The Mentally Ill In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Research shows the number of mentally ill increased around 80% every year, leaving an estimate of 120,000 patients in 1930. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shows multiple examples of how cruelly the mentally ill were treated around this time period. The advancement of treatments towards the mentally disabled has developed and advanced greatly since the 1930’s.
The treatment of the mentally ill was extremely harsh before and during the 1930’s. After the 1930’s there were some improvements, but not many. For a great amount of time the mentally ill were incredibly misunderstood. They were frequently called “lunatics” because society believed the myth that if one were born or slept directly in moonlight, that person would be driven

Lobotomies became the most popular treatment of the 1930’s for the mentally ill ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 people having this procedure performed on them (William 1). Antonio Egas Moniz established the use of lobotomy in 1935 in Portugal. Moniz believed by destroying the frontal cortex of the brain, it would destroy the disease. Originally named “Leucotomy” in 1930, he also “founded the technology to visualize the blood vessels in the brain using radioactive tracers” (1). This procedure involved the doctors drilling holes into the heads of the patients and injecting large doses of alcohol into their brains to kill the frontal lobe but soon switched to cutting the frontal cortex with wire due to multiple deaths from the alcohol injections. “The doctors at this time believed that drilling the brain would relief the obsessive-compulsion and severe agitation disorders” (Foerschner 1). The patients would often be left with side effects of anxiety, weight loss and vomiting. The patients were often left in a “zombie-like-form” and had an absence of feelings for the rest of their lives. When lobotomies became a known treatment in America, the doctors wanted to find a safer and less gruesome way to perform them. Walter Freeman became very well known for performing Lobotomies in the US in a safer way (Foerschner 1). Freeman's first lobotomy was performed on Ellen Lonesco, a Kansas

In the beginning of the book, Steinbeck gives his readers enough knowledge about Lennie to become aware of Lennie’s disability. Throughout the novel, it shows how the other characters react to Lennie, giving the readers a good idea of how the mentally challenged were treated in this time. George was given the responsibility of taking care of Lennie by Lennie’s aunt Clara (Steinbeck 1-110). His aunt knew if Lennie was left alone he would be sent to a mental hospital and be taken care of poorly. Lennie often asks, “You ain't gonna leave me, are ya George?” (Steinbeck 98). Lennie fears that, like a child, he will be abandoned or left behind by George. George knew Lennie heavily relied on him and would not be able to survive without him. George worked extra hard to support himself and Lennie, even though he did not necessarily have to. Without Lennie, George would be heartless and spend his money on whore houses and liquor. On the other hand, without George, Lennie would most likely die or end up in a mental hospital; they balanced each other out in the end. Lennie is all brawn and no brain which often demonstrated his mental retardation. They did not have any medical name back then for these disabilities, they just categorized him as dumb. George constantly tells Lennie, “You was gonna leave your big flapper shut and leave me do the talking” (Steinbeck 45). George is fully