Of Mice and Men: The Predatory Nature Of Men

           The story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck unfortunately teaches us one of the cruel lessons of us as human beings and that is that we are by nature predatory beings.    Every character in the book, including George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks and Curely’s wife, admit to the feeling of isolation and sadness.  For example when Crooks tells his sorrows about being lonely and black “There wasn’t another coloured family for miles around. And now there ain’t a coloured man on this ranch.  If I say something why it’s just a nigger saying it”.  All of the characters desperately want a friend but as many do, they settle for the ear of a stranger.  An example of this is seen when Curely’s wife admits to the three characters; Candy, Crooks and Lennie that she is unhappy with her marriage.  It is also seen when Crooks confesses to Lennie that life is no good without companions to turn to in times of need.  Every character in the book is helpless due to their isolation and loneliness and it is this common frailty that draws them together. Despite their shared vulnerability, they are seen even in their greatest time of need, to destroy those who are weaker than them. This is a tendency we have; to tear others down to make ourselves feel better.  The strongest example of this harsh tendency is when Crooks criticizes Lennie’s dream of the farm and his dependence on his friend George.  Despite having just admitted his vulnerabilities as a black man with a crooked back who desperately longs for companionship; Crooks zeros in on Lennie’s own weaknesses.  Using this scene, Steinbeck reveals a very real truth about human nature and that is that oppression doesn’t only come from the strong and the powerful but also from the weak.   Crooks appears at his strongest when he finds Lennie’s weaknesses and practically makes him cry over his greatest fear of something happening to his best friend George.  The predatory nature of humans is also seen when Curley’s wife has revealed her own weakness with her poor choices in betraying her marriage and then she chooses to change it around to a power position by threatening Crooks with lynching.  Steinbeck is ultimately suggesting that the most visible kind of strength – the oppression of others – is itself born of weakness.

By Lindsay MacLean