How Does Steinbeck Present Prejudice In Of Mice And Men

John Steinbeck’s 1937 historical fiction novella, Of Mice and Men, is filled with issues that are still current today, and in the story, he hints at his own belief set. Some topics found in the book, which was set during the United States’ Great Depression, discussed sexism, prejudice, and friendships. These can be and are as difficult to discuss approximately eighty years later. Throughout the story, characters who are prejudice use victims to make themselves feel better about who they are, showing their own insecurities about their position. Steinbeck shows this idea, people’s way of expressing insecurities, throughout the book. It is shown early in the story between the means of two main characters, George and Lennie. George is an ambitious,

Lennie is quite a bit larger, Steinbeck compares him to many different types of animals, and is, what in the early twentieth century was called, simple. However, his size makes him a strong and valuable worker. Together, George and Lennie make a great and balanced duo. However, George is very uncomfortable with the weight of Lennie on his shoulders. In just the first chapter, George drills Lennie on what he is to do when they meet their future boss. “‘Now, look- I’ll give him the work tickets, but you ain’t gonna say a word. You jus’ gonna stand there and don’t say nothin’. If he finds out what a crazy bastard you are, we won’t get no job, but if he sees ya work before he hears ya talk, we’re set. Ya got that?’” (pg. 6) George is insecure that they won’t get the job because of Lennie, and it shows again his own insecurities as well as other employers prejudices. During the conversation about how Lennie is not supposed to talk, George calls him ‘a crazy bastard’ multiple times, ‘ a lot of trouble’, ‘a poor bastard’, and ‘a crazy fool’. In the book, he tries his best to make sure that Lennie knows that he, George, is the superior of the two. Looking deeper into this, one will find that George is

Writing wise, hinting at these insecurities truly develops a character. Moral wise, it shows the ridiculousness of prejudices. George became a new character when he told Slim about how he and his friends nearly accidentally drowned Lennie. The root of his caring friendliness was shaken all because he used to like the feeling of someone listening to every direction he told. Curley is a great antagonist that represents this. Curley is the son of the owner and boss of the ranch, where George and Lennie work. He has recently gotten married to a woman only referred to as “Curley’s Wife” in the book and he is, or considered as, a small bully. “The swamper considered….’Well… tell you what. Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with big guys….’”(pg.26) The readers are told directly what one of Curley’s insecurities: his size. He thinks that people will automatically assume that he is weak. He brags, fights, defeats, and breaks others to make sure that every victim, everyone of a larger size or a lower class, knows that he is all powerful and great, Knowing that he got into a fight with Lennie, not because of what was originally thought: Lennie was stupid and was talking back, but because, or at least partially because, of his first thought of Lennie- that Lennie was too big. That idea seems ridiculous. Being a