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Mice and Men

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Steinbeck employs the stratergies such as light and shade, lack of a name and discrimination this is to show that the characters of curlys wife and crooks as an outsider.This creates many paralles between Crook and Curlys wife and also this shows them as vulnerable as they are weak in their own ways and they can not defend themselves.

Steinbeck uses the technique of light and shade to portray Curlys wife as an obsticals and a source of lost hope from Curlys.For example when Curlys Wife stands infront of the doorway blocking the light from the bunkhouse,this shows that Curlys wife is dangerous and when slim stands in the doorway Steinbeck does not mention the light.The author represents Curlys wife as somebody who catches the darkness over others.This is shown through the language that the characters use to call her for example "slut,slag,tart",Curlys wife taunts and provokes the ranch and others into talking with her, an action that causes Curley to beat them up. George sees her as a "tart," but Lennie is fascinated by her soft hair and looks. She is unsympathetically portrayed as a female tease until the final scene, . Curlys wife married too early to a husband who neglects her.

Another technique used is a lack of name. Steinbeck does not give her a name because he wants to reflect her complete lack of individual indentity in Curley's eyes, and therefore in the eyes of others.Curley's wife is unnamed for several reasons. She is first and for most not worthy of a name. a name implies that a relationship can exist. Curley's wife is not capable of a relationship; she is not worthy. with a name also comes identification and familiarity. If we were to feel any sort of empathy for Curley's wife, we may not understand or appreciate Lennie's role in her death.There is also the historical role of women in society. Steinbeck wants the reader to recognize the inferior role of women in the world of 1930. The lack of name demotes Curley's wife to insignificant status. She is not as important as the men in the story.Also a different reason can be that she doesn't have a name because she is presented as a possession of Curley's. There was one point where she says 'They left the weak behind.' She was talking about Crooks, Lennie, and Candy, who were all 'weak' in their respective ways. But there was irony because she wasn't even considered a real person but a possession. The other characters refer to her only as "Curley's wife," which makes her the only significant character in the novel without a name. This lack of personal definition underscores this character's purpose in the story: Steinbeck explained that she is "not a person, she's a symbol. She has no function.The lack of a name for Curly's wife may suggest her disconnection from the rest of the workers. another reason can ,be she does not have a name because she has not got her own identity.Curley's wife not having a name can be seen as symbolic as well. Her missing a name emphasizes her second-class citizenship. not having a name is just showing her as an object, the "property" of someone else. Curley's wife can only be seen in reference to her husband, who (supposedly) owns and controls her.

Steinbeck uses the characters of Crooks and Curley’s wife to display that although one character is a black male and the other, a white woman, they still have similar traits.Crooks and Curley’s wife suffer from discrimination around the ranch. Steinbeck expresses discrimination, or prejudice, very simply by refusing to give Curley's wife a name. She is displayed as only a mere item of Curley’s. Curley’s wife is disliked by ranch hands as they only see and think “she’s a rat trap if I ever seen one” and refuse to talk to her. In a similar fashion to Curley’s wife, Crooks is discriminated and treated unfairly in comparison to the other ranch hands. It is simply evident as they refer to Crooks as a “nigger”. This is offensive but he is at the bottom of the hierarchy .“His room is situated away from the others as they “don’t want nothing to do with him.” Crooks is alike Curley’s wife as they are both discriminated and excluded from society. Prejudice towards Crooks and Curley’s wife causes them to be very lonely. Due to the fact that the ranch hands find Curley’s wife troublesome, it means that she can’t talk to nobody and this causes her to be lonesome. Steinbeck illustrates Curley’s wife in a way that makes her seem flirtatious and purty and this is all the men see in her, though she is simply just trying to make conversation.stienbeck also discriminates crooks as he has a crooked back.

Loneliness is also seen in Curley’s wife as she does not t even like Curley who is not a nice man and therefore has nobody to communicate with,.Crooks is discriminated because of his skin colour "They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink" This quote illustrates how the boys on the farm won’t allow Crooks to play cards because he’s black. They discriminate against him by having him live in a little shack across from the bunkhouse. Nobody ever really goes into his shack "You go on get out of my room. I ain't wanted in the bunkhouse" This quote shows how he is not allowed to live in the bunkhouse. These incidents clearly prove that Crooks has been discriminated against. Curly’s wife is the only woman on the farm. Everybody makes fun of her.The quote "Know what I think?" "Well, I think Curley's married... a tart."No one ever wants to talk to her because she’s a woman, “Ain't I got a right to talk to nobody? What ever they think I am, anyways?” She’s not allowed to talk to anyone because everybody thinks she’s a tart. They don’t even know what she’s like and they judge her and disrespect her with no evidence. They just think she’s bad because she’s a woman and that’s prejudice. Clearly Curly’s wife is a victim of discrimination.

The author is expressing his main view on light and shade by showing Curleys wife as someone who catches the darkness of over other.The language used by other characters makes us understand that they have no respect for her as a woman, she has been mistreated and disgraced by everyone. light and shade is also shown through curleys wife always being seen on the negative side light and viewd onn curly wife as negtive compeared to other chracters .discrimination is shown by crooks as they discriminate him by his skin colour as he is the only black person in the ranch, and as he has crooked back.The use of a lack of name is displayed as an unimportant character and also shown as a man`s possession she is regarded as a second-class citizens,a woman degraded by men as she is the only female around. The other characters refer to her only as "Curley's wife,"which makes her the only significant character in the novel without a name.

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