Discrimination In Society In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

It seems that if someone is different, they act differently or they look different than what is socially “acceptable” they have a more difficult time being accepted by their community. Steinbeck uses Lennie’s disability to illustrate his ideas about discrimination in society and this parallels with its role in society today. Lennie’s disability hindered his acceptance throughout the book. First of all, the other men just see him as a set of strong hands, rather than an actual man. George for instance, says near the beginning of the book, “If he sees ya work before he hears ya talk, we’re set” (6). This further explains other people’s interpretation of Lennie and depicts him as less of a person. Secondly, he is left behind when it comes to social activities like horseshoe or going to Suzy’s place. The men leave him behind or do not think of inviting him to join them

Mentally challenged people continue to struggle with discrimination in the workplace. According to a survey from The Guardian, only 18% of those with mental health problems are employed, the lowest employment rate of all disabled groups. Historically, people with mental disability were segregated in institutions, however today our laws state they must not be unnecessarily institutionalized, (Mental Health). Similarly to Lennie in the novel, most mentally challenged people today simply are not understood despite the advances of federal laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).Most people still do not understand them, and as a result, mentally disabled children may be excluded from social activities and are often treated differently than their peers. Most of the time, children with disabilities must obtain strong work ethics in an attempt to keep up academically with their peers. Discrimination remains as prevalent today as it had