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Examples Of Institutionalized Oppression In Of Mice And Men

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Institutionalized Oppression and Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck, and award-winning American novelist. Born in 1902, Steinbeck was raised in California’s Salinas valley which, in later years, greatly influenced his writing. Steinbeck’s seventh published book, Of Mice and Men, follows an unlikely pair of male migrant workers. One man, George, small and logical; the other man, Lennie, large yet lacking wit. Together, they work to make the American Dream a reality. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses Lennie and his disability, Curley’s wife and her sex, and Crooks and the color of his skin to prove there is institutionalized oppression in American society. To begin, Lennie and his disability prove there is institutionalized oppression in American society. Lennie is depicted as a large man, capable of doing manual labor, but not capable of thinking for himself. Thus, George, his closest companion, …show more content…

Disabled people, particularly the mentally disabled, were locked up in cages and treated as if they were dogs. The normalization of putting people in cages established, and made it okay, for the disabled to be oppressed in American society. When people with a disability are regarded as burdens and treated inhumanely by society, a system of institutionalized oppression is put into place and made okay by American society. To continue, Curley’s wife and her sex are used to prove there is institutionalized oppression in American society. Curley’s wife is the only woman on the ranch in Of Mice and Men and she is often shunned since the men consider her to be a tart. Soon after Lennie and George arrive on the ranch, Curley’s wife comes to where they are staying to see if Curley is there. After she is dismissed, the men feel the need to gossip about her nature. George says, “‘Jesus, what a tramp,” he said… “She’s purty,” said Lennie

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Comparing George And Lennie In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

644 Words | 3 Pages

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is the story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, who are on a mission to live off the “fatta the lan’.” The story is based in 1930s Salinas Valley, California, and shows the troubles that George and Lennie meet while they work on a ranch to earn enough money to buy their own land. After a mishap leads to Lennie killing a rancher’s wife, George kills Lennie as an act of mercy for the safety of others and for Lennie himself. The differences and similarities between George and Lennie give light to what motivates their actions and how they function together.

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Examples Of Stereotypes In Of Mice And Men

864 Words | 4 Pages

Being treated differently based on your physical and mental state is very common in our world. So common, that it is often talked about and written about. Stereotypes are a major focus in Of Mice and Men, particularly stereotypes against the handicapped. There are many instances throughout this book that demonstrates how discrimination against the impaired characters connects to the theme loneliness. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, stereotypes against the disabled greatly impacted the sense of loneliness of the characters.

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Examples Of Outcasts In Of Mice And Men

639 Words | 3 Pages

What is an outcast in a novel? An outcast in a novel is someone who is not accepted by their peers. People usually see them as very different, and they cannot relate to those differences the outcasts give them. Lennie, Crook’s, and Curley’s wife are the outcasts in the novel “Of Mice and Men.”

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How Does Steinbeck Present The Theme Of Isolation In Of Mice And Men

822 Words | 4 Pages

Of Mice and Men is a novel written by John Steinbeck. The book is set in California, the birthplace of Steinbeck, which is the setting of most of his books. Of Mice and Men is about George and Lennie, two ranch workers, who travel together and look after each other. The men travel to a new ranch after Lennie, who is mentally disabled, gets himself into trouble. On the new ranch, it is seen as unusual that George and Lennie travel together because most of the ranch workers live alone.

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Examples Of Social Outcasts In Of Mice And Men

610 Words | 3 Pages

Every human is different, and sometimes that difference leads to one being a social outcast. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there is a ranch, and on that ranch there are three obvious social outcasts. Lennie, a child in the body of a full grown man, is the first social outcast revealed in the book. As the story goes on, we meet another social outcast, an old man named Candy. The third obvious social outcast is a black man named Crooks.

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Literary Analysis Of John Manbeck's Of Mice And Men

1121 Words | 5 Pages

Of Mice and Men Literary Analysis Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” As a writer, John Steinbeck’s weapon is the written word and in his famous novel Of Mice and Men, he ventures to change the ideas and opinions of his readers. Of Mice and Men is set in 1930’s America during the Great Depression. Even though there are some instances in the novel where Steinbeck seems to mirror the attitudes of the past, there also are several instances where the author he displays the need for societal change. He uses characters in the novel, such as Lennie, to demonstrate the mistreatment of the mentally disabled.

