than Curley's wife, doesn't pay the
attention Curley's wife is craving so badly for. She becomes angry,
"don't you think of nothing but rabbits?" Having her low status as a
woman, she has no one to confide in, so she confides in a
simple-minded person.
Her actions could be described as desperate, for some attention.
Although a lot of the men, will not give it to her. Her desperation
also causes her death. She knew Lennie was dangerous after what he
did to Curley, although she still wanted to be close to Lennie. "
`Here- feel right here', she took Lennie's hand and put it on her
head." Which leads her to her decease. The language Steinbeck uses
describes in her different positive manner now, implying that she's a
warm, nice girl. She is elevated in her death, "the meanness and the
plannings of discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from
her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and
young".
Slim however, is a character like no other in `Of Mice and Men'. He is
the one man with a very high status, not through a profession title,
but from his individual nature.
"He moved into the room, and he moved with a majesty only achieved by
royalty and master craftsmen". In the introductory description of
Slim, the language Steinbeck uses shows the very high status of Slim,
"Majesty", "royalty", "master" "Prince". There are other characters
in the novel that have a high status, only because of their high job
position in the ranch. However they don't have the admiration and
respect from the other men like Slim. He treats Curley's wife in a
friendly way, unlike the other men on the ranch who only pay scarce
attention to her. "Hi, Good-lookin'." Different to any of the other
men on the ranch, Slim quite a tranquil man, "there was a gravity in
his manner". He doesn't have to be aggressive and loud to get other
people's attention, "a quiet so profound, that all talk stopped when
he spoke." "He looked through George and beyond", he is a deep man,
described like a wise philosopher. The language Steinbeck uses to
describe the way Slim moves, also shows the well-respected gentle
manner slim has. "Delicate in their action, as those of a temple
dancer". He speaks to George kindly, and makes friendly conversation.
Slim is displayed to be the most understanding man of the ranch. No
one can quite seem to comprehend why Lennie is the way he is, besides
Slim. From his "calm invitation to confidence", George can tell Slim
all about his and Lennie's relationship. Instead of ignorantly finding
it bizarre like Curley does he is just curious. George is very afraid
to confide in Slim, "He looked alarmed and peered over at Slim".
Although Slim manages to opens George up instantly, by speaking to him
calmly. He doesn't pass quick bad judgments on Lennie, he understands.
The way in which slim deals with Curely's wife is a lot different to
the way Curley deals with his wife's death. Slim stays calm at such a
grief-stricken time, Curley becomes irate. While everyone merely
stares in shock, Slim is the logical one who checks her pulse to see
if she is still conscious. Compared to all the other men at the scene,
he is the only reasonable man.
After all the time of treated like royalty, his actions are warm,
friendly and calm.
In conclusion, Curley's wife has a low status as she is a female,
Crooks has a low status because of his skin colour and Slim has a high
status as a consequence of his individual behaviour.
Curley's wife and Crooks are quite comparable in their status, they
both have a very low status. They are both also very lonely, although
for Curley's wife is acceptable to seek company. Crooks is excluded
from society all together, giving him no right to seek companions.
Curley's wife craves attention from the men using her sexuality. Her
actions are desperate, due to her low status.
Crooks actions are acrimonious also due to his low status. After Slim
has been treated like an aristocrat, his actions are warm, friendly
and calm.
Steinbeck has included `misfits' in his novel, to display the reality
of life during these times. To show that despite being labeled `low
status', every individual can be as talented as any other person. For
example Crooks, is written as a very skilled, intelligent man,
although has a very low status.
Slim was put in Slim is the product of Steinbecks want to demonstrate
that nobleness, can be found in all parts of society. Also to raise
the status of the ranch workers. Slim is who creates the moral of this
story, shows us the sense of right or wrong.
In our society today, I believe society has progressed to become a
more accepting community. Now, it is mandatory to treat all races
equally. Although everyone has their own opinion, and there are still
people who believe people of a different race should be treated
differently.
Women in society have come an exceptionally long way, now we are
almost completely equal. Our human rights are now the same as men's,
and there are barely any restrictions on women any longer. The elderly
are also treated very similar to us, but there are youngsters who find
it hard to tolerate the elderly. They see the aged as a different kind
in society.
Another very famous classic novel that focuses on low status is,
`Great Expectations', by Charles Dickens. Here Dickens gives narrative
authority to a young orphan `Pip', of a low status. This is a story
of a boy who attempts to raise his status in society, for moral
redemption.
By Shenaz Allybokus. 11.05
