Author: kesmith

Relationships
The obvious relationship in the novel is between George and Lennie and this is destroyed .
George is a father figure towards Lennie– He urges him to stop drinking the river water as he doesn't want him to get sick.
George may also seem pressured into having a relationship with Lennie as he knows that he can’t look after himself. He also promised Aunt Clara he would look after him.
Lennie looks up to George and seeks his approval:- When he makes waves in the water “Look George... Look what I done”
Candy and his dog– This relationship is destroyed when Carlson shoots the dog
Curley and his wife– we get the impression that they have a poor relationship. Curley’s wife seems trapped she says’ “Curley ain’t a nice fella”...”I ain’t allowed to talk to anyone.
George, Lennie and Candy-Become excited when they realise they could buy the ranch and forfill their dreams.

Loneliness
A major theme within the novel. George and Lennie stave it off by their relationship. It embitters Candy and Crooks. It kills Curley’s wife.
“Guys like us, that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world”...Lennie broke in. “But not us! An’ why? Because.....because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why”.
Steinbeck offers no answers to loneliness, a merely a graphic and moving portrayal of the problem. Some of the sadness and emotional power of the novel , comes from our realisation that things can not be changed.
Passages that highlight loneliness:-
Georges confession to Slim, starting “I ain’t got no people”
Candy’s explanation of his love for his old dog
The description of Crooks
Curley’s wife talking to Lennie “I get lonely”......

Dreams and Reality
George and Lennie dream of owning a small farm with a patch of land. It is a dream of working for themselves, and being independent, and its is a dream sufficiently powerful to draw in Candy and even the cynical Crooks.
This is a dream shared by many ranch hands ( Curley’s wife laughs at their dream and says they are like many other men).
Curley’s wife dreams of being a movie star

Racial Prejudice & Marginalisation
Crooks represents racial prejudice. He is intelligent, reads books and like any other human being, he needs warmth and companionship. He is denied these not through any fault of his own but because he is black
(Curley’s wife humiliates Crooks and threatens to get him strung up a tree)
Lennie is left out of society because he is simpleminded and doesn’t communicate well with others. Society would have been wary of his behaviour and would not understand his actions
Curley’s wife is marginalised as she is the only woman on the ranch. We never learn her name which reflects women’s status at that time. Women had very little power. The fact we know her name indicates she is insignificant and in some respects worthless.
Candy is marginalises as he is old and disabled.

Set in 1930’s America
During this time America was in financial crisis
Banks went bust following the Wall Street Crash. People lost their homes, business’s and jobs
There was a rise in unemployment
Men travelled from ranch to ranch looking for work and were called migrant workers
Women had little power during this time and could not vote or have a say in the running of the country.

There was great segregation between the blacks and whites. Black people were treated as second class citizens and led a difficult life
(Crooks is segregated from the other ranch hands he knows his place and reflects on this when he talks to Lennie about not sharing a bunk with the other ranch hands. “They say I stink”)

A father figure for Lennie
Protective over Lennie
In control and dominant
Lacks patience– Listen to me you crazy bastard– He can’t cope with Lennie when he complains over the ketchup
Lennie is a burden on George
Works hard
Pays for Lernnies mistakes– He had to leave Weed– Shoots Lennie in the Head
Encourages Lennie to be independent.

Simpleminded/docile
Relies on George
Doesn’t know his own strength
Like an animal– his behaviour is unpredictable. The fact that Steinbeck describes him as bearlike and horse like could suggest that he is wild and can not be trusted
Childlike– “look George, Look what I done”

Find examples of animal imagery
Explain why Steinbeck uses animal imagery
Discuss the techniques of foreshadowing and explain the effect on the reader