The most tragic character Essay Example For Students

The most tragic character Essay The novella Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck firstly originates from the poem by 18th century poet Robert Burns entitled To a mouse. We know that the title of the poem has been taken from the line in the seventh verse of the poem the best laid schemes o mice and men gang aft agley, an leae us nought but grief an pain.  Parallels can be drawn between the poem and the novella, in particular George and Lennies American dream, when we look at the verse containing the title of the poem. This verse speaks of how the best plans of man often fail and leave us with pain and grief, and this directly foreshadows the fact that Lennie and Georges dream will not be made a reality. We will write a custom essay on The most tragic character specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The tragedy of course, lies in the fact that no matter how elaborately George and Lennie plan, regardless of how intensely they hope and dream, this dream will end in sorrow. Steinbeck sets the short story in 1930s America during the harsh Great Depression years, and due to the lack of money and employment at this time, the number of migrant workers was high. The short novel focuses on the struggles of two particular itinerant workers working on a ranch in California. This is perhaps a reflection of Steinbecks own experiences working as a migrant worker on rural Californian ranches, and we see the impressions that his experiences have made upon him through his work. We also see Steinbecks past experiences influencing his writing in other works such as The Grapes of Wrath. Through Steinbecks portrayal of certain characters, we are also given an insight into the social context of the time. When looking at tragedy these social contexts provide evidence for some characters to be described as tragic, when based on both modern and traditional interpretations of tragedy. We see through Crooks, and how he is ostracised from the rest of the workers, an example of the racial discrimination of the times. Crooks can be regarded as tragic based on modern interpretations of tragedy due to the segregation. Based on Greek and Shakespearean interpretations of tragedy, Lennie and Curleys wife can be considered as tragic, as throughout the novella they produce feelings of pity, fear and excitement in the audience, and both have their tragic flaws, this being an important Aristotle feature, which lead to their downfalls. Through Curleys wife we see the sexist treatment of women, as they are portrayed by Steinbeck as property of their husband. This sexist treatment of women arouses pity in the audience, and can be said to portray Curleys wife as tragic. We read of the quest of the American dream and the importance of this to Lennie, and as it is foreshadowed that this dream is unlikely to ever happen a tragic element is drawn. We also have sympathy with Lennie because of the severe treatment of those with limited mental ability. This treatment provides us with modern reasons for Lennie to be considered as tragic, especially when compared to attitudes today. This essay will focus on the three characters named in the introduction, and explore the extent to which they can be described as tragic. The essay will also contest the idea of Lennie being the most tragic character in the novella. The first character to be explored in this essay is Crooks. At the beginning of chapter four Crooks is given the longest description of all the characters in the novella. We read of his deep black wrinkles, and his pain tightened lips. This suggests that Steinbeck has intentions for him as an important character, and Steinbeck goes on to use Crooks to symbolize the racial segregation. Crooks is also used to show the general loneliness of ranch workers, and Steinbeck uses him to bring the loneliness experienced by all the characters into perspective. We read of Crooks saying, A guy needs someone to be near him .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 , .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 .postImageUrl , .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 , .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8:hover , .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8:visited , .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8:active { border:0!important; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8:active , .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8 .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc5769bd34170873da9c526dc1e9276f8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Explore Shakespeare's presentation of Act 3 Scene 1 As A Turning Point In The Play? EssayA guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody A guy gets too lonely an he gets sick Here Steinbeck is bringing forward the need for human interaction. We are given the impression that Crooks is deeply affected by the racial hierarchy, and by how he has been ostracised from the rest of the ranch. From this we have evidence to regard Crooks as tragic, especially due to his loneliness and how is has been ostracised based on his skin colour alone. Steinbeck also describes crooks as a proud, aloof man. It seems that Crooks pride helps him deal with his loneliness. The reader sympathizes with Crooks , adding to the theme of tragedy. In the novella, Crooks is also physically handicapped. Crooks has been given this name because of his crooked spine, adding to the picture Steinbeck draws of Crooks as an unfortunate, tragic character. We read at the start of chapter four Crooks rubbing liniment on his spine, he held a bottle of liniment, and with the other he rubbed his spine When reading this the reader has a picture of this proud man reduced to spending his time on his own rubbing his crooked back. We again sympathize with Crooks, and he can be described as tragic based on this. Furthermore, at the end of the chapter we read, in his pink palm and reaching around fell slowly to rubbing his back. This presents us with a cycle of Crooks; as he is portrayed as the solitary character at the beginning of the chapter, and he is the same at the end. We can infer from this that as long as the social context of the times remains, Crooks would always be treated the same, and from this a modern tragic element can be drawn. We also read of Crooks being a scapegoat for the ranch workers. We read the boss gives him hell when hes mad This tells the reader that due to Crooks being black, all the blame is put on him for problems on the ranch. However, it can be said that a possibility of a change in Crooks situation may have occurred had Curleys wife not entered into Crooks room. Until this point in chapter four, it could be said that Crooks had started to believe in an American dream. If you guys would want a hand for nothing why Id come an lend a hand. I aint so crippled Crooks actually asks for a share in the dream, but Steinbeck insists on keeping to the tragic theme, and so before this question is even answered, Curleys wife enters. This is significant for evidence for Crooks to be regarded as tragic, because of how Curleys wifes words affect Crooks. Crooks attempts to stand up to Curleys wife you got no rights comin in a coloured mans room, but the ever present racism is again apparent from Curleys wifes reply, listen nigger, you know what I can do if you open your mouth I can get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny These words sharply bring Crooks down to Earth, and reduce him to nothing. This incident involving these two characters arouses more sympathy in the reader, and can be said to sum up the evidence for Crooks to be described as tragic.

