Cruelty

Question 1

Lennie and Crooks interaction

Answer 1

• ‘smiled helplessly in an attempt to make friends.’
• ‘Crooks face lighted with pleasure in his torture.’
• The contrast between Lennie being happy and friendly due to being free of the concept of social barriers vs Crooks who is unhappy and offensive towards Lennie due to him being conscious of the social barriers
• Steinbeck shows through this contrast that the utopian world without racism is one that we should strive for. And that a world with racism isn’t because it is abusive and will only result in torture. Steinbeck wants us to have the same pure attitude as Lennie does, being blind of stereotypes and treating others normally.

Question 2

Cruel nature of humans

Answer 2

-George + Lennie fleeing from mob in Weed: trial by others’ opinions
- example of rough justice, taken into hands of the people, no chance for Lennie’s defence
- ‘they run us outta Weed’ , ‘out to lynch Lennie’
- 1930s – lynchings common during mob attacks due to social + economic instability + anger towards minorities (outlet/scapegoats for problems within society)
- Steinbeck shows immediacy with which things can escalate and how dangerous it was to live in this society

Question 3

The contrast of the light outside for the typical ranch worker and the dark reality for neurodivergent people during the Great Depression, shown through the visual imagery as a metaphor

Answer 3

• ‘a little dead puppy that lay in front of him’
• ‘shouts of men, playing, encouraging, jeering’
• represents the dark side to the life of neurodivergent people during Great Depression
• the other men would never understand
• society needs attitudes to change in order to help free neurodivergent people from their dark futures of mental asylums