How does Steinbeck present power in 'Of Mice and Men'?I looking for the techniques he uses to show us who has power and who is powerless.

In the novel Of Mice and Men , by
John Steinbeck, the theme of "power" is illustrated through the characters of the story
by showing how limited, or not, some people are in the quest of reaching their ultimate
dream. 

Basically, Steinbeck tells us that every single man
in the farm is literally powerless. This is evident in that none of the men seem to be
able to leave the farm and start a new life for themselves, not even Slim with all his
good qualities.

Contrastingly, Steinbeck awards the
"powers" in the story to Curley's father, to Curley, and to Curley's wife. Their power,
however, does not come from the characters' own abilities and strength: The only way
they can exert power over the field hands is through harassment, abuse, or through work.
Other than that, we find that Curley and his wife are equally powerless to make anything
in their lives better.

Although money seems to be the most
powerful element of the story (since all the men seem to need a lot of it), the real
power the farm hands wish to have is the power to become free: From hunger, from the
farm, from the hard work, from isolation, and from injustice. Power is a force that has
shut down inside of each of them, making them unable to produce any change in their
lives. Therefore, although Steinbeck is clear in that the injustices of society make it
harder for the typical man to attain the American Dream, the story is clear that these
men were basically trapped in an unhappy place, learning to survive day by
day.