JOHN STEINBECK’S WORLD VIEW ON MASCULINITY OF THE MALE CHARACTERS IN OF MICE AND MEN

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to understand John Steinbeck’s world view on masculinity of the male characters in the Of Mice and Men by analyzing the America’s condition on it and America’s condition around 1937. Most of the characters in the Of Mice and Men are men. It shows strong sense masculinity of ranch workers at that time that John Steinbeck tried to show, as the response of the social condition in America especially in ranch worker society. The analyzing process uses Lucien Goldman’s genetic structuralism to find the author’s world view. This research applies qualitative data that is categorized into two kinds. They are primary data and secondary data. The primary data are taken from the novella Of Mice and Men and the secondary data are taken from thesis, journal, books, and internet related to John Steinbeck historical background, genetic structuralism, some previous researches and masculinity. The result of this thesis shows that John Steinbeck as the author of Of Mice and Men has the same tendency with worker class point of view in seeing a phenomenon related to the transition of masculinity in mid-nineteenth until early twentieth. It is showed by worker-class masculinity’s trait that is found in male characters in Of Mice and Men. There are physical power, using outfit that is related with jeans and denim and using verbal abuse in daily communication.