Quote analysis Flashcards
(28 cards)
Name all the contexts in ‘Of Mice and Men’
- Steinbeck worked on a ranch himself
- treatment of women
- treatment of people with disabilities
- treatment of people of colour
- Robert burns poem to a mouse
- great depression
- wall street crash
- itinerant workers / oakies
- dust bowl
- the american dream
- golden age of hollywood
- patriarchal society
- soledad
- napoleon complex
- Social Darwinism
analyse the quote: ‘She had full rouged lips . . . her finger-nails were red, . . . her voice had a brittle quality … and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’.
- the colour red symbolises danger and sexuality
- Very flirtatious, provocative and demanding
- ‘brittle’ foreshadows the events of her death where Lennie breaks her neck
context
treatment of women in the 1930’s American society
analyse the quotes: “don’t you ever take a look at that b*tch. . . I seen ’em poison before, but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her”
candy - ‘a tart’
- ‘Jail bait’ – metaphor to warn Lennie that she isn’t to be spoken to
- Dangerous
- Use of derogatory language towards Curley’s wife amplifies the opinions men had towards women that she was a threat and not a woman
- candy calling her a ‘tart’ further symbolises mens opinions of women and how they were objectified
context
treatment of women - misogyny, objectified, dehumanized
dust bowl - she exposes how itinerant workers were unable to establish connections to others
Analyse: “Coulda’ been in the movies. . . an’ had pitchers took of me.”
- perceives the movies as an escape from the life she is currently in
- “pitchers took of me” desires the attention to be on her which she doesn’t get from her husband or the men
- A coping mechanism for her
- After her failure to achieve a life on stage she marries Curley to escape the hardship and lack of opportunity as she believes he will give her the life she desires – but she is just lonely and oppressed. – Portraying the American dream as a myth / abstract point of view.
Context
- Golden age of Hollywood - many women at the time desired to be in the movies
- patriarchal society - many woman couldn’t achieve their own dreams of being in the movies as they had to work on ranches for their husbands to succeed.
- American dream
Analyse: ‘You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?’
- Curley’s wife Makes herself feel good as she is socially superior in this situation as women were usually seen as sexual commodities, marginalised by male dominated race for survival.
- Takes advantage of the power she has over the others
- Reader loses sympathy for Curley’s wife as she mistreats Crooks because of his Race
- Ironic as she isolates others after she has experienced the feeling herself.
- Shows how even the oppressed can oppress others when given the chance.
Context
treatment of people of colour (Jim crow laws) - an example of how people of colour were often victims of discrimination during the 1930’s
- KKK - how people of colour were treated
Analyse:
‘Curley’s rage exploded’
‘Curley was balanced and poised’
‘He worked himself into a fury’
- Anger is his dominant emotion, Sadness and grief is secondary
– relationship lacked love and mutual respect - Brutal and Ruthless
- suggests he enjoys fighting or uses it to assert control.
Context
- patriarchal society - how woman were marginalised by men
- treatment of woman
Analyse:
‘Glove fulla Vaseline’
‘Keepin’ that hand soft for his wife’
Glove serves as a visual warning to the other ranch workers – possessive, insecure
- Very demanding
- Thinks very highly of himself
- Insecure about his status
- Curley is ridiculed, suggesting insecurity beneath his tough image.
**Context **
patriarchal society – exploration and misuse of power of those at the top of the hierarchy
Treatment of woman - She’s objectified and it shows lack of respect
Analyse:
‘Wears high heeled boots’
‘Pugnacious’
‘Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys’
- represents capitalist ideas and the capitalist system during the great depression
- Desires a physical power imbalance as he wants to obtain power over others
- eager to argue as he is insecure about his status
Context
great depression/wall street crash - many workers migrated west in search for work to fund their debts
- Napoleon complex - short man syndrome - he is aggressive to make up he his small stature
analyse:
‘A round stick like wrist but no hand’
- Candy’s age and physical ability reduces his value in the eyes of others on the ranch.
- Savours the little money he has because he cannot earn his wealth through physical labour
- Harder on Candy as he works in a testosterone fuelled environment.
- Dehumanization – The way Candy’s hand is described in such an impersonal way highlights how he’s seen more as a tool than a person, especially in a society that values strength.
Context
Dust bowl - after the dust bowl physical labour was the main source of income for most people
treatment of people with disabilities - second class employable status as he wasn’t an efficient worker - harsh reality of 1930’s
analyse:
‘I ought to have shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to have let no stranger shoot my dog’
‘ When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me.’
- He can’t bare to live without his dog anymore or live with the regret of not killing his dog himself.
- Recognises that his life is so lonely that without his dog it isn’t worth living.
- regret and guilt - feels a sense of responsibility for the dog and wished he did it himself
- highlights his vulnerability of being an old man and fear of being discarded when he is no longer useful
context
treatment of people with disability - he is aware that he could be discarded easily much like his dog
Social Darwinism – In the context of the ranch, where strength and self-sufficiency are prized, Candy’s age and disability make him feel isolated and disposable.
Analyse:
‘Blind old eyes’
‘Struggled lamely’
-Dog was seen to be his closest friend and representative of his compassionate nature
– very similar depictions – parallels to each other
Context
Dust bowl – itinerant workers could not establish meaningful relationships with others meaning he experienced loneliness and isolation
Social Darwinism – In the context of the ranch, where strength and self-sufficiency are prized, Candy’s age and disability make him feel isolated and disposable.
