Themes In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men highlights the adventures of two best friends that stimulate modern issues such as white males dominating the world. There are many themes in the book, but one that is the most eye catching is the theme of people with differences being ostracized by society. This theme of society ostracizing different people is shown through Lennie’s disability, and Crooks’ color of skin. Lennie is a large migrant worker who is childish due to his mental disability. His best friend George, who acts like his second hand, helps him through everything in life. Lennie is physically bigger than other characters in the book, and because of this Curly is hostile towards him. Lennie is portrayed as always being in his own world. For example, he was alone in the barn with Curley’s wife until “Her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck” (Steinbeck 45). Lennie’s accident causes George to have to make a decision for both Lennie and the society. George always looked out for Lennie, and he knew the best option was to end his life. The society they lived in only accepted normalcy, and George knew

He is isolated from everyone else because of his skin color. For example, people refer to him as “nigger” (Steinbeck 11). Calling him racial slurs that are offensive to him reveals that he is treated differently than society. Crooks has his own separate room for himself because of his color. “‘You go on get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room.’ ‘Why ain’t you wanted?’ Lennie asked. ‘Cause I‘m black’” (Steinbeck 34). Crooks being restricted from the bunk house insinuates that he is treated much differently by isolating him to a separate world. Crooks is only “tolerated because [he is] considered useful” (Cox). In the novel Crooks even states that once he gets too old, they will have no use for him and that he will be out of a