Of Mice and Men Themes Analysis Flashcards
(17 cards)
Analyse the quote “He’s alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he’s mad at ’em because he ain’t a big guy.”
Curley uses aggression to assert dominance over bigger men because he feels emasculated by his small stature. His need to prove himself reflects how power can be used to mask weakness. It’s a critique of toxic masculinity and insecure authority (theme power)
Analyse the quote “You know what I could Y
do to you if you open your trap…I could get you strung up on a tree so east it ain’t even funny”
This shows how Curley’s wife uses her racial power over Crooks, reminding him of the dangerous consequences Black men faced in 1930s America. Though she’s marginalized as a woman, she manipulates the little power she has over someone even lower in the social hierarchy. (theme power)
Analyse the quote “Curley burst into the room excitedly. “Any you guys seen my wife?” he demanded”
The quote highlights how possessive Curley is of his wife and how he treats her more like an object then a human, highlighting how he feels he owns his wife and has power and control over her, demonstrating the huge issue of gender inequality at the time (theme power)
Analyse the quote “Lennie! … you gonna be sick like you was last night.”
The quote highlights the parental power George holds over Lennie, and how he feels responsible for keeping Lennie safe, highlighting the lack of compassion there was for mental disability there was in the 1930’s as George knows that Lennie will be mistreated if he doens care and look out for him (theme power)
Analyse the quote “They fell into a silence. They looked at one another amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true”
The quote emphasises how for most people the American dream will always be just out of reach and many people never believe they will actually get their, but also demonstrates the joy the Dream can provide especially for itinerant workers who already live a harsh life (theme American Dream)
Analyse the quote “… If you guys would want a hand to work for nothing – just his keep, why I’d come an lend a hand”
The American Dream appeals to everyone even Crooks, who has become very cynical and skeptical of life since he has faced so much hardship and discrimination due to his race, and after all that he still allows himself to dream of a better future (theme American Dream)
Analyse the quote “Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.”
This quote demonstrates how fragile and unrealistic the American Dream is for most people, however many don’t realise it and will keep believing in it their whole life. But as Crooks has faced so much hardship he knows that dreams are often crushed by he harsh reality of life, especially in the grueling times of the Great depression (theme American Dream)
Analyse the quote “He says he was gonna put me in the movies”
The quote highlights how Curley’s Wife also had an American dream demonstrating how everyone at some point in their life dreamt of a better future, but also highlights how her dream was shattered and now she is stuck with the harsh reality of living with Curley (theme American Dream)
Analyse the quote “Tell me about the rabbits, George.”
This quote demonstrates the comfort and joy the American Dream brings to George mirroring the comfort the American dream brings to all people in America in the 1930’s because the Great Depression made their lives so hard the people had no choice but to dream of a better future and eventually it would become a symbol of hope and comfort for all (theme American Dream)
Analyse the quote “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world”
This quote highlights the constant isolation the itinerant workers feel, moreover also illustrating the lack of belonging the itinerant workers feel as they constantly have to move around, the quote also contrasts George and Lennie’s friendship suggesting they are unlike other workers (theme loneliness)
Analyse the quote “You can talk to people, but I can talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to anybody?”
The quote illustrates the deep loneliness Curley’s Wife feels because of her controlling husband not letting her interact with others, demonstrating how men held power over their wives in the 1930’s. Moreover explaining her desperation to interact and talk with others (theme loneliness)
Analyse the quote “ A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody”
Demonstrates the deep impact loneliness has on mental health and the well being of a person, highlighting how aware Crooks is of these affect due to his constant isolation because of his skin colour (theme loneliness)
Analyse the quote I ain’t got no relatives nor nothing.”
Highlights Candy’s fear of aging alone now that his sole companion his dog has been killed, reflecting how society were often unaware of the loneliness old people faced.
(theme loneliness)
Analyse the quote “Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego—nothing to arouse either like or dislike.”
This emphasises how discrimination and racism strips away Crookes’s sense of self and his identity. Moreover, the fact that Crooks does not retaliate highlights his awareness for the harsh consequences black men will face in the 1930’s (theme discrimination)
Analyse the quote “They left all the weak ones here”
Demonstrates how Curley’s wife recognises how she is seen as inferior because she is the only woman on the ranch. This highlights the social hierarchy that is extremely prevalent in the ranch life and how hard it is when you are at the bottom of it. (theme discrimination)
Analyse the quote “They’ll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog.”
The quote reflects how people with mental disability are often seen as less then human and were often dehumanised, moreover emphasising the lack of compassion society had for mental disability at the time (theme discrimination)
Analyse the quote “He’s jes’ like a kid, ain’t he.”
The quote highlights how people often treat Lennie as a child and underestimate his capabilities just because of his mental disability (theme discrimination)
