Explore Power in Of Mice and Men.

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Explore Power and Weakness in the Novel.

Steinbeck uses many elaborate devices to present the issues of power and weakness in the novel including: Imagery, Figurative language, symbolism and the structure of the novel. Steinbeck presents several types of power such as physical power; power through money and at the same time presents several weaknesses such as that due to racial inequality and sexual inequality. I will look at the power and weakness presented through the characters and those that symbolise a bigger group of people such as Curely's wife who portrayed the treatment of women in the 1930s.

Lennie is associated with Candy and Crooks who are labelled as the "weak ones" by Curely's wife which is ironic seeing that she is a woman which in the 1930s meant she was powerless. Lennie's main weakness he is that is mentally disabled however he is physically the strongest on the ranch as George explains how he could have "bust every bone" in his body. With Lennie there is not much to him from the Power side as he virtually has no power, however he is littered with weaknesses.

Steinbeck uses animalistic imagery to portray him as