Skip to main content

What is the significance of Aunt Clara and Clara the brothel owner having the same name in Of Mice and Men?

During the Great Depression, the traditional family structure often fell apart as farms failed and jobs grew scarce. Fathers left to find work and young single men hesitated to enter serious relationships, given the financial responsibilities attached thereto. These men often traveled and worked solely in the company of other men in a world devoid of mothers and wives. Aunt Clara and the Clara of the brothel represent surrogates, or stand-ins, for those respective roles.


...

During the Great Depression, the traditional family structure often fell apart as farms failed and jobs grew scarce. Fathers left to find work and young single men hesitated to enter serious relationships, given the financial responsibilities attached thereto. These men often traveled and worked solely in the company of other men in a world devoid of mothers and wives. Aunt Clara and the Clara of the brothel represent surrogates, or stand-ins, for those respective roles.


We first encounter the non-traditional family setting when Lenny refers to his Aunt Clara, who "used to give [mice] to me.... I'd pet 'em." When Lennie threatens to run away, George reminds him, "Your Aunt Clara wouldn't like you running off by yourself, even if she is dead." This is obviously a woman who has loved and nurtured Lennie. Later, at the ranch, George tells Slim, "I knowed his Aunt Clara. She took him when he was a baby and raised him up." The timing would have preceded the Great Depression, but this detail introduces the idea of a surrogate mother. 


Similarly, prostitutes substituted for wives among the itinerant workers. They offered physical comfort with no familial strings, as George says:



You give me a good whore house every time.... A guy can go in an' get drunk and get ever'thing outta his system all at once, an' no messes.



Clara's place is one of two local brothels; hers is the less desirable of the two. Susy, the rival madam, insists, "My girls is clean...an' there ain't no water in the whiskey." The fact that Clara stays in business emphasizes the idea that men would seek the company of nameless, faceless women even in the seediest of places. 


Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...