Comparison Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Throughout time, society has changed its standards of what is acceptable and by doing so it makes it harder for some people to achieve their dreams. There were different points where certain kinds of people were more accepting than others. In John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, he shows through his characters that who a person was affected how they were seen. The main character’s George Milton and Lennie Small leave their hometown of Weed for their new job on a ranch in order to achieve their dream of getting enough money to settle on their own farm. Lennie is mentally ill and George is the authority figure of the pair. On the ranch, they meet different people with different stories and perspectives. The author is implying through his characters

Crooks is an African American man who has a bad back and was shunned away into the harness room on the ranch. He has too many personal possessions to ever want to leave but still has no reason to stay, he can’t work and nobody wants him to anyway. Especially in this time period, black people were not thought of as people, they did not have as many opportunities as white people did. When Lennie accidentally intrudes him, he shows how much his life has revolved over the color of his skin, “‘Why ain’t you wanted?’ Lennie asked. ‘Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black’” (Steinbeck 68). In this quote, Steinbeck is symbolizing how the cards represent life itself and how Crooks is not allowed to experience or play life like the white ranch men. This was not the last time that Crooks would mention his skin color affecting his life and he is using it as a boulder and chain keeping him at the ranch. Crooks is afraid to chase his dreams because he’s black and with a bad back and uses it as a wall that keeps him from chasing his dreams. He also seems like he ran out of hope when he’s telling Lennie about all the other men