The Ill-Fated Weak In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The Ill-Fated Weak Many have heard of Darwin's "Survival of the Fittest" theory, which states only the fittest can survive in such a cruel world. In the case of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the fittest are the strong people. This novel is the story of two men who find a job on a ranch during the Great Depression and have a big dream to own and live off of their own land. Their names are George Milton and Lennie Small who are small, but clever and large, but mentally disabled, respectively. Through their experiences, they learn that it is not easy to live in this cruel world and Lennie suffers, especially because of his disability. On the other hand, in How to Read Literature Like A Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by

For instance, Lennie is talking to the stable buck negro. The negro, named Crooks, talks to Lennie about his loneliness and asks him what he would do if George left him and never came back. Lennie is extremely frightened by the prospect of George leaving, saying "George wouldn't do anything like that [sic]" (Steinbeck 71). Lennie continues to try and reassure himself, but he worries. This is why he is weak. He is vulnerable to others once his mind is plagued with false imaginary thoughts and doubts, which means he is weak-minded. Most of the other workers have learned to set up mental blocks and do not take everything everyone says seriously. In another instance, in How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster discusses historical symbols. It is similar to Crook's and Lennie's situation of loneliness, as their "capacity for self-determination [are] stripped away utterly" (Foster 101). Their self-determination, in this case, is their determination to live happily with the ubiquitous terror of the strong (light-skinned people for Crooks and intelligent people for Lennie). Ultimately, Lennie is weak because he is weak-minded and easily