OMM POWER/ POWERLESSNESS Flashcards
(5 cards)
Why is power and powerlessness important in the novel?
It shows how social systems—such as class, race, and gender—affect people’s lives and choices.
The power dynamics in the novel are often tied to violence, control, and survival.
Characters who are powerless often try to gain some sense of agency, even if they ultimately fail.
💪 Key Characters and Their Power or Powerlessness:
- George and Lennie
George has some power, but it’s limited—he’s dependent on his ability to protect Lennie.
Lennie, despite his physical strength, is powerless because he doesn’t understand his own actions and is dependent on George.
🗣️ George: “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.”
The dream of owning land is the only form of power they have—control over their own lives.
- Curley
Curley is the boss’s son, so he has some social power. He uses it to intimidate and control others.
His power is shown in his attempts to dominate others, especially Lennie, to compensate for his own insecurities and physical limitations.
🗣️ Curley: “I’ll show you who’s the boss.”
- Curley’s Wife
Curley’s wife is perhaps the most powerless character in the novel because of her gender and status as the only woman on the ranch.
She is isolated, ignored, and treated as an object—yet, she tries to exert control by flirting with the men and asserting her presence.
🗣️ Curley’s wife: “I get awful lonely.”
4. Crooks
Crooks is a black man who is segregated from the others and lives in a small room away from the rest of the ranch workers.
He is physically disabled, which further isolates him, and he has no real power in the society of the ranch.
🗣️ Crooks: “A guy needs somebody – to be near him.”
- Candy
Candy, an older worker with one hand, is powerless due to his age and disability.
His dog’s death symbolizes his own fate in a world that values strength and usefulness.
🗣️ Candy: “I ain’t got no relatives or nothing. I been around a long time. I know what they’ll do to me.”
⚖️ Power Dynamics and the Struggle for Control
George and Lennie’s friendship gives them some emotional power—they have each other to rely on, unlike most of the other men. However, their dream of owning a farm is also an expression of their desire for control over their lives.
Curley’s wife, though in a position of authority over the men, has very little personal power and is trapped in her marriage and gender roles.
Crooks and Candy represent the powerless, but their attempts to gain some control over their lives (e.g., joining the dream of the farm) shows how powerlessness drives them to cling to hope.
What Does Steinbeck Say About Power and Powerlessness?
Power is relative: Even characters who hold some power (like Curley) are ultimately insecure and vulnerable.
Powerlessness is painful, especially for marginalized characters who are systemically oppressed due to race, disability, gender, or age.
The American Dream is a fantasy of control that many characters fail to achieve—Steinbeck shows how it’s often a delusion for those with little power.
Techniques Used:
Foreshadowing: Characters like Lennie and Candy’s dog are shown as vulnerable early on, making their deaths more tragic.
Symbolism: Lennie’s strength represents physical power, but his lack of understanding symbolizes powerlessness.
Character contrast: George and Lennie’s friendship is a rare example of emotional power in a harsh world, contrasting with the other isolated characters.
