Comparative Essay
You are required to write a comparative essay. You should compare the experiences of the outsider in the books The Curious Incident and Of Mice and Men
In the two books, The Curious Incident by Mark Haddon and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck the feature of an outsider can be discovered. Both books are skillful novels, which deal with the theme of `outsiders', that is, individuals who do not fit into the mainstream of society. This feature is shown in many different ways in both of the books, mostly in the two protagonists of the texts. The 15 year old Christopher Boone of The Curious Incident suffers under the Asperger syndrome and therefore has a different perspective on life than normal people. Lennie Small, who plays one of the main characters in Of Mice and Men is mentally retarded and needs to get through a tough life style in another way.
Although Lennie of Of Mice and Men is among the principal character, he perhaps is the least dynamic. He does not change, develop or grow throughout the novel and remains the same for most of the time. Lennie is mentally retarded, which can be seen in his actions; he loves to pet soft things, is very faithful to George and their vision of the farm and possesses incredible physical strength. Since these characteristics are being demonstrated throughout the whole novel, the reader must feel strong sympathy for him because it is clear that Lennie is hopeless. During the cause of events the reader gets compassion for him because he is just so doomed. Gaining this kind of feeling towards Lennie, proves that he is an outsider because otherwise there could not be such a sensation felt. Lennie is totally defenseless. He cannot avoid the dangers presented by Curley, Curleys wife or the world at large. His enthusiasm for the vision of their future farm proves contagious as he convinces George, Candy, Crooks, and the reader that such a paradise might be possible. QUOTE
Lennies puppy is one of several symbols that represent the victory of the strong over the weak. Lennie kills the puppy accidentally, as he has killed many mice before, of his failure to recognize his own strength. Although no other character can match Lennies physical strength, the huge Lennie will soon meet a fate similar to that of his small puppy. Like an innocent animal, Lennie is unaware of the powers that surround him. QUOTE His disablement and surroundings make him stand out from everybody else, as he is not the same as the others.
In the novel The Curious Incident of the dog in the Nighttime Christopher is being the main protagonist. The entire book is an account by him of how his world is turned over by chaos- the death of his favorite dog, the discovery of a deception regarding his parents and how he restores organization. For Christopher, the desire for order and stability is actually a necessity of living as he suffers from the Aspergers Syndrome. He needs an ordered and secure life to be happy and safe. QUOTE Christopher compares his thinking to a slicing machine in a bakery: this shows how the mind works by certain processes and his own mind processes at a different rate than other people. Christopher is outside at seven after midnight when he sees Mrs. Shears' dog, dead in the middle of the lawn. A garden fork is sticking out of the black poodle and Christopher goes through the Shears gate to kneel beside the dog. Wellington's muzzle is still warm and he wonders who killed him. What Christopher is doing out in the middle of the night is explained in the chapter, where we discover he enjoys the idea of being the only person in the world, which makes him an outsider. I like dogs. You always know what a dog is thinking. It has four moods. Happy, sad, cross and concentrating. Also, dogs are faithful and they do not tell lies because they cannot talk. (p.3-4) Christopher seems to be describing how he sees himself: someone who is transparent in his moods and meanings, and who does not lie. This proves how he does not want to do the same mistakes than normal people do and that he therefore must be different.
In contrast to Lennie, Christopher is for us, living in a more realistic and modern world. The reader can identify with what is around Christopher but not really what he experiences, as he has a very different way of thinking. Lennie, however, is in a totally unusual situation, as he finds himself in a misery position, in the great depression. Lennie has a man's body, but a child's outlook: he gains pleasure from pettin' soft things, even dead mice. He is dependent, emotionally, on George, who organizes his life and reassures him about their future. Lennie can be easily controlled by firm but calm instructions, as Slim finds out. But panic in others makes Lennie panic: this happened when he tried to pet a girl's dress, in Weed, and happens again twice in the narrative: first, when he is attacked by Curley, and second, when Lennie strokes the hair of Curley's wife. He is not able to think, as an ordinary person at that time had to think, which makes him be an outcast. Christopher however knows well what is happening around him and how he has to think. He does not really strive to someone or something, like Lennie does, he is more of a critical sort of person. His problem is only to judge the right way, because of his illness. QUOTE
Furthermore the book Of Mice and Men gives even a wider variety of cases of outsiders, than The Curious Incident. It can be assumed that in The Curious Incident there is only mainly one outsider, Christopher, whereas in John Steinbecks work there are several examples portrayed during the cause of events. One example of this is when George meets the old, decaying Candy and his old dog, he tells him about the "black" man called Crooks. Candy stated to the inarticulate George "give the Stable Buck hell. Ya see the stable buck's a nigger".(p.???) This was typical as black people were thought of as inferior to white people. This suggests that Crooks was an outsider. He has his "own bunk in a separate nigger room" and he scattered personal possessions around the floor; for being alone he could leave things about. Crooks is obviously suffering from racial discrimination as he is the only black man on the ranch and is not allowed in the bunkroom with the other men because of his colour. Steinbeck also uses Candy to demonstrate an outsider. Candy becomes lonely after his beloved dog was shot. Candy feels dejected as he says "I wish somebody would shoot me when I become useless" (p.???).
This proves that Steinbeck describes Candy as an extremely lonely outsider.
In conclusion, both books The Curious Incident as well as Of Mice and Men reveal the aspect of being and outsider in the community. Christopher is not living in the same sort of world than his environment does and Lennie does not understand and accept reality in his situation. It can be articulated that many more characters in Of Mice and Men are outsiders, as they all cannot trust each other and need to live their life on their own risks.
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