Members of the LGBT Community

Members of the LGBT Community Social problems in relation to the LGBT population Several strategies have been embraced by supporters, sympathizes, and activists of gay sex marriage to win support of the public on the need to stop prejudicing gay and lesbianism marriages. For instance, the assimilation approach has resulted in positive results among the gays in America and reduced discrimination by a large percentage (Baker, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Members of the LGBT Community specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The proponents of this type of union are drawn from civil unions, domestic right groups, and registered informal societies who extend their hand in support for this highly criticized union (Hunter, 2012). The members of this group have managed to convince the society on the need to coexist by employing civil rights movements, public protests, and race riots as actualized by the sin city sisters of Las Vegas (Greenberg , 2010). This is because the social problems are defined by the society towards this group as ordinary to any society of minorities (Sherkat, Vries, Creek, 2009). How social issues are framed in relation to the LGBT population Over the years, LGBT population has attracted heated debate in the conservative American society. Specifically, the religious and conservative groups have been the most active in opposing homosexual couples getting married (Schultz Lavenda, 2011). Despite these divergent opinions, LGTB population has spread across several states of America and is now legal in all states (Sherkat, Vries, Creek, 2009). Through mixed research in social surveys carried in 2009, Sherkat, Vries, and Creek (2009) established that racial divide has direct influence on perception about homosexual couples. Through survey interviews involving 180 participants from the white and African American communities with equal representation, Sherkat, Vries, and Creek (2009) established that 70 % of the respondents from African American ethnicity opposed homosexual marriage unlike the 30% opposition by the white American ethnic groups. Specifically, within the African American respondents, the main reason for this opposition was cited as conservative family norms and Protestantism faith which cannot accommodate same sex marriage. On the other hand, the 30 percent of the respondents from the white race that opposed same sex marriage argued that homosexual couples’ behavior is against the social norms (Sherkat, Vries, Creek, 2009). Social workers working with the LGBT population How they assess needs, engage clients, design, and deliver interventions The needs of the LGBT community are assessed through the small organizations and associations that serve the interests of the members of this population. This achieved through engaging the members and their representative on social welfare concerns that are unique to this population (Hunter, 2012).Advertising Loo king for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through organizations dealing with the LGBT community, the social workers are in a position design different response strategies and deliver interventions through live meetings, social events, and LGBT camps (Sherkat, Vries, Creek, 2009). How they validate their processes and practices The social workers validate the intervention practices and processes in terms of response rate by the targeted members of the LGBT society. The responses from the targeted group are subjected to scrutiny in order to evaluate the success and failures through live feedback tracking and proactive engagement (Greenberg, 2010). How the social beliefs influence the way the LGBT population is viewed and supported by social work profession Individuals raised in loose religious foundation are more likely to support LGBT community than individuals raised in the normal tradition al religious family consisting of a father and a mother (Greenberg, 2010). The momentous variances in type of religious family upbringing and LGBT community are critical in reflecting on the underlying factors that promote the way social beliefs influence how this population is viewed (Hunter, 2012). Ethnicity also influences the perception on homosexual couples becoming legally married couples. It is possible that ethnic traditional societal norms on LGBT community and relationship may modify an individual’s views on this population (Hunter, 2012). Such an individual may struggle to conform to such values and avoid interaction with the LGBT community, irrespective of his or her role as a social worker (Schultz Lavenda, 2011). Appraisal of the relationship between the philosophical intentions of social work, the US mindset regarding this population, and society in general Generally, the US mindset regarding the LGBT community is more likely to oppose this population than the members of the LGBT society as was observed in the Californian ‘Proposition 8’ vote. The Christian antagonists of same sex marriage cited breakdown of societal norms as leading to emergent of destructive and traumatizing developments within the society, which may make young people to seek comfort in same sex relationships. In response, these individuals may resort to social tendencies of same sex relationships in rebellion leading to their categorization as same sex couples in adulthood. The treatment of the LGBT community in the Christian society as outcasts and their exclusion from societal activities in America may not end any time in the near future (Schultz Lavenda, 2011). As a result, the philosophical intentions of social work may not achieve the optimal results since the members of the LGBT community dwell among the rest of the population (Sherkat, Vries, Creek, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Members of the LGBT Comm unity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Baker, B. (2010). Same-Sex Marriage and Religion: An Inappropriate Relationship. e- Research, 1(3), 1-9. Greenberg, D. (2010). The construction of homosexuality. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. Hunter, N. (2012). The future impact of same-sex marriage: More questions than answers. The George Town Law Journal, 100(1), 1855-1879. Schultz, E, Lavenda, R. (2011). Cultural Anthropology: A Perspective on the Human Condition. New York: Oxford University Press. Sherkat, D., Vries, K., Creek, S. (2009). Race, religion, and opposition to same-sex marriage. OpenSIU Journal, 1(4), 1-35.