Masculinity

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

• Dominant model of masculinity is damaging to indviduals and those around them
• Suggests that the is an unrealistic expectation of wjat it is to be masuline
• Advocates and shows what true masculinity looks like
  • emphatic and compassipnate

Question 2

Loss of partnerhip (subpoints)

Answer 2

• Candy looses dog
• Curley looses wife
• George looses Lennie

Question 3

Candy looses Dog

Answer 3

Steinbeck uses Candy to exposes a harsh, Depression‑era masculinity where a being’s worth is measured only by its usefulness, an environment which leads to loneliness.

• I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.”
  • Candy Chapter 3
• It was belived that to be masculine to to be useful
• indiviudual who couldn’t work were seen as less, accreditied to the wide spread belief in social darwinism
• the dog gets killed as he is too old to work, therefore seen as useless

Loneliness

• The dog was useful –> Candys main companion
• ‘Stranger’ shows that even though they live together they don’t know eachother

Question 4

Curleys Wife

Answer 4

Steinbeck uses Curley relationship with his wife to show that toxic masculinity, built on sexual bragging rights and violence rather than love, prevents real companionship and leads only to more brutality on the ranch

• “Well, that glove’s fulla vaseline.”
  • Candy Chapter 2
• Curley never saw CW as a companion but as an object

Dead

• ‘Curley came suddenly to life’ + ‘im gonna get him’
  • Chapter 5
• he never loved her
• it is unnerving to the audience that Curelys immediate responce is violence
  • used by steinbeck to comment against violent nature of masculinity

Question 5

George looses Lennie

Answer 5

Even acts of mercy are forced to take violent forms, suggesting that true compassion cannot survive within the dominant masculine world.

• ‘Curley gon’ta wanta get ‘im lynched’
  • Candy Chapter 5
• Show that the cut throat society with the attitude of ‘Kill or be killed’ didn’t allow for room for compassion
• violence is deeply ingraied and the default solution
• ‘Come on George me and you will go in and have a drink’
  • Slim Chapter 6
• On the way to brothel –> masculine ideals of of strength and sexuality are held up falsely
• With Lennie George exhibited real masculinity
• masculinity that killed Lennie converted george is lower type of masculinity

Question 6

Steinbeck displays that masculinity as the 1930s society strived for is unattainable and fragile.

(sub points)

Answer 6

• Insecurity
• Fragility

Question 7

Insecurity

Answer 7

• ‘Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys’
  • Candy Chapter 2
• ‘He wore high-heeled boots’
  • Chapter 2
• These show that Curley views masculinity as physcial prowess and stature
• His short height makes him feel inadequate
• although he has power, security and wife which are aspects of being man

Question 8

fragility

Answer 8

• ‘I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.’
  • Curley’s Wife Chapter 4
• ‘Crooks had reduced himself to nothing’
• Crooks is a man therefore should have more power yet due to his race CW has more
• Shows that masculinity was impossible for some to attain
  • CW is closer even though she is a woman

Question 9

Steinbecks comment: Unatainable masculinity

Answer 9

• Both the characters are men
• Yet society defines masculinity though physical strength, race and power
  • making them feel not manly enough or be bossed around
• Also in very different social standings to show wide spread effect of trait driven masculinity

Question 10

• Slim is ‘the prince of the ranch’, a position of power and respect
• Steinbeck has given Slim the position of ‘the prince of the ranch’ as a way to demonstrate to the reader what he believes masculinity should be.

(sub points)

Answer 10

• Empathy
• Respect
• Treatment of Women

Question 11

Empathy

Answer 11

• ‘Never mind … A guy got to sometimes.’
  • Slim Chapter 6
• Slim takes care of George after Lennies death
• And reassures him that it was the right thing to do

Question 12

Respect

Answer 12

• ‘Slims opinions were law’
  • Chapter 3
• Shows that he is reasonable and well educated
• ‘Slim don’t need to wear no high-heeled boots’
  • Candy Chapter 2
• Curley and Boss need to wear the boots in attempt to gain power
• Slim doesn’t need to sepearte himslef for the ordinary workers to have power

Question 13

Treatment of Women

Answer 13

‘Hi, good lookin’’

• Slim Chapter 2
• He is secure in his positon in the ranch and is not afraid of talking to CW
• Talks to CW as a human and not as ‘Jailbait’