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Societal Discrimination In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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Societal discrimination is a topic that courses through every day life and alters individuals, regardless if it’s noticeable or not. People are judged, beaten down and discriminated against by the society around us and it dramatically affects how people think, how they act and who they turn out to be. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, two labourers, George and Lennie, travel to California after fleeing from the town of Weed after they get themselves into an undesirable situation. Throughout the rest of the novel, the reader is introduced to several other characters who all seem to face some sort of injustice. Towards the end of the novel, Lennie ends up getting involved with one of the workers' wives and makes an unforgettable mistake. George …show more content…

Throughout the novel, Steinbeck suggests that societal discrimination, based on any factor, will lead an individual to become bitter, desperate and isolated. The individuals within the novel are greatly affected by the discrimination which is shown through their interactions with other people as well as the emotions and ideas they offer.

Bitterness stems from the unjust and terrible treatment someone has been put through in the past. In Of Mice and Men, bitterness within the characters are not only visible when it comes to their interactions with each other, but it is also shown throughout the character's ever growing personality traits. Sexism is evident when it comes to the relationships that the men have with Curley’s wife. After getting married to Curley just a few weeks ago, she has since then been instructed to stay in the house away from the other guys. This order from her husband starts to get under her skin and she proceeds to say “wha’s the matter with me? Ain't I got a right to talk to nobody?” (Steinbeck, 87). Curly’s wife ultimately faces rejection every single time when she tries to talk to one of the guys. She continuously tries to have a civil conversation with the men, but is

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Life isn’t fair for many people, and in the Novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, this is evident through the characters of Crooks, Lennie, Candy, and Curley’s wife. In comparison to the other workers, these four outcasts are more closely related to each other than one may at first realize. Lennie has a lack of mental capacity, Crooks is black and has an injured back, Candy is missing a hand and is also old, and Curley’s wife is isolated by the other men due to being too flirtatious. These qualities, albeit unfortunate at best, gives these characters all one thing in common; they’re neglected and undesired by the other workers on the farm.

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