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How Does Steinbeck Use Of Foreshadowing In Of Mice And Men

954 Words | 4 Pages

Of Mice and Men tells a story based in California during the 1930s; of two men who have very different characteristics, but share the same goal. The men, George and Lennie, are migrant workers. At their new job, they meet many individuals: Candy, who is very old and cleans the bunkhouse; Curley, who is the boss’s son; Curley's wife, Crooks, the stable hand; and Slim, who is known as the “prince of the ranch.” Though they recently started, their new job quickly goes downhill. John Steinbeck’s book is carefully written and often uses hints to foretell what will happen next.

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Examples Of Prejudice In Of Mice And Men

708 Words | 3 Pages

Prejudice is something we see everyday: on the news, in social media, and even in the community. Prejudice isn’t something new either - Of Mice and Men shows that. Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, tells the story of one man with a mental disability (Lennie) and the other who takes care of him (George). They run from their hometown and begin work on a ranch. From here on out it is shown how Steinbeck’s characters relate and how they are different, through qualities and personalities.

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Social Injustice In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

513 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel “Of Mice and Men” John Steinbeck portrays the theme of social injustice throughout the story in the lives of several characters that include Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and the stable buck, Crooks. All of these characters are mistreated in some way, shape or form. The hardships that these characters faced help guide us to see the social injustice that is prevalent in the story. Lennie is a victim of social injustice due to the fact that he is mentally disabled. He is not treated fairly when he was accused of rape.

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Of Mice And Men Quotes On Curley's Wife

886 Words | 4 Pages

Of Mice and Men is a novel which tells the story of two friends traveling together and working on a ranch in Depression-era California. This story is filled with memorable characters, one of which being Curley’s wife. Curley is the ranch owner’s son. He and his wife got married at a young age, but her original plan was not to marry Curley. In this novel, she is illustrated as a ‘tart’.

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Examples Of Disabilities In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

713 Words | 3 Pages

Nearly 1 in 5 people have a disability in the United States. In our society, people who have disabilities are looked at differently than those who do not. In the book Of Mice and Men, one can imagine the abuse one takes because of their differences. During the 1930’s in Salinas CA, There is a man named Lennie Small, but do not be fooled by his last name because he is a large man who is also very strong. Unfortunately, he suffered an accident which caused him to have a brain injury.

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Sexism In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

973 Words | 4 Pages

World of Sexism Due to the Great Depression, women’s rights took a back seat to employment and poverty. It was believed that women shouldn’t work but stay at home, clean, cook, and raise their children. The prejudice against women in the society was great back in the 1930s for they were degraded and underestimated. All the rights they had gained in the 1920s were neglected and the women were once again maltreated. In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the victim of sexism is Curley’s wife who is so insignifact that even a name was not provided for her.

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Stereotypes In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

967 Words | 4 Pages

They are odd, in the eyes of the other workers, because they travel together. They meet Curley’s wife, the daughter-in-law of the owner of the ranch, who happens to be the sole woman on the farm. The workers’ colored views of women portray Curley’s wife as a negative character before her true self is revealed later in the book, as she nears her death. Through the worker’s assumptions and diction, Steinbeck demonstrates how negative stereotypes drive negative behaviors and beliefs.

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How Does Steinbeck Use Figurative Language In Of Mice And Men

230 Words | 1 Pages

Of Mice and Men is a book by John Steinbeck that contains a multitude of different characters all described and created with different, yet accompanying characteristics. Steinbeck uses diction, figurative language, and adjectives to give his characters attributes that otherwise would not have been there. Steinbeck uses similes to compare his characters to something simple, so that the reader can grasp a basic understanding of the characters. When he refers to Slim he says “His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer” which gives the reader an artistic visual of how Slim’s hands would perform actions. Steinbeck also uses metaphors to offer a whimsical way to display his characters’ personalities.

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The Role Of Curley's Wife In Of Mice And Men

1197 Words | 5 Pages

In the story Of Mice and Men Curley’s wife is a victim for things she does when she lives her life like everyone else in this story, from the men, her mother, and Curley. The outcasts of the story lead to be the head of the pack by the end. Many blame the only female on the ranch, some may blame George, and some may blame the murderer, Lennie Smalls. Curley’s wife is indubitably not the one to tirade. From the beginning of her run to escape her controlling mother, she got herself into a bigger wreck with marrying Curley.

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