FREE ESSAY ON OF MICE AND MEN: LENNI'ES WORST ENEMY IS HIS OWN STRENGTH

OF MICE AND MEN: LENNI'ES WORST ENEMY IS HIS OWN STRENGTH

Lennie Small is a gentle giant who possesses and almost superhuman strength that
ultimately leads to tragedy. We first read about Lennie's great strength in the opening
scene when he has killed, probably by accident, the pet mouse he has in his pocket. We
learn that it is not the first time Lennie has killed pets. During the same scene,
Steinbeck compares him to a bear and a horse, both strong animals. This imagery of Lennie
as an animal continues. He is also compared to a terrier, indicating that he is a
faithful and loyal companion to George.
Steinbeck makes his characters pick up the animal references too. When George tells the
boss that Lennie is: Strong as a ball, Lennie repeats the statement. The repetition has
the effect of again giving the reader clues that Lennie's strength ill be significant to
the development of the story. Steinbeck fully develops the animal comparison at the end
by drawing a parallel between candy and his no longer useful old dog, and George as the
master of the dog-like Lennie, who can no longer be useful after he has accidentally
killed Curley's wife.
All the other characters witness Lennie's strength sooner or later. George mentions it
frequently, and Slim says: ... I never seen such a worker. He damn near killed his
partner bukin' barley. There ain't nobody can keep up with him. God almighty, I never
seen such a strong guy. 
Demonstrations of Lennie's strength continue with details of the incident in Weed when
Lennie is accused of assaulting a girl, which we do not witness, the mangling of Curley's
first, and the accidental killing of both the puppy and Curley's wife.
There are times with Lennie's strength is a positive advantage, however, and, if
harnessed appropriately, which George attempts to do as much as he can, it is a virtue.
As long as Lennie keeps quiet at interviews and lets George do the talking, he makes and
excellent impression as a worker and probably contributes greatly to ensuring that the
pair continue to find work during a period of very high unemployment during the Great
Depressions. He is also able to defend himself, which George calls upon him to do when
Curley attacks him for no real reason. Sadly, this could be a useful attribute to have in
places where many unhappy men are cooped up together with few opportunities to take a
break from each other.
The problem of Lennie's strength, therefore, is his lack of ability to control it, and it
is important not to overlook that Lennie's brutal actions are never intentional. As Slim
notices: He ain't mean. I can see Lennie ain't a bit mean. And as Lennie says to George:
I don't want no trouble... Don't let him sock me, George.
Lennie's endearing qualities and lack of aggression are never better demonstrated than
when George tells Lennie that should Curley try to fight him, he should let 'im have it,
and Lennie replies: 'Let 'im have what, George?' If Lennie had Curley's mean temperament,
he really would be dangerous. Only when the dream of living off the fat of the land seems
realizable does Lennie show and signs of aggression. Even then, the objects of his anger
are imaginary cats that could threaten imaginary rabbits.
Lennie's lack of control over his own strength would probably be limited to the harm he
innocently inflicts on his pets if he lived and worked in more sympathetic surroundings
but the ranch is a hostile place, full of desperate characters where inequalities of
power and property are very apparent and exploited. If Curley and his father, the boss,
were kinder and if Curley treated his wife with the respect he should have shown toward
her, the tragic conclusion would not have occurred.


  
    
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The Canterbury Tales
The Wife of Bath, Dame Alice is quite a spiteful woman even though she desires only a few
simple things in life; power and control. Through her prologue and tale, she makes mirror
images of herself , which reflects the person who she really is. Dame Alice desires the
obvious in life, but what she most desires above all is being more powerful than her man,
her spouse, and her lover. In a relationship, she wishes to be dominant, the one who has
the last to say, the one who has control over all things in the relationship. This can be
first seen in her prologue, I'll have a husband yet who shall be both my debtor and my
slave and bear his tribulation to the grave upon his flesh, as long as I'm his wife. For
mine shall be the power all his life over his proper body, and not he…(55-59). It
is then shown again in her tale when knight returns the castle and fulfills the task
assigned by the queen, a woman wants the self-same sovereignty over her husband as over
her lover, and master him; he must not be above her (174-176). Yet another example of
Dame Alice's wish to be dominant is presented later in the tale told by her. The old hag,
after marrying the knight, gives him a choice. It was either to have her old and ugly but
faithful or young and pretty but wonder off. You have two choices; which one will you
try? To have me old and ugly till I die, but still loyal, true, and humble wife that will
never displease you all her life, or would you rather I were young and pretty and chance
your arm what happens in the city where friends will visit you because of me, yes, and on
other places too, maybe.(309-316) By comparing the Wife of Bath's prologue to her tale,
it is quite obvious that Dame Alice wants to be the old hag. In some aspects, Dame Alice
can be said to be jealous of the old hag. After all, the hag was given power and
dominance over her husband. In Dame Alice's true life it was not completely true. The
husbands that Dame Alice had, three of them were good and two were bad. (92) The three
that she had were called 'good' because they were rich and old…(93) Dame Alice had
complete control over them. But for her fourth and fifth husband, there was another
story. The fourth one cheated on her and the fifth one, Johnny, she loved most, the one I
took for love and not for wealth…(339) And it is because she loved him so that she
gave up everything to Johnny. I handed him the money, lands, and all that ever had been
given me before; this I repented later. . .(401-403) From this it can be seen that Johnny
had the upper hand. And of course, this is not what Dame Alice desire. However, in her
tale, the old hag has the power in the relationship. She is given the choice of what to
do and when to do it, you make the choice yourself…(322). Dame Alice had the option
of choosing taken away from her when she gave everything to Johnny. The major similarity
between Dame Alice and the old hag is the appearance. Both Dame Alice and the hag are not
very attractive and both are old. Dame Alice is describes herself as I was forty then, to
tell the truth. But still, I always had a coltish tooth. Yes, I'm gap toothed; it suits
me well…(394-396). The old hag is described by the knight in the tale as old, and
so abnomably plain, so poor to start with, so low-bred to follow…(236-237). The old
hag is then described as being old and fouler then a fen(303). After Dame Alice's tale is
told, it is simple to see that all she wants is what every woman wants in a relationship,
the self-same sovereignty over her husband as over her lover, and master him; he must not
be above her.(175,tale) And it is because of this desire for power that Dame Alice has
created the old hag, whom she identifies with. Dame Alice wishes that even if she is
ugly, as the hag is, she can have the power that the old hag which was given to her by
the knight. My lady and my love, my dearest wife, I leave the matter to your wise
decision.(320) Dame Alice wishes that she can be given the power from her partner to make
decisions and the choices and not have those taken away from her. You make the choice
yourself, for the provision of what may be agreeable and rich in honour to us both, I
don't care which; whatever pleases you suffices me. (322-325)