Investigating the Themes in Of Mice and Men

Choose one of the following questions that interests you most to respond to in this week’s blog 

post:

1.)  What different forms of power exist in Of Mice and Men?  What kind of power does Lennie 

have?  What kind of power does George have?  What kinds of power or powerlessness do 

other characters possess?  

2.)  What kind of relationship do George and Lennie have?  Is their relationship a friendship?  

How does this relationship express Steinbeck’s position on the individual versus the 

community?

3.)  Is the American Dream a real possibility in the story?  If yes, what characters, symbols, 

events, or other details from the story confirm that the American Dream is within reach?  If not, 

what characters, symbols, events, or other details from the story represent the American Dream 

as out of reach?  


Check out the info History.com has to offer about the American 1930s!  Who had power in the 

1930s?  Who did not?  What kinds of power existed then?  What important relationships were 

formed in the 1930s?  Was the American Dream still alive in the 1930s? 



          George has power over Lennie.  He bosses Lennie around and is verbal rather than physical.  On page 9, "Slowly, like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again.  George snapped his fingers sharply, and at the sound Lennie laid the mouse in his hand."  George is like the master and Lennie is like the terrier.  he controls everything Lennie does.  It says that George snapped his fingers and at the snap, Lennie put the mouse in his hand.  Lennie is powerless compared to George.  George, Lennie, and all the other men working in fields were powerless during the Great Depression.  Compared to the wealthy, they had to struggle a lot in order to get the little money they could.
Curley has power over Lennie until the end of chapter 3.  Before, he tried to pick on Lennie and try to start a fight.  He is also powerful because he is the boss's son.  At the end when he started hitting Lennie he was powerful.  When George told Lennie to fight back, Lennie crushed the man.  There was a change in power from when we met Curley till now.  Candy is old and powerless.  People now say that the old are the wisest.  The men didn't give Candy a choice.  They forced him into saying yes for killing his dog.  No one supported Candy and never would.  He could not stand up for his dog, to keep him alive.  The boss had a lot of power.  He controlled everything and for once someone told George what to do.  These are some characters who show power and who are powerless!