Of mice and men By john Steinbeck – controlled assessment.
How do the relationships between characters reveal the impact of prejudice in Of mice and men?
There are many characters in of mice and men by john Steinbeck that have been subject to prejudice throughout the book. Of mice and men was set in 1930’s America and shows how life was back then and how it is compared and changed to now in the 21’st century. The two characters that I will be writing this controlled assessment on will be Crooks and Curley’s wife. I have chosen these two characters because I believe that these two have quite clearly been victims of prejudice and have suffered the most from this throughout the book.
The first character that I am going to be writing about Is Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife is quite clearly a woman and this is already one of the main reasons that she has been discriminated and seen as a minority throughout the whole book. In 1930’s America woman were seen much lower than everyone else and are not seen as equal to men. The first thing that I noticed about prejudice towards Curley’s wife was the fact that she doesn’t have a name. Throughout the whole novel everyone called her Curley’s wife and I think this is because back then woman where not seen worthy of a name because she is just a possession of Curley and is almost as if she is not worthy of a name.
The first time that Curley’s wife was mentioned was when Candy is describing Curley to Lennie and George. After George hears that Curley has recently got married, he goes on to explain about how Curley is behaving aggressively because he is showing off for his wife. “Maybe he’s showin’ off for his wife “. Candy later said to the two of them “wait’ll you see Curley’s wife” and he is saying this Like she has something wrong with her. Further on in the gossip that they are all having about Curley’s wife, Candy tells them that she has the eye for slim, but Lennie and George don’t really seemed surprised as in all girls back then are only after one thing and try to get with anyone to have a better life. George also says “well, I think Curley’s married…a tart” a tart would be what we call like a prostitute almost so they already don’t like Curley’s wife before they have even seen her which Leeds me on to my next points.
George and lennie first get introduced to Curley’s wife on page 34 and the description then sounded like exactly what candy was talking about. As soon as she (Curley’s wife) left the doorway Lennie said “gosh, she was purty” Lennie seemed like he had fallen for the spell of getting lured in by the tarty look of her. And George noticed straight away and grabbed lennie by the ear and said “listen to me you crazy bastard, don’t you even take a look at that bitch. I don’t care what she does. I seen ‘em poison before, but I have never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her. You leave her be” I believe that George is saying this like he has had experience with girls like her and there are a lot of her type around. People’s first impression of Curley’s wife is that she is like a piece of trash because she is so flirty with everyone and she tries to get with everyman she sees. But overall even if she was not flirty or slutty I think that the boys would already think less of her just because she is a woman.
The second character that I’m going to be writing about is Crooks. The character Crooks is an old black man with a crooked back who is a stable buck in the book. Obviously the main reason that he has been discriminated is because he is black. Throughout the whole book he has been treated differently to everyone else. But the one person who treats him the same as everyone else is lennie. Lennie and crooks talk to each other and I believe this is because lennie is a bit simple minded so he does not discriminate against any of the characters unless George tells him too.
The first time crooks is mentioned is when Candy says “ya see the stable bucks a Nigger” and already you know that crooks is black but is a racist way. In the 1930’s sing words like the where casual and people use it in everyday language which shows how discriminated black people were back then.
Chapter 4 is mostly about crooks and his life and about where he lives. In the chapter crooks says he how he is not wanted. Lennie asks why? And Crooks reply’s with “cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me” Crooks is clearly showing his anger as if everyone has discriminated him since he was born and you can tell that all the people that has been racist to him has had a massive impact in his life because he thinks that everyone is out to get him and everyone is going to be racist to him that’s why he says you all stink to me and is aiming it at white people. In the 1930’s crooks would be seen as a Major minority and john Steinbeck portrays this in the book very well.
The two Characters, Crooks and Curleys wife, in the novel really shows that there are many relationships in of mice and men that reveal how discrimination and prejudice was used in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck shows this throughout the novel and it can show really how society has changed for these “minorities” and how people treat them. John Steinbeck uses loads of language techniques like foreshadowing to communicate his idea of prejudice and how this had effects and impacts on different people’s lives in the novel.
Touching the void
The title of this book, “Touching the Void”, can be interpreted in many ways in both the word touching and the word void. The word void can mean various things and be associated with different meanings. A void could be thought of as the unknown or empty space and in this book I think that they use the word void as if they are reaching the unknown as they have never reached the top of the mountain before and therefore do not know what is up there. In science the word void means empty space or an lack of matter like a vacuum and this could also be associated with the book because the void could be something empty or missing in joe or Simon’s life and they are trying to fill it or accomplish it by climbing up the mountain. Void in some cases can mean death or near the edge of life and in this case this could be true because on the journey that Simon and joe are taking they are always testing the boundaries of life and living on the edge and there has been many occasions where both of them could of ended up dead. Overall I believe that the word void should not just have one meaning but should have many meanings and the title of this book could not have been more interesting or fitting for the story.
