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Examples Of Disabilities In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

713 Words3 Pages

Nearly 1 in 5 people have a disability in the United States. In our society, people who have disabilities are looked at differently than those who do not. In the book Of Mice and Men, one can imagine the abuse one takes because of their differences. During the 1930’s in Salinas CA, There is a man named Lennie Small, but do not be fooled by his last name because he is a large man who is also very strong. Unfortunately, he suffered an accident which caused him to have a brain injury. This forever changed his life. People should never take advantage of another person when they have a disability. For one to live a fulfilled life, they need to treat all with equality and respect. Lennie experiences some abuse throughout the book through George, Curley’s wife, and Crooks. George is a great example of taking advantage of someone who has disabilities because of the fact that they do not know better. George abused Lennie’s inability of processing when he would tease Lennie. Knowing that Lennie could not defend himself, he would mentally beat him up. He did this all for personal entertainment reasons. Lennie not …show more content…

Crooks was using Lennie’s gullibleness to tease and taunt him by saying barbarous things that he knew would provoke him. “S’pose George don’t come back no more. S’pose he took a power and just ain’t coming back. (Steinbeck 71)” This reflects on how Crooks used all of his bottled up anger on Lennie. Crooks knows that Lennie is the kind of person who could sit there and take all of his outbursts. Crooks was harming Lennie on purpose for entertainment reasons plus the overall feeling of having power, which he felt like he did not have sense people disrespect him for being a person of color. Crooks used Lennie's disability for making himself feel better. He is without a doubt a perfect example of taking advantage of a person knowing they do not know better by reason of their

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Lennie has the most obvious handicap, since it greatly affects his ability to function. Lennie has the mental capacity of a child, and he can’t take care of himself. Lennie loves to “pet” things, but he is unaware of his own strength. This results in a dead mouse, puppy, and eventually, woman! Lennie is enthralled by the idea of living on a farm with George, and he uses this picture-perfect image almost as a moral guide.

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"We're born alone we live alone die alone. Only through love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone” Orson Welles. In John Steinbeck's novel, “Of Mice and Men”, Steinbeck focuses on the struggle of having a disability while struggling to get by during the American Great Depression on a Californian ranch life. Even though one may have to live around their disability, they do not let that become a big stepping stone in the life, whether they know about it or not. In John Steinbeck's novel, “Of Mice and Men”, Lennie Small, Carlson and Crooks are three great examples of how they keep living their lives despite the facts that they each have a disabilities to their lives.

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1305 Words | 6 Pages

In John Steinbeck’s 1930’s classic novella, Of Mice and Men, we are introduced to one of the main characters, Lennie Small. Lennie is developed as a mentally handicapped, who doesn’t know his strengths and weaknesses, who forgets everything, and who acts like a child. By this development, Steinbeck dehumanizes Lennie in order to show the mentally handicapped population has no chance of achieving the American Dream. Lennie doesn’t know his strengths and weakness, and how to control his strengths. At the end of chapter five, Curley’s wife comes into the barn, where Lennie is alone.

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465 Words | 2 Pages

Because of Lennie's severe disability, he was unable to comprehend what was happening around him. Also because of his disability, he was

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1355 Words | 6 Pages

“Only 50 years ago persons with intellectual disabilities were scorned, isolated and neglected. Today, they are able to attend school, become employed and assimilate into their local community” (Nelson Mandela). Prior to the later part of the 20th century people with intellectual disabilities were often ridiculed, treated unfairly, feared, and locked away in institutions. According to Rhonda Nauhaus and Cindy Smith in their article Disability Rights through the Mid-20th Century, The laws of any nation reflect its societal values. The real life issue of discrimination towards people with intellectual disabilities in the United States and Australia is demonstrated in the novel, Of Mice and Men by showing how this issue affects one of the main characters, Lennie Smalls.

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540 Words | 3 Pages

John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men highlights the adventures of two best friends that stimulate modern issues such as white males dominating the world. There are many themes in the book, but one that is the most eye catching is the theme of people with differences being ostracized by society. This theme of society ostracizing different people is shown through Lennie’s disability, and Crooks’ color of skin. Lennie is a large migrant worker who is childish due to his mental disability. His best friend George, who acts like his second hand, helps him through everything in life.

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Of Mice and Men One time, standing in my cabin, I glanced outside to see the grazing horses and the jumping rabbits. I felt light, yet remorse, because rabbits are a symbol in the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Rabbits were the fixation Lennie had and hope he held on to for a better future. John Steinbeck gives a hopeful, sorrowful tone throughout the whole book Of Mice and Men (1937). In the book, George and Lennie bounce around from job to job, never having a solid place to call home.

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2072 Words | 9 Pages

I had fun. Made me seem God damn smart alongside of him,’”(40). Lennie admits to Slim that he used to be mean to Lennie to make himself seem superior. Seperately, Crooks is oppressed for being black. When he speaks out against Curley’s wife, she threatens to have him hanged, because black men weren’t allowed to disrespect white people.

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499 Words | 2 Pages

Lennie is constantly excluded and made fun of because of his disability. People with disabilities are often bullied or taken advantage of. Because of their handicap, they may not be able to understand why they are ostracized or laughed

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1106 Words | 5 Pages

As recognized, “One of the fundamental issues regarding the portrayal of Lennie in Of Mice and Men lies in the way that Steinbeck position the reader from the very beginning to identify with George” (Lawrence). Once readers have their views aligned with a different character, it is hard to create that empathy, especially if the main character doesn’t support disabilities themselves. However, when empathy is created it can completely alter the audience’s perception of the character and often the entire disability itself. This idea is supported in

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1128 Words | 5 Pages

The first quote shows that Crooks doesn 't typically like people in his room because he isn 't used to it. This affects him because when Lennie comes into his room Crooks begin to snap at him and saying that he doesn 't have the right to be in there. Crooks ' is also affected because it causes him to be frustrated and it seems that his loneliness makes him uncomfortable around the others. Everyone doesn’t allow him because of his skin color, they think he is different from the others because at the time skin color was a big difference. Crooks gives Lennie a little talk to help Lennie understand what he is feeling.

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698 Words | 3 Pages

“ Crooks scowled, but Lennie’s disarming smile defeated him” ( Steinbeck 69). Crooks finally excepted some company and he was talking to Lennie. He didn’t feel so lonely anymore he felt like he could trust Lennie. Crooks even felt like he could finally talk to

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1699 Words | 7 Pages

During the time of the Great Depression people did not know about mental disabilities and that is why Lennie was not treated fairly. Lennie got into a lot of trouble at work, which caused for him and George to find different jobs all the time. An example of when Lennie and George had to leave a job because of Lennie’s actions was when they were in Weed and Lennie touched the girl’s dress and would not let go. The only reason why Lennie did that was because he saw something he liked and he did not want to let go and he became scared when she started to scream. People during this time period were unaware of mental disabilities which made it hard for them to get jobs.

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705 Words | 3 Pages

Scott Hamilton once stated, “The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” Disability is only an obstacle in a person's life, but it does not set the identity of that person. John Steinbeck's novel shows how disabled people are treated differently by writing about their heartbreak and sorrow. Many individuals with disabilities feel that a disability is a wall blocking them from achieving their goals. In our society, people are told what to be and what to do with their disability, but one should have the choice to carve their pathway to success.

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513 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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