In the novel “Of Mice and Men” John Steinbeck portrays the theme of social injustice throughout the story in the lives of several characters that include Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and the stable buck, Crooks. All of these characters are mistreated in some way, shape or form. The hardships that these characters faced help guide us to see the social injustice that is prevalent in the story. Lennie is a victim of social injustice due to the fact that he is mentally disabled. He is not treated fairly when he was accused of rape. Lennie never raped the girl, however he never got a chance to share his side of the story, because of his disability, and the circumstances of the situation were then assumed. Lennie wanted to pet the girls dress because it was soft. “ “Jus’ wanted to feel that girls dress-jus’ wanted to pet it like a mouse.” ” (10) This example is one of many that lead us to believe that Lennie was …show more content…
Crooks was forced to sleep in a separate room next to the stable, apart from the bunks where the rest of the ranch workers resided. Crooks was unable to participate in anything that the rest of the ranch workers did. All of this was a result of his ethnicity. “ “Cause I’m black. They play cards, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well I tell you all of you stink to me.” ”(65) Crooks was shunned because his physical appearance and wasn’t treated the same as the rest of the men. This makes Crooks a key character that informs us of the social injustices that where prominent during the time period of the novel. In the novel “Of Mice and Men” the theme of social injustice is presented by John Steinbeck through the characters of Lennie, Curley’s wife, and Crooks. By examining the theme of social injustice one can be taught that treating someone based on their mental capability, gender, or race is wrong. Rather treat them base on the person they are on the
As a black man in the 1930s, Crooks is treated as less than because he is black, despite having worked at the ranch for a significant amount of time. Crooks is lonely and does not have much of a chance at communicating with others since he is separated from everyone else. The text states, “They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I'm black. They say I stink” (Steinbeck 68). This quote shows how discriminated against Crooks is.
There, they encounter many different characters with their own shortcomings, whether mental, physical, or social. Each character and their handicap together represent a specific theme in the novel. Crooks is the African-American man who works in the stables of the farm. He got kicked by a horse many years ago, resulting in his crooked back. While his back is indeed a physical defect that hinders him, but the thing that segregates him from the others is his race.
In the Novel Of Mice and Men, there are many characters, all though not all fit in. In this book Lennie’s Mentally ill and he can’t communicate like the adult he is, Crooks is a black crippled men, and Curley’s wife is the wife of the boss is son. Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s wife are outcast in the book “Of Mice and Men.” Lennies is an outcast in the book “Of Mice and Men,” first of all Lennie’s mentally ill and he is a social outcast.
Together, they work to make the American Dream a reality. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses Lennie and his disability, Curley’s wife and her sex, and Crooks and the color of his skin to prove there is institutionalized oppression in American society. To begin, Lennie and his disability prove there is institutionalized oppression in American society. Lennie is depicted as a large man, capable of doing manual labor, but not capable of thinking for himself. Thus, George, his closest companion,
In the classic American novel Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, power is a recurring theme. Most of the characters have direct ties to power, whether it is physical, social, economic, or intellectual. But the author balances their powers with flaws. Lennie, a main character, has a lot of physical power. Yet due to his mental disability, he does not understand the consequences of his actions.
Unit Two Essay Murderers can be heroes too. In John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men” many of his characters are archetypes, including the outcasts. Three interesting pariahs have been deeply analyzed and compared to archetypal characters, settings, and objects. These characters are an unnamed woman labeled simply as “Curley’s wife,” a negro ranch worker named Crooks, and a “slow,” yet powerful “companion” called Lennie.
Sydney Votino Mrs. Daquelente English 2 12 May 2023 Formal Outline: Cause-and-Effect Essay Thesis: Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and Crooks are characters from John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men who struggles with mental issues, being used, and racism leading to broken dreams that negatively impacted their lives. Body Topic A: To begin, Lennie’s experience with mental issues ruined his dream and drastically changed his hopes for the future. Direct Quote
Crooks is a black male that works on the ranch as a stable buck. Crooks isn't allowed in the bunks with the other men because he is black he has his own room in the barn with the animals. He is called ¨Crooks¨ because when he was working one day he was kicked in the back by a horse and now his back in crooked. In the story Candy an old man that lives on the ranch states "They let the nigger come in that night. Little skinner name of Smitty took after the nigger.
John Steinbeck explains in Of Mice and Men how people are treated even though they have mental disabilities and how minorities and women were treated. Steinbeck portrays Lennie as a mentally disabled person living in the great depression in california. He and George travel around together and they work together and George looks after Lennie because he gets into a lot of trouble because he is mentally disabled and can 't understand things like a normal person would. People with mental disabilities are usually locked up in cage for the rest of their life or they are simply shot to death. Steinbeck portrays Curley’s wife as a flirtatious person because she doesn’t like Curley and she wants someone to talk to her.
There are many examples of social injustice throughout Of Mice and Men, but Steinbeck included Lennie
In the novella, Of Mice and Men, the author John Steinbeck illustrates a ranch in the 1930’s during the great depression where those who fit into mainstream society run the show, and those deemed “outcasts” are rendered useless. Steinbeck depicts characters with setbacks that diminish their value in the eyes of society, and contrasts them to characters that have no difficulties conforming to the norm. Crooks, being a black man isolated by his race, and Candy, a elderly man limited by his age and missing limb are examples of Steinbeck characters that experience hardships because of the differences. The poor treatment of Crooks and Candy by the other characters, and their chronic unhappiness in a place that doesn’t value them, comments on how
The novellas Of Mice and Men and The Pearl are both often noted as social criticisms. The author, John Steinbeck addresses real-life issues that society is facing. Whether through direct statements and comments, or through a fictional characters’ situation, Steinbeck criticizes just some of the problems of society. He shows the way people are discriminated against, and why. He shows the issues society faces.
The book Of Mice and Men is full of puzzling examples of the human condition, from Lennie and his mental disability to Curley only caring about his social appearance. With characters like these two, the book exploits the human condition that concerns circumstances life has given you. John Steinbeck brings to life what being a laborer in the American depression meant to the men and one woman who had enough personality to stand out. Steinbeck shows the human condition of men while they survive in the American depression.
In John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” he presents the reader with the issue of segregation in the opening of Chapter 4.With this we are introduced to Crooks and this foreshadows future problems related to his treatment and his life. This was illustrated from the meticulous description of this bedroom, which was actually the harness room. This is a very key aspect of life at that time and compared to our current generation and era, their times were very harsh and cruel. I think Crooks is portrayed as a smart and clever man which is overwhelming despite his situation.
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (1937) is an intensely-focused novella that deals with friendship, trust, the relationship between good and evil and the role of justice. It is the second book in Steinbeck’s trilogy about agricultural labour, alongside with In Dubious Battle (1936) and The Grapes of Wrath (1939). The title, inspired by a line in the poem The Mouse (1875) by the Scottish poet Robert Burns (The best-laid schemes o' mice an ‘men / gang aft agley), encapsulates the spirit of the narration.