Alienation In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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Correlation of Weakness to Alienation People are always trying to show that they are better than everyone else and put down others to raise themselves to the top. Many different medias showcase this idea, however few explain why. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shows that people who are perceived to be weaker then others are often alienated. In Crooks’ case, he is isolated because of his race. When Crooks talks to Lennie about why he is excluded from the bunkhouse, he responds with, “Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black” (Steinbeck, 68). Crooks feels that the other men on the ranch exclude him. Another example of this is when Curley's wife says to Crooks, “Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny” (Steinbeck, 81). Curley's wife is being …show more content…

After they first arrive at the farm, George won’t let Lennie talk, saying, “If he finds out what a crazy bastard you are, we won't get no job” (Steinbeck, 6). George is afraid of the possibility that Lennie could say something wrong that would cost George and Lennie work. And when all the men go into town and Lennie is left behind, Lennie tells Crooks, “‘Ever'body went into town… Slim an' George an' ever'body. George says I gotta stay here an' not get in no trouble”(Steinbeck, 68). Lennie is not allowed to go into town because George is afraid that with is mental illness Lennis will get himself into trouble, similar to the incident when they worked in Weed. Throughout the course of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men the way others react to Crooks, Candy, and Lennie are all examples of how being perceived as weaker and different can lead to being alienated from others. Due to the disadvantage Crooks, Candy, and Lennie are all shown to have during the book, Steinbeck shows how being perceived as weak can distance one from others, as well as limiting

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