Lennie's obsession with texture led to him touching Curley’s wife’s hair. But when he pushed her boundaries, she freaked out and he killed her (Steinbeck 91). In the story Of Mice and Men, the main characters are George and Lennie. That is just a small example of many things in the story. Many characters in this story are mistreated for small attributes in their characters. In Of Mice and Men Steinbeck portrays Lennie, Candy, and Crooks as outcasts, highlighting themes of isolation and discrimination. Throughout the story, the outcasts are consistently mistreated or separated from others because of their differences. Those outcasts are Lennie Crooks and Candy. Considering how Lennie is one of these outcasts portrayed in the story, it is easy to imagine how the event with Curley’s wife might’ve transpired for him. People treat Lennie differently in the story because of his mental disability, making him an outcast. While Slim and George are talking, Slim says “It just seems kinda funny a cuckoo like him and a smart guy like you traveling together” (Steinbeck 30). Slim finds it confusing that George spends time …show more content…
When Crooks explains to Lennie why he is left out, he says, “Cause I'm black.” He then goes on to say “They play cards in there but I can’t play because I'm black” (Steinbeck 68). People purposely don’t include Crooks in their activities simply because he is black. Showing how his race affects him in the story. In the moment when Crooks is being described by the author, they mention, “He kept his distance and demanded everyone kept theirs” (Steinbeck 67). Candy’s criticism comes from his old age, while Crooks is an outcast due to the stigma he faces from his skin color. This behavior shows he’s an outcast because it shows the mistreatment is so extreme he’d rather isolate himself than face other people. Looking at the way Crooks is portrayed, it's easy to see how Crooks is an outcast due to being