Analyse:
‘This thing they had never really believed in was coming true’
‘I think I knowed we’d never do her’ – George to Candy
- Shows he is willing to find new relationships with people, unlike other itinerant workers, after he strikes a close bond with George and Lennie in regards to their own ranch
- False hope of a dream that society promises you
-Surrender the dream
Context - Portraying the American dream as a myth / abstract point of view – unachievable
- Itinerant workers - they struggled to develop relationships as they moved around from ranch to ranch
- Robert Burns poem ‘To a mouse’ - dreams don’t always work out (‘the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry’)
Analyse: ‘a long box filled with straw on which his blankets were flung’
- dehumanizes Crooks
- Similar living to the horses he cares for
Context
- Jim crow laws - prevent him from sleeping in the same room as other workers
Steinbeck - lived and worked on a ranch himself so has first hand experiences
Analyse:
‘crooks’ face lit up with pleasure’
Steinbeck uses Lennie to provide crooks with a sense of power over Lennie when he describes the reality of what life would be like without George.
- amplifies the pleasure of power and his need for friendship
- Shows how even the oppressed can oppress others when given the chance.
Context
- treatment of people with disability
Analyse:
‘a guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody’
‘a guy gets too lonely he gets sick’
- “a guy” gives a generalised tone, suggesting this applies to all men
- describes both the mental and physical effects of lonliness
- These quotes show a rare moment of vulnerability.
- Steinbeck is making a wider social comment on how 1930’s American society, failed to provide compassion and equality.
- Human need for connection – Crooks’ reaction emphasizes the universal need for companionship
Context - Jim crow laws - segregation between white people and people of colour so he is lonely as he doesn’t have anyone to speak to
- KKK - how people of colour were treated
Analyse: ‘nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head.’
- Represents religious beliefs of the time
- Naivety
- Steinbeck uses crooks as a mouth piece to get his owns views across about criticising the American Dream
Context - Aspirations for the American dream
Analyse: ‘you know what I can do to you if you open your trap’
‘well you keep your place then’
- ‘derogatory language’ – used to remove crooks sense of identity and alienate him in society
- the verb ‘easy’ exaggerates the difference in power between the two of them because it refers to how it will not be hard for Curley’s wife to have crooks lynched.
Context
reference to the Jim crow laws and the KKK because any evidence of a person of colour offending a white person was a considerable reason for the white supremacist group to attack, kill, lynch or harm that person or their family in any manner they choose.
Analyse:
‘Dark of face’
‘Restless eyes’
‘Sharp strong features’
Cautious, Careful, Restless
Leader of the two men
Context
Dust Bowl – Due to infertile land, many people travelled to West California to look for work – Itinerant workers
Analyse: ‘So nice if I didn’t have you on my tail’
‘Live so easy’
‘Have a girl’
Frequently displays feelings of frustration
George feels responsible for Lennie
Profound feelings of care and respect between the characters
Lennie provides both companionship and protection – Father-son relationship
Context
nomadic lifestyle of itinerant workers - loneliness and isolation. However, George and Lennie’s friendship sets them apart from other workers.
Represents an ‘alternative’ family structure, reinforces the difficulty faced by men to have a normal family life.
Analyse: ‘George’s voice was taking on a tone of confession’
Confession – religious element (Catholicism)
Slim takes on the role of a priest - revitalises their sins, provides absolution
Slim is trustworthy – So George opens up
Context
Migrant workers could never establish any kind of emotional attachment
Testosterone fuelled environment
Analyse:
‘Moved with majesty’
‘Royalty’
‘Prince of the ranch’
‘Slim’s opinions were law’
‘there was a gravity in his manner’
Regal imagery – comparing to someone with high social status
- Exerts authority without aggression / intimidation
Calm assured confidence
He brings order to the ranch – a moral code
**Context **
– Represents the rise of the natural leaders in society during the harsh environment of the depression.
Analyse:
‘Slim’s calm invitation to confidence’
‘God like eyes fastened on him’
‘George’s voice was taking on a tone of confession’
– Intensely elevated position – above God
– Not forceful / insistant
Wants George to open up about Lennie
Confession – religious element (Catholicism)
Slim takes on the role of a priest - revitalises their sins, provides absolution
Slim is trustworthy – Macho / Testosterone fuelled environment
Context
- Dust Bowl – Due to the nomadic lifestyle of itinerant workers, men were unable to stablish any kind of meaningful and emotional attachment to others as they moved from ranch to ranch so often – loneliness and isolation.
Represents the closest thing to the presence of ‘God’ – Authoritative figure
Analyse:
‘Slim’s opinions were law’
‘Me an’ you’ll go in an’ get a drink’
During the fight Slim sees that Lennie is the true victim – has done nothing wrong
Moral arbiter – Tells Curley a different story in order to protect George and Lennie
Respect, no one questions slim
Slim sympathises with George – metaphorically puts an arm around him – consoles him
Carlson and Curley are emotionally stunted and represent the ruthless harsh reality of life on the ranch.
Context - Intelligent understanding and practical awareness that some people will never survive and need to be put out of their misery (Lennie)
Analyse: ‘a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders’
this description of Lennie highlights how he is the polar opposite to his partner George
highlights his strength and his huge presence as a character
