Distributive Justice as a Vehicle for Emancipation in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

Abstract

This research work attempts to explore distributive justice as a vehicle for emancipation in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men by applying justice theory. This work analyzes the representation of the life of non-white people and women in Of Mice and Menas instrument or commodity having no identity, dignity and sense of individuality. These people suffer from racial and gendered injustice in American society in the mid-1930s. Steinbeck bases his characters on real people; it is easier to sympathize with the domain or suffered characters in the novellaOf Miceand Men. To examine distributive justice in the novella I have used theory of justice developed by John Rawl’sA Theory of Justice, Iris Young’s Justice and The Politics of Difference, Nancy Fraser and Axel Honneth’sRedistribution and Recognition? A Political – Philosophical Exchangeand AmartyaSen’sInequality Re-examined. Thedifferent insights developed by these scholars are used as theoretical parameters to analyze the text. In doing so, I have employed major two characters: black stable buck Crooks and the woman referred to as Curley’s wife; who were the victim of the white characters in the novella as well as American mid-1930s society. And also shows, how the so called elite class dominate, unmodified these privilege two characters. Subsequently, the thesis examines the impacts of the fall of the moral issues in the 1930 and racial and gendered injusticeon the black people and women. The researcherclaims that unfair distribution, disrespect and mal-recognition, lack of participatory parity and opportunities for functioning the capabilities make the non-white characters and women are entrapped in racial and gendered injustice.