Exploring Betrayal in Novels: Of Mice and Men, Raisin in the Sun

Have you ever wondered the origin to betrayal? Many people have been through betrayal and have lost strong relationships with friends and family. Novels such as Of Mice and Men wrote by John Steinbeck, and Raisin in the Sun wrote by Lorraine Hansberry, these two captivating novels both show events of betrayal. With this, there are many different articles and studies on how betrayal is changing the way people think and act. Betrayal can be someone's loss but also can be someone's new gain.

The first novel, Of Mice and Men, is about two workers during the mid-1930s, named Lennie and George, that just ran away from their previous job, because of Lennie, who is mentally challenged,and likes soft material, touched a girls dress. She ended up screaming because he would not let go so George had to hit him in the head, and he let go. So they fled on a journey to find a new job, so they could have their own piece of property.

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They ended up finding a place to work, while hiding Lennie's mentality, George used the excuse that Lennie is a strong man who can carry large and heavy loads from the wagons. They got hired, and set up in a bunk house, meeting a guy named Curly, with a missing hand and a very old dog. Lennie and George ended up having fun there George playing a game with the guys and Lennie playing with the pups in the barn with Crooks, but that suddenly ends when Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife, George ends up finding Lennie in the place he told him to hide whenever he would get in trouble.

And George then shoots him in the back of the head before the other men found him and killed him the painful way.

Of Mice and Men shows betrayal because Crooks, the guy in the barn, has to be kept there because of the color of his skin is different from the others. The guys do not want to see a person with different color skin then they do. Crooks is betrayed by being kept in the barn the entire time while the other men got to work and play games, during the great depression, the other men would treat him poorly and make rude remarks about his skin tone and race, that is why you barely see him outside working or hanging out with the others. Crooks would always read book to fill his time since he was not allowed anywhere outside his bunk. Lennie would visit him from time to time to see the pups, at first Lennie did not understand why Crooks was being unfriendly to him, but Crooks realized that Lennie just wanted to be friends and did not seem to be of a threat, so he decided to befriend Lennie. Crooks grew up in a life that included being equal with the whites, no segregation. Then when he stepped foot on the ranch he was sent to a separate bunk so he could stay there, away from the others. Crooks is a very respectful man, he would always be respectful to Curley's wife, but when she would go off on him, he would back down and face the consequences of his actions. His main fear is to be lynched, which means hanging by the head on a rope. But he mainly respected her and never made her feel uncomfortable, and Crooks would also keep an eye out for Curley.

The second novel is Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. It is about a family who is not so rich, they live in the South Side of Chicago. There is the mother, Mama, the daughter Beneatha, the son Walter, the wife of Walter Ruth, and the son of Walter and Ruth, Travis. The father of Walter and Beneatha passed away and now the family is getting a $10,000 check. The family fights for what they should spend the money on, Walter wants to use the money to invest in a liquor store and Mama wants to buy a house in the nice neighborhood with more room, Ruth agrees. Beneatha ends up falling into a love triangle between Joseph Asagai and George Murchison, and can not decide who to go with. Beneatha wants to go into a beneficial college for a medical course, so she can become a doctor. Mama somewhat supports her decision, and Walter despicses it, he thinks that it is ridiculous. When they receive the money, Mama gives some to Walter, so he can transfer the money for the house and for Beneatha's college. He ended up not entering the money in and is a disappointment to his family. The house that they were purchasing was in a white neighborhood, the retailer was a racist and showed it towards the family. So, with the money they had left, they purchased the house even though everyone neighboring them would hate them, they would not care at least they would be happy in the big house they waited years for.

A Raisin in the Sun shows betrayal because of Walter, Lena's son, giving the money Mama gave to him to Willy Harris, instead of putting the money for Beneatha's college for her to go to medical school to become a doctor. Willy Harris betrayed Walter by taking the money that Walter was going to use to invest in a business, he becomes aggressive, and his family was going to use the money for a new house and for the Beneatha to go to a college. Mama is very disappointed in him and does not have a strong trust with him like she did before.