Now And Then
Brixton Daytime/Night time
In the daytime the traffic is always busy as everyone is rushing to get to school or work on time. Brixton road is jammed with cars and there’s always someone holding up the cars at the zebra crossing. The traffic lady is always having arguments with the drivers for holding at traffic but she isn’t realy interested in what they have to say. The lorries are ear deafening, their engines make buzzing sounds that hurts my ears every time they drive past me. Before I got to school I like to revise but the irritating cries of babies always side tracks my concentration.The disgusting smell of the garbage truck that drives past everyday at 11 o’clock makes me want to throw up that chicken Mayo wrap I had for breakfast. I haven’t personally smelt a dead rat but I believe there is a high possibility that one of them are inside of that garbage truck. The smell of that curry goat and rice hits my nose every time I walk past the Jamaican food shop it makes me turn back and walk into the shop with delight. It’s like Grandma’s cooking all over again. I order the usual chicken patty and curry goat rice I pay with £5 and tell the shop worker keep the change he always gets annoyed at me though cause the £5 I give him is always in 50p’s.
After I leave the shop I make my next pit stop around the corner to McDonald’s, the sweet smell of fries and the delightful smell of the big mac always leaves a trail to inside the shop which I always fall for. Inside the shop the place is spotless not a single rapper on the floor and the atmosphere is peaceful not to loud and not to quiet. The soothing classical music inside the shop just relaxes you and it makes you feel at one with yourself. When I finish ordering my food I sit down and eat my food , the big mac was properly cooked and the cheese was melted in perfectly and as for the fries that was also done perfect because it wasn’t to salty it was just enough. After I leave the shop I always see the same boy running for the 59 bus. Indirectly he was doing me a favour cause it meant that I didn’t have to run for it because he would always hold up the bus because he has no oyster. I walk to the bus stop and get on the bus to go school.
In the night-time it’s a whole different story its like its a different place , the roads are clear so you don’t hear the sound of car’s that much but every now and then you can hear the buses. On the pavement there are no children there is just large groups of drunk people shouting and drinking.The sweet smell of the Jamaican shop is over polluted by the strong musky smell of cannabis, which makes me want to go the opposite direction because of that musky smell. The buses are always parked next to the bus stop because there is always someone who doesn’t have an oyster and is holding up the bus. Everywhere I look I see drunk people shouting and falling on the floor , one drunk person asked me where McDonald’s was I held my nose because of his disgusting breath. Walking past McDonald’s is a disgusting experience as there is always vomit on the floor and a large group of about 30 teenagers chilling outside smoking, also there are about 20 homeless people trying to touch your face begging for change. I can’t even smell the sweet smell of fries or the delightful smell of the big mac but I was hungry so I decided to walk into to the shop anyway’s. When I walked in I stopped at the door straight away because the state of McDonald’s was atrocious rappers on the floor everywhere, vomit on the floor and barbecue sauce on the window’s. It was so loud in there I could not even hear myself speak , people were shouting and fighting it was a shambles. Anyway’s aside from the chaos in the shop I still proceeded to make my order, I ordered the usual big mac and fries then I sat down to eat. The big mac was undercooked it was cold and the cheese wasn’t even melted, as for the fries they where terrible too much salt its like McDonald’s where trying to poison me!. The peacefulness that the shop had in the morning completely dissapeared at night. Everytime I tried to eat a drunk man would sit next to me and make noise, when I tried to sit somewhere else he would just follow me. The soothing classical music the were played in the morning was non existent as teenagers would bring speakers into McDonalds and play loud rap music. Imagine trying to eat peacefully with loud music polluting the air. I had had enough I left the shop immediately and walked to the bus stop. It was not a surprise for me that the bus was just there waiting for police to come because a gang of boys had no oyster and would not get off the bus.
Shakespeare and the Literacy Heritage
In this controlled assessment I will be explaining and comparing how fate links into Romeo & Juliet, Ozymandias and Song in a Storm.Throughout the assessment I will be comparing the use of metaphors and the use of iambic pentameter. I have #
Shakespeare use metaphors that refers to fate in Romeo and Juliet. In Romeo And Juliet this quote uses metaphors and links to fate ‘I fear, too early for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night’s revels and expire the term Of a despised life closed in my breast By some vile forfeit of untimely death.But He, that hath the steerage of my course,Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen.’ This is a hinting of what really happens in whatever is left of the play. However, regardless of his feelings, Romeo does go into Capulet’s home. The pilot that Romeo is talking about may be God however before the party, Benvolio urged him to forget about his love for Rosaline by heading off to Capulet’s party, where he would see women much nicer than her. Romeo consented to go just to confirm that Rosaline was the nicest. So maybe now Romeo is thinking that his pilot is not God but maybe it is Cupid.This quote links to fate because God is the controller of fate and Romeo asks’s God to steer him on the right path this means that Romeo is leaving his fate up to God.
