Racism Exposed In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

John Steinbeck is a famous novelist who was born and raised in the country seat of Monterey Country in Salinas, California. The familiar geography and demographics inspired Steinbeck’s later novels and short stories. In his early adolescence, Steinbeck showed a growing interest in writing. He would work late at night in his attic, sometimes inviting friends over to read aloud to them. Hoping to sharpen his skills, Steinbeck enrolled at Sanford University in 1919. Steinbeck continued through college on and off for six years until finally he left Stanford in 1925, without a degree. After his first novel in 1929, Steinbeck married his first wife in 1930. Even through this tough time, Steinbeck continued to pour himself into his writing. Steinbeck makes use of his personal experiences and fabricates them

For instance, his novel, Of Mice and Men is based off John Steinbeck’s own experiences as a bindle stiff in the 1920s. The novel portrays a few of the social prejudices that occurred during Steinbeck’s time which included that of racism, disrespect for the elderly and mentally ill, as well as men’s stereotypical viewpoint on women.

In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck expresses the devastating effects of racism through the character Crooks, a black stable buck who works on the farm. Crooks is an example of one of the three main social injustices portrayed in the novel. Due to his race, Crooks is often isolated from the rest of the ranchers on the farm. Since Crooks is not allowed in the bunkhouse, he keeps to himself in his room. Crooks’ isolation from the rest of the men concerning separate living quarters is an example of how racial discrimination can affect a person. This isolation has resulted in his bitter and lonely attitude, an attitude which he expresses to Lennie when Lennie comes to visit him in his room. When all of the men leave to go to the doctor to get Curley’s hand fixed,