Injustices In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

595 Words2 Pages

Steinbeck used his novella Of Mice and Men in hopes of bringing to light the injustices in how we treat minorities in our society in hopes of teaching us that we need to be accepting and caring to form a better society. Illustrated by characters symbolizing different minorities then how they are treated by other characters. Through his words he describes how fear of things that are different or our insecurities cause us to treat people unfairly and cruel. The first social problem is about the treatment of people with mental disabilities, even violent people, at the time period the book was set there was no treatment options for these people they were either locked up in solitary or hung because people didn’t understand such as when Candy stated “Curley gon’ta wanta get ‘im lynched. Curley’ll get ‘im killed” (94). This is evidence that the people don’t understand his …show more content…

Crooks, the only black character in the story, was treated very differently than any of the other characters in the story. First, Crooks lived in the barn separated from all the others because they were white. Crooks wasn’t allowed in the bunkhouse to play cards or talk with the guys. Also, when Curley’s wife walks in on the guys and Crooks asks her to leave she intimidates Crooks by saying “I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny”(81). Steinbeck wants us to understand that we should treat everyone equal regardless of their skin color. This issue is the most prominent issue today that was mentioned in the book. Today Blacks are still fighting for what they believe is injustice against the police after a series of white police shootings against unarmed black people. These events have sparked protest both violent and nonviolent against police and has even resulted in the death of multiple innocent police officers. These issues among whites and blacks continue to hold back the american people and may continue to for years to

Show More
Related

  • Themes in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    John Steinbeck, an American novelist, is well-known for his familiar themes of depression and loneliness. He uses these themes throughout a majority of his novels. These themes come from his childhood and growing up during the stock market crash. A reader can see his depiction of his childhood era. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows the prominent themes of loneliness, the need for relationships, and the loss of dreams in the 1930s through the novels’ character.

    Read More

  • Desire for Companionship in John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"

    1749 Words  | 4 Pages

    Crooks, the black stable buck, is isolated from the community of migrant workers because of his racial status. When Lennie goes into the barn to see his puppy, he and Crooks have a conversation. “'Why ain't you wanted?' Lennie asked. 'Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black'” (68). Lennie is too kind-hearted and intellectually slow to visualize the apparent racial boundary that sets Crooks aside from Lennie and the rest of the workers. Crooks is so isolated from the rest of the workers that he says he “can't” play cards, not that he isn't allowed to, which means that the racial boundary is like a wall Crooks cannot cross. Because he is black, Crooks believes that he cannot play cards with the white men. He can't get over the racial boundary, and believes he will be forever separated from the white men. In the beginning of chapter 4, Steinbeck describes Crooks' living space. “Crooks, the Negro stable buck, had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the...

    Read More

  • The Vulnerability of Innocent Characters in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    The harsh reality is one which hit everyone in America in the 1930. People found work hard to find and crime was on the uprise. This meant, unfortunately, that innocent people were the easy prey and, as we see in the Of Mice and Men, there were plenty of characters that were easy prey. Of Mice and Men characters have and do thing that make them vulnerable in way which do cause trouble. In this essay, that harsh reality and easy prey will be shown through to see which characters are the most vulnerable.

    Read More

  • Ethical Dilemmas In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    An Ethical Dilemma. People were terrified and disfranchised, John Steinbeck created Of Mice and Men, which set place during the dirty thirties (time of the Great Depression), a time where strength could not overcome aloneness and alienation. The child-like character Lennie was one of the most misunderstood characters, even with his best friend and caretaker George. In the beginning, they were uncanningly together in a society of loners during the time, having only each other, so close many assumed they were brothers. Throughout the story George had vowed to take care of Lennie, however under the circumstances he faced he chose to shoot his best friend.

    Read More

  • Systemic Oppression In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    1385 Words  | 3 Pages

    Several characters in the novel Of Mice and Men are presented with additional obstacles throughout the book. Whether because of color, sex, or disabilities, John Steinbeck purposefully did this to illustrate oppression. Of Mice and Men explores the effects of systemic oppression on women, African-Americans, and people with disabilities.

