Themes

Themes

1. Prejudice

   • Crooks is racially discriminated against
     • Sleeps in barn
     • "niggar"
     • Doesn't socialise with other men on ranch
   • Curley's Wife is sexually discriminated against
     • "rouged lips" sign of danger
     • not given a name
       • seen a trophy
     • Curley's possession
     • makes her self up even if no one see's her
   • Candy is seen as worthless because of his age
     • represents forgotten elderly generation
     • no privileges for them
   • Lennie has a mental disability and therefore seen as less able than the other men
     • "left weak ones here"
     • can't think for himself
     • relies on George

2. Relationships

   • Frienships
     • George and Lennie have unusual friendship
       • Migrant workers usually don't establish long term relationships
       • Lennie needs George due to disability but George needs Lennie for someone to talk to
       • George stuck in relationships
   • Curley and Curley's Wife
     • Curley's Wife a trophy to Curley
     • Curley shows no affection towards his wife
     • seen as a piece of property to Curley
     • Opposing relationship to George and Lennie

3. Loneliness/ isolation

   • All characters have different loneliness
     • Curley's Wife only women in ranch
     • George is responsible for Lennie
     • Crooks is racially discriminated agaisnt
     • Candy is seen as old and worthless
       • Gets forgotten about
     • George has to look after Lennie
   • Ranch is isolated
     • Set in Soledad
       • Spanish for solitude
       • Steinbeck shows how repetitive the life of a migrant worker is and how hard life was during the great depression
   • "Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world." - George- creates a sense of sympathy they have lost hope in the American Dream
     • But still hope

4. American Dream

   • doomed to fail
   • Great Depression
   • Characters dreams
     • Curley's wife wants to be a movie star
     • Crooks wants to own part of farm with Lennie
     • Lennie own farm to "tend rabbits"
     • Candy wants to follow Lennie's Dream
     • George own farm
   • Migrant workers to be self sustainable