Outcasts In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

In “Of Mice and Men”, John Steinbeck uses a range of techniques to help the reader understand and feel sympathetic to the outcasted, sad characters in the novel. Steinbeck describes the state of the outcasts, which are Curley’s wife, Crooks and Candy,and in which they are discriminated against the others in the ranch. Steinbeck refers to the characteristics of the outcasts in society to make the readers feel sympathy and understand that the stereotypical categories they are put under are not always true.

Steinbeck draws on emotional language to show the reader that the stereotypical categories the characters are being put under are not always veracious. “...Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awfully lonely.” Steinbeck

Steinbeck using descriptions of Crooks, the stable buck's’ room was another piece of evidentiary support on making the reader feel sympathy towards a discriminated outcast. “...Crooks bunk was a long box filled with straw, on which his blankets were flung.” Steinbeck's writes about how Crook’s is treated and where he is living. Crook’s is a stable buck, he is stationed in a region where horses are kept. He is extremely discriminated and segregated that he sleeps on hay, similar to where horses rest, however he is not as mistreated due to the fact that he’s, at the minimum, has got a blanket in order to kept warm. “...Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black.” Steinbeck divulges that Crooks is well aware of the fact that him and the people of his race are unconditionally segregated against the opposite race. Although Crook’s speaks that line with obvious revulsion against the white race, Steinbeck throws in hints of sadness in the way Crooks speaks the sentence. This makes the reader feel sympathetic towards Crook’s character due to his segregation and discriminations in the 1930’s