American Dream and violence theme Flashcards
American Dream paragraph 1 quotes and analysis - George, Lennie & Candy
‘George said softly-,” -I think snowed from the very first.”
Candy speaks his ‘greatest fear’.
George’s attitude of hopefulness and positivity takes a turn when he realises Lennie’s actions through ‘softly’ connoting despair.
George and Lennie’s once desired farm, the symbol of their dreams, now symbolises their destroyed dream, hope and loss of friendship that made George, Lennie and Candy once believe in their dream becoming a possibility.
‘I think I knowed from the very first’ - Highlights unlikely reality of George owning a farm due to Lennie’s consequential mistake.
Having an American Dream in a friendship makes you vulnerable in a Darwinian society - ‘greatest fear’ superlative
American Dream paragraph 2 quote and analysis - Crooks
”s’pose you didn’t have nobody. s’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy cause you was black’. “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody”.
Crooks is representative of US racism as he faces racial discrimination and is secluded from the social circle due to his colour - the ranch is a microcosm of the American society.
Ostracised from white people in the bunkhouse and desires to enjoy simple pleasures such as playing cards with other men, however he knows his rights through the ‘California Civil code’ as his isolation is his protection, which is symbolic of his position in society.
Crooks dreams to be his own boss on his own ranch and freedom, but context limits Crooks as to what he can achieve.
American Dream paragraph 3 quote and analysis - Curley’s wife
“Coulda been in the movies an had nice clothes, an i coulda sat in those big hotels and had pitchers taken of me, because the guy said I was a natural”.
Use of past tense shows her dream is over and her dream to become a film star is unlikely, although she still fantasises about it.
She cares about how she looks and likes expensive things, contrasting with her life in the ranch.
Suggests how her life is unnatural as she isn’t living the life she wants to be living.
Constantly craves validation from other man that aren’t Curley, as she feels she doesn’t get the attention she deserves.
Thus described as ‘a tart’ as opinions and stereotypes around Curlety’s wife reinforce her flirtatious behaviour, while she is trapped by her gender and societies expectations of it.
Violence and Anger paragraph 1 quotes and analysis - Crooks
”s’pose you didn’t have nobody. s’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy cause you was black’. “Well s’pose, just s’pose he don’t come back”.
Crooks is representative of US racism as he faces racial discrimination and is secluded from the social circle due to his colour - the ranch is a microcosm of the American society.
Ostracised from white people in the bunkhouse and desires to enjoy simple pleasures such as playing cards with other men, however he knows his rights through the ‘California Civil code’ as his isolation is his protection, which is symbolic of his position in society.
Crooks exhibits corrosive effects that loneliness can have on a person; evokes sympathy as origins of his cruel behaviour is made evident.
Crooks is a disempowered character who turns his vulnerability into a weapon to attack those weaker.
Violence and Anger paragraph 2 quotes and analysis - Curley and Lennie
“Curley stepped over too Lennie like a terrier”. “Flopping like a fish on a line”.
Steinbeck effectively uses similes when comparing the boss’ son to a small dog. A terrier is a hunting dog notoriously know of being aggressive and belligerent, showing Curley is the aggressor due to his Napoleon syndrome when half of Lennie’s size.
Curley is the predator hunting his prey, linking to his “high-heeled boots” marking status and wealth and Curley abuses his power to assert dominance over those disadvantaged by creating an environment of loneliness and isolation.
Working class presented as stronger when Curley is “flopping like a fish on a line” showing he is now the prey rather than the predator, emphasising this land-owning class is more vulnerable than one is led to believe.
Crushing of Curley’s hand shows the power dynamic that uses aggression and cruelty to relate employers with their workers who are helpless and vulnerable like Lennie, and how they cannot be blamed for acting out when frightened.
Violence and anger paragraph 3 - Curley’s wife and Lennie
Chapter 1 Steinbeck sets the initial tone for Lennie’s unintentional, murderous power when he is ‘petting’ a mouse and accidentally kills it.
This is a continuous repeating pattern throughout the novel starting small scale with animals such as mice and puppies, foreboding here treacherous future to come.
Misconceptions of non-neurotypical people were common the early 20th century as there was minimal understanding of mental illness and they were normally sent to mental asylums, so George felt the need to protect Lennie even when violent, which would’ve been seen as unusual.
Steinbeck utilises the character of Lennie to subvert societies expectations of disabled people as a childlike mind doesn’t equate to being weak, conveyed through Lennie’s aggression that leads to the murder of Curley’s wife.
The butterfly effect shows how Lennie’s violence started small, but progressively grew overtime when he reached out for Curley’s wife’s hair and broke her neck in a panic when she ‘flops like a fish’.
This helps the reader to understand the importance of strength and power, even when it isn’t deliberate.
As society weren’t willing to help those disadvantaged, Lennie didn’t receive the medical help and support that was necessary, ultimately resulting in the uncalculated murder of an innocent person.
