Discrimination In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The sense of wanting to belong somewhere or to something is rooted within all individuals. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the men “are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place… They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to” (13-14). In the 1930s, the United States underwent tremendous desperation. Even though the Great Depression was a time of hardship for every citizen, no matter color, age, sex, or amount of wealth, certain groups were discriminated against more than others. Even though Steinbeck’s characters, Candy, Crooks, and Lennie, each experience deliberate discrimination to single them out from the separated migrant workers, they allow hope to slip in. But loneliness to some extent, leads to

He lived with his Aunt Clara until she passed; now, George (another migrant worker) is Lennie’s caretaker, role model, and only friend. Often times Lennie will ask George to “Tell about us… Tell how it’s gonna be” (104-105) because while other migrant workers dream of land of their own, George and Lennie actually picture a life together, for it is not only about belonging somewhere, it is about belonging with someone who cares. Nevertheless, Lennie stands out from the other men on the ranch because of his massive size, and although most of the men find Lennie friendly once they get to know him, the boss’s son Curley is immediately intimidated: “He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with big guys” (26), Candy warns, frightening George. In result, George cautions his troublesome friend to stay away from Curley and his wife. Still, later in chapter three, Steinbeck creates conflict: “Curley stepped over to Lennie like a terrier. ‘What the hell you laughin’ at?... Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No big son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me” (62). In this scene, since Lennie is immense in size, Curley unfairly judges and singles him out. At the same time, however, people become frustrated by Lennie’s forgetfulness and lack of focus, including George: “The hell with the rabbits. That’s all you ever can remember is them rabbits’” (4-5), George responds to Lennie’s innocent plea. Seeing as the farm is a beacon of hope for the two, Lennie refuses to forget it, as he is too childlike to recognize the farm is a merely a fantasy. Later in chapter five, Curley’s wife questions Lennie “What makes you so nuts about rabbits?” (89) when Lennie does not listen to her confessions. In this exchange, Steinbeck illustrate to readers just how angry those interacting with Lennie become when he declares his obsession with rabbits rather than listen to their