Of Mice and Men: Chapter 2

Quotation: “He wore high-heeled boots and spurs to prove he was not a labouring man.”

Character & Theme: Curley performs superiority to separate himself from the workers, revealing class tension on the ranch.

Language: “Prove” shows that his status is insecure; the boots and spurs become symbols of manufactured masculinity.

Context: During the Depression, ranch workers had little power, while the boss’s son could claim privilege without earning it.

Quotation: “Ain’t many guys travel around together.”

Character & Theme: Slim recognises George and Lennie’s friendship as unusual, making their bond a challenge to ranch isolation.

Language: “Ain’t many” emphasises scarcity: companionship is exceptional in a world built on temporary labour.

Context: Itinerant workers in 1930s America often travelled alone for jobs, leaving them vulnerable and lonely.

Quotation: “Curley stepped over to Lennie like a terrier.”

Character & Theme: Curley targets Lennie to assert dominance, while Lennie’s physical strength makes the conflict threatening.

Language: The simile “like a terrier” makes Curley seem small, aggressive and instinctively confrontational.

Context: Ranch culture often linked manhood to fighting; Steinbeck critiques this hostile performance of masculinity.

Quotation: “Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys.”

Character & Theme: Curley’s aggression comes from insecurity; Steinbeck shows how fragile masculinity becomes violent.

Language: The repetition of “guys” reduces men to physical size, while “hates” exposes Curley’s resentment.

Context: On a 1930s ranch, strength shaped a man’s status, so Curley overcompensates for his lack of it.

Quotation: “Well, I think Curley’s married... a tart.”

Character & Theme: Curley’s wife is judged through male gossip before she speaks, revealing her isolation and the novel’s sexism.

Language: The dismissive noun “tart” objectifies her and makes her reputation more powerful than her identity.

Context: Patriarchal 1930s society restricted women’s independence; the ranch men define her through suspicion.