How Steinbeck Uses Two of His Characters to Explore the...

How Steinbeck Uses Two of His Characters to Explore the Role of Power in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck The two characters that I have chosen to examine for exploring the role of power in the novel are Slim and Curley. Slim is a highly skilled mule driver and the acknowledged â€Å"prince† of the ranch. Slim is both respected and admired by all of the men he works with. In the book it says that â€Å"Slim’s opinion in law† and that â€Å"Slim don’t need to wear no high-heeled boots† to say that he is superior over the others because that’s how the men see him anyway. He is seen as the leader in the bunkhouse because his word is final, for example, Slim has the last word in the situation of whether to shoot†¦show more content†¦Slim has natural power; his authority is gained through respect of the other men. They come to him voluntarily to ask his advice and to talk to him. Slim’s height is also used to reflect his status and shows us that even though he could have physical power over the men, he chooses not to, instead he respects them. Slim is seen as the leader by the men even though it seems that he is equal to them. The fact that Slim is very modest seems to make him even more powerful. The relationship between Slim and the men is symbiotic because he gives them as much respect as they give to him. â€Å"Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him.† This shows that the men are willing to let Slim go before them, because of the relationship that they have, and it appears to happen in a natural way. There is a big difference in the way that Slim and Curley use their power. Slim does not abuse the power he has, unlike Curley. Slim if fairly equal to the other men as he wears the same type of clothes, works hard and sleeps in the bunkhouse along with them. I think that this makes the men respect him more as he is one of them and does not see himself as superior to them. Curley wears boots to make himself stand out and does not work like the others do. He also sleeps in the house away from the other men and this makes him think that he is superior over the other men.Show MoreRelatedExplore The Ways That John Steinbeck Presents Strong Feelings1026 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Explore the ways that John Steinbeck presents strong feelings/attitudes in Of Mice And Men. A strong attitude portrayed in the novel is Racism. John Steinbeck uses the character Crooks in order to represent racism and what it was like for the black community during the Great Depression. The ranchmen and Curleys wife all display racist attitudes towards Crooks, for example in chapter four Curleys Wife says Well you just keep your place then, Nigger. 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