In the first balcony scene, when Juliet asks “By whose course found’st thou out this spot?” Romeo answers, “By whose direction found’st thou out this place?” Affection was his pilot. It was because he adored Juliet which made him ask himself where Juliet may be and who let him know that he had to discover her and as an exchange for affection’s good advice Romeo gave love (who is unable to see) eyes to discover her. This quote links to fate because Romeo and Juliet are both talking in a iambic meter and it is ongoing just like fate.
Laying himself down next to Juliet, Romeo is about to take his own life. He says, “Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you / The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss / A dateless [eternal] bargain to engrossing [all-consuming] death!” Then he drinks the poison and dies. This links to fate because he could not defy God’s path that God set out for him, previously Romeo tried to defy his fate by saying ‘Is it e’en so? Then I defy you, stars!Thou know’st my lodging. Get me ink and paper,and hire post horses. I will hence tonight.’ By saying he defies the stars he is saying that he is defying God because God is believed to live in heaven in the sky and the link to stars is that stars are also in the sky. God’s path for Romeo was to die which eventually happened despite Romeos struggle. Romeo had to die so that Juliet would die and that the Montague’s and the Capulet’s will end there feud and that was God’s plan.
Kipling uses metaphors that refers to fate in A Song In Storm. In A Song In Storm this quote uses a metaphor’Almost as though they leagued to whelm, Our flag beneath their green’ Kipling makes it out like the waves are out to get them because he says leagued to whelm which is implying that the waves are acting on there own to cause harm to the ship and the crew. Another metaphor that Kipling uses is ‘Then welcome Fate’s discourtesy’ he also personifies fate because he is giving fate a human quality by saying fates discourtesy and by saying fates discourtesy this quote doesn’t just have a metaphor it has personification in it. This quote links to fate because it is directly saying that fate in being inconsiderate. By saying fate is being inconsiderate it means that fate is not being fair and is not considering the people on the ship.
In Ozymandias there is no metaphors in the actual poem however the whole poem itself is an actual metaphor. The whole poem is a metaphor because Ozymandias was a king and all powerful however when we read more into the poem he is a shattered statue. This links to fate because he thought he could escape his fate , he thought he was king of kings but even kings will eventually die but her failed to realist his fate which was evidently death.
In Romeo and Juliet Iambic meter is used. Characters like Romeo & Juliet speak in iambic pentameter this means that they are well educated and high in power because when a servant was speaking to Romeo ‘Perhaps you have learned it without book; but i pray, can you read any thing you see?’ The servant did not use iambic pentameter and as u can see he is not educated because he could not even read. A example of Romeo speaking in iambic pentameter is when he was describing Juliet ‘But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou her maid art far more fair than she:Be not her maid, since she is envious; Her vestal livery is but sick and green And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.’ A example of Juliet speaking in iambic pentameter is when she is talking to Romeo ‘O God, I have an ill-diving soul! Methinks I see thee now, thou art so low, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb. Either my eyesight fails, or thou look’st pale.’
In Ozymandias there in iambic meter throughout the whole poem. An example of this is ‘My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings! Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!’ The fact that there in iambic meter throughout the whole poem i can refer it to fate because the iambic meter is not stop and it is going to continue. Just like fate, fate is non stop and is evidently going to happen.
The structure in Romeo and Juliet tells the story of the play in the prologue ‘Two households, both alike in dignity,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;Whose misadventures piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents strife.The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;The which if you with patient ears attend,What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.’ This would give to reader a understanding of what is going to happen without giving away to much information and spoiling it for the reader. In Romeo and Juliet they use Acts & Scenes instead of stanza’s. This is good because it splits up the poem in sections and helps the reader understand whats happening and where it is happening. In Rome and Juliet Romeo uses rhyme is some of his lines one example of this is when he is talking to Benvolio ‘ When the devout religion of mine eye maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires; and these who, often drown’d, could never die, transparent heretics, be burnt for liars. One fairer than my love! the all-seeing sun ne’er saw her match since first the world begun’
The structure in Ozymandias is different to Romeo and Juliet because it is a sonnet. The poem has 14 lines and throughout the whole poem iambic meter is used. This poem uses rhyme just like Romeo and Juliet but it does not use the same rhyme pattern it uses ABABACDCEDEFEF. Unlike Romeo and Juliet it does not use acts and scenes it uses stanzas instead.
In Shakespeare and
This is Your Online Domain
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