Another character that is a target for this is Curley's wife. She is not different like the other's for her colour, or appearance, but because she is a woman. Even though gender is approximately even in the world at this time, women were seen as inferior to men. The men went to work and to socialise and the women were to stay at home. Because Curley's wife lived on the ranch with no other women she was isolated because she wasn't a man. "I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely". Her 'unimportance' is confirmed by the author by his not disclosing her name. She is only referred to as 'Curley's wife'. Curley's property.
Lennie doesn't react to this isolation because of his mental inadequacy. He isn't aware of other people's feelings because he doesn't have the ability to understand the meanings of other people's actions and words. '"Used to play jokes on 'im 'cause he was too dumb to take care of 'imself. But he was too dumb even to know he had a joke played on 'im.".
Crooks and Curley's wife take the treatment harder. Because of the constant loneliness they become bitter and twisted, their personalities changed by the way they have been dealt with. Neither of them can see why people have acted the way that they have to them and can't see that they are any different to the rest of them. '"You can talk to people, but I can't talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad".
Frankenstein's monster is more like Crooks and Curley's wife in the way that he reacts to the loneliness and isolation. He begins life with the intentions of benevolence and integrity but society's reaction to his appearance makes him bitter and twisted. He is denied any human pleasure and this gives him the misconstrued view that nobody else should have any either. '"My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy; and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change, without torture such as you cannot even imagine"'. This results in a killing spree and the prolonged mental torture of Victor Frankenstein.
The characters of Lennie and Frankenstein's monster are sometimes similar. They are both killers. Lennie kills Curley's wife and the monster kills William, Elizabeth, Henry, and his actions result in the framing and subsequent death of Justine.
However, their motives are entirely different. Lennie's mental retardation prevents him from understanding how his strength can affect people. '"I didn't wanta," Lennie cried. "I didn't wanta hurt him"'. He doesn't deliberately kill Curley's wife. On the contrary, Frankenstein's monster kills with malice. He begins the novel with good intentions, but as he is repeatedly rejected by society, he turns bitter and kills because of self-pity. Here you can again compare the monster with Crooks, as he is increasingly resentful through sustained rejection. '"Sometimes [a guy] gets thinkin', an' he got nothing to tell him what's so an' what ain't so"'.
Lennie and the monster are also forced to copy others in learning how to behave and speak. However as Lennie is less intelligent, he only copies, not learns from it, whereas the monster takes in all the information and learns to talk and think for himself. '"I discovered the names that were given to some of the most familiar objects of discourse; I learned and applied the words"'.
Other themes in the two novels are contrasting. In Frankenstein, the main story-line is to do with science and the resulting constitution, trying to 'play God'. This is due to the era that the book was written in. Science was very important in the 19th Century and this shows in the mentioned theme. This is very different to the theme of the 'American Dream' in Of Mice And Men. The novel was written around the time of the Great Depression, and many people longed for a 'picture perfect' life. This is reflected in this theme.
This leads into the social and historical backgrounds of the novels. These are greatly influential over the novels, partly determining the themes, language, story and mood.
Frankenstein, for example was written in 1817, published in 1818 in London which was showing great advances in the world of science. People looked to science for answers and it seemed to pave the way to the future, therefore people were very interested in anything to do with it. The novel is based around science and without it the story wouldn't be feasible. People who would read this sort of novel at the time would be upper class, and therefore well-educated, and the story is of an upper class scientist, which at the time the readers would be able to relate to his circumstances.
Frankenstein was also written during the Romantic period, which influenced the novel. The Romantic period usually produced work that was very dramatic and passionate, and Frankenstein is an example of this. Mary Shelley played around with the idea of 'over zealousness' in following one's dreams and abstractions, and it's results. It has a lesson to be learnt from this.
Of Mice And Men was written in the late 1930's, during an era that was full of unemployment and poverty, much unlike when Frankenstein was written. People looked to any alternative that they could and dreamt of a better life. Most people dreamt of owning their own land, and earning some kind of cultivated living. This was becoming increasingly unlikely as land became settled. The way the novel ends is typical of the time. Towards the end, things start to look up for George and Lennie, but it concludes in all of their dreams being dashed and they return to the loneliness that they feel at the start of the book. '"You an' me can get that little place, can't we, George? You an' me can go there an' live nice, can't we, George? Can't we?" Before George answered, Candy dropped his head and looked down at the bay. He knew.' The author is portraying the popular opinion of the time, that things don't get better, no matter how hard you try. People who would read Of Mice And Men would be unlike those who would read Frankenstein. They would be of a lower class, going through the same things as the primary characters in the novel. It is written in a simpler manner, with lots of speech, and description of the surroundings.
The two novels are both written in very different styles. Frankenstein, as it was written in the Romantic period was exceedingly formal and overdone. As the author was intellectual and well-educated, the language is sophisticated and would be well-received by educated people. 'These sublime and magnificent scenes afforded me the greatest consolation that I was capable of receiving.'
Of Mice And Men is written by an author who isn't well-educated and has less complex language. It has a lot of simple dialogue which helps you understand the way people feel about each other, and the way the story is heading, and there is much description to help set the scene. 'It was quite dark now, but the fire lighted the trunks of the trees and the curving branches overhead. Lennie crawled slowly and cautiously around the fire until he was close to George.' Not much happens in the book without there being dialogue so it could easily be turned into a play.
In Frankenstein, the writing is portrayed in a narration of first person. This changes around from Walton to Frankenstein to the monster, but because of this the book is seen almost as a diary. Because of this it is easy for the author to express inner emotions and feelings. 'Great God! Why did I not then expire? Why am I here to relate the destruction of the best hope, and the purest creature of earth?' These emotions go from extreme to extreme frequently, typical of the Romantic period. In Of Mice And Men, because there is a lot of dialogue, and the characters aren't erudite, they can't get across how they feel and the readers aren't able to see very deep into their feelings. 'George said quietly, "What the hell you yellin' about?" Lennie got up on his knees. "You ain't gonna leave me, are ya, George? I know you ain't"'. Steinbeck uses third person narration during the whole book. This gives the feeling of being 'in' the book.
In Frankenstein, you wonder why the author included the character of Walton in the novel. Why complicate further an already complicated story? As Shelley wrote the novel in the first person, you see things from Frankenstein and the monster's point only. You are never told about their feelings: you have to feel them yourself. By having Walton in the story, in first person, you get a chance to be a bystander as in Of Mice And Men. You are Walton, and therefore inside the book as a bystander.
To conclude, the books are very different, however they are sometimes very similar. The novels often mirror each other. For example the way Crooks and Curley's wife react to the loneliness in Of Mice And Men is comparable to the way Frankenstein's monster reacts to it. Also, the way Lennie is isolated from the others in Of Mice And Men is similar to the way Frankenstein's monster is isolated because of the way he looks. ,.
On the contrary though, the novels are divergent in many more ways. For example the stories are very different, set in unlike times, places and with very different classes of characters. The novels are written in contrasting styles, Of Mice And Men being simple and Frankenstein having very intricate language.
However, both penetrate quite deeply. Mary Shelley warns of the dangers of excess of passion, and John Steinbeck tells of the effects of the Great Depression.
