Task Description: Pick two characters from Of Mice and Men and explain how their behaviour and

what happens to them is reflection of the context of their time. Steinbecks Of Mice and Men, is story set in the 1930s, in America. The novel focuses on the lives and problems of farm workers and illustrates the social composition. Societys structure, values and ideology is revealed to the audience through the description of the characters lifestyle, behaviour and problems. Steinbeck describes the plight of women, black people and disabled people showing the suffering they have to endure. Crooks the African American stable buck is an emblematic character that is within the period of racial segregation. The colour of his skin automatically defined him as an outcast in society, which justified people attitudes and behaviour towards them at the time. As a result of this ideology many African American people were treated dreadfully, being deemed second class citizens, receiving: unequal pay, privileges, separate treatment and standards, etc. This is demonstrated, as Candy recounts at Christmas, Crooks served as entertainment as he was forced to fight white men with his hands tied to his back. This highlights, that Crooks is treated like an animal having no significance and has no say in what happens to him. Crooks personality in the novel is a reflection of ceaseless oppression by society and oppression of his feelings. Despite the insignificant role he plays in the complication of the novel, we can comprehend a lot about his character through the very little dialogue he says, the description of his posture, living space and occupation. A guy needs somebody to be near him. He whines, A guy goes nots if he aint got nobody. Dont make no difference who the guy is. This quote conveys his loneliness and desperate need for company and acceptance. He reveals his feeling and expresses his anger that has been bottled up for a long time as he states, If I say something, why its the just a nigger saying it. His behaviour towards Lennie shows that he feels the need to get revenge in order to balance the injustice he has faced when he says, I aint wanted in the bunk house, and you aint wanted in my room and taunts Lennie, I said spose George went into town tonight and you never heard of him no more. We can presume that Crooks had dreams or aspirations, however he has been in this state from that long that he has become accustomed to being treated indifferently; Nobody never gets a piece of lan. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody ever gets to heaven. Theyre all the time talkin about it but its jus in their heads. Curleys wife is described to be a pretty newly wedded wife, who has an abundance of time. Hence, with nothing to occupy her, she is known for flirtatious and sexually overt nature. Her character gives the inclination of femme fatale, which is denoted by her way of seeking companionship and attention the sexist attitudes towards women. The working men overlook Curleys wife to be a tart and trouble maker because the only relationship with women they have had is in the cat house. The way Curleys wife is treated shows that women were regarded as their husbands property, only seen for their face value and didnt have a voice past their domestic role. Her husband is controlling and becomes jealous very quickly when he sees her conversing with other men. She is aware of what the workers think of Curley and happens to be a lot smarter than she appears. Curleys wife despises her husband for his mean, jealous and shallow nature. When she talks to Lennie, it is the first time confides in someone, revealing her dreams and how she feels. Being married restricts her from achieving her aspiration to become an actor, since; married women became financially dependent on their husbands once they left their family. This reflects the very

limited opportunities for women at the time to be independent, educated, working and having control over their lives. The reflection of her young days tells us that women would be introduced to society at a young age in order to find young men that could provide them the luxurious lifestyle they dreamed of furthermore, the typical aspiration for a female was to fall in love. We can understand from the perspective of other characters people like Crooks and Curleys wife are considered insignificant in society. Unfortunately, due to the ideology of that time, these characters are forced to rely on the superior for for work, food and shelter and remain powerlessness.