The Marginalised Figures in of Mice and Men from the Perspective of Marxist Alienation Theory

Abstract

John Steinbeck’s novel of mice and men profoundly exposes the manifold exploitation endured by labourers within the capitalist economic system through its portrayal of the plight of itinerant farmhands such as George and Lennie. Farm labours not only suffer the relentless exploitatiojn on the field of economy and systematic marginalization on the feild of socity, but also trap into a tough situation which is isolated and oppressed by competiton and divisions, thereby undermining the potential for class solidarity. The dehumannisation of workers is a destined consequence after suffering systematic exploitation: Workers are deprived of control over the products that are manufactured by themselves, and become aliened from their social and human attrubutes in the process of repetitive and meaningless work. This type of alienation corrupts essence of human being step by step, forcing labours becoming alternative tools of production and ultimately leading to the tragedy of dehumanisation. Steinbeck pinpoint that the “American Dream”, concentrated on narratives of individual success, is essentially a deception perpetrated by American society upon the working class, serving as a tool to mask the exploitation and marginalisation of its lowest-paid labours.