    Read More

  • Social Injustice in the novel Of Mice and Men

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    Firstly, I am going to talk about Lennie who was known as a man with

    Read More

  • Analysis Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    2021 Words  | 5 Pages

    When asked about John Steinbeck’s career, people often refer to Steinbeck as a playwright, journalist, and a well-known novelist. The book Of Mice and Men is a popular novel by John Steinbeck and a required read for most high school students. Most of Steinbeck 's novels have a central theme focusing on the relationship between man and his environment. The American dream for George and Lennie, two of the main characters in Of Mice and Men, is to have a place of their own, to be respected, and to work hard for everything they earn and deserve. In Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, the land and a hope of a better life becomes the talisman of an American dream for Lennie and George that is left unfulfilled.

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    The daily struggle of the working class, fear of loneliness and the reality of putting all your energy into plans that fail are the different themes relating to John Steinbeck's novel, "Of Mice and Men". The characters depicted by the author are individuals who are constantly facing one obstacle after another. The book illustrates different conflicts such as man versus society, man versus man, man versus himself and idealism versus reality. The book's backdrop is set in the Salinas, California during the depression. The two main characters include two men, George and Lennie. Supportive characters include a few ranch hands, Candy, Crooks, Curly, Slim and Carlson.

    Read More

  • Abuse Of Power In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    When you’re in a position of high authority, it comes with a great sum of power. Having a great deal of control can corrupt and can lead to the abuse of it. Abuse of power is using their power for their own benefit even if it may harm others. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the effects of the abuse shown by Curley and Curley’s wife to the other characters will ultimately lead to a tragic end.

    Read More

  • Conventions In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Curly’s wife went to Crooks to ask if he has seen Curly around, Curly said that he hasn’t seen him, but still she was standing there and Crooks said, “You got no rights coming in a coloured man’s room. You got no rights messing around in here at all.” Steinbeck’s use of Crook’s dialogue shows that Crooks had enough pride and independence to stand up to Curly’s wife. She turned on him in scorn. “Listen, Nigger,” she said. “You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?” Crooks stared hopelessly at her, and then he sat down on his bunk and drew into himself. Steinbeck uses Curly’s wife’s dialogue to tell the readers that Crooks was always discriminated against. When Lennie was wandering around at the ranch and went into Crook’s room, Crooks said, “You go get outta my rooms. I ain’t wanted in the bunk house and you ain’t wanted in my room.” Steinbeck uses crook’s dialogue, racism and loneliness to demonstrate that Crooks wanted to be left alone, but also from inside he wants to talk to someone. Readers may feel sympathy at Steinbeck’s idea of racism. Crooks was always treated badly and is always discriminated against.

    Read More

  • True Justice In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    594 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Dilemma of True Justice In life people are faced with dilemmas, big and small. Ultimately a choice must be made between doing what is right and wrong. Of Mice and Men portrays a story of a mentally retarded man, Lennie, and his caretaker George. George is faced with the dilemma of killing Lennie or letting him face the justice of his peers.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Racism In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    625 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck displays how isolation through sexism and racism causes one to crave attention, and he helps the reader to understand the problems in society about racism and sexism through portraying Curley’s Wife and Crooks both craving attention in their own ways and experiencing various setbacks.

    Read More

  • Color In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    728 Words  | 2 Pages

    Crooks already is being treated differently because he lived in a small room in the barn whereas the rest of the men lived in the bunkhouse. ““ ’Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, all of you stink to me.”” (Steinbeck 68). In this quote Lennie had just walked into Crooks’s room and he acts very defensively saying that Lennie's not wanted in there just like he’s not wanted in the bunkhouse. It really comes to show that really people of color of commonly called “nigers” in the book were treated with little dignity and respect. This is a very serious topic and often times serious matters are associated with grey. I personally feel like grey is a solemn color, capable of hiding things, big or small and as much as we may hate to admit it, equality was not popular back then. Back then white males were the only people with authority and

    Read More

  • Discrimination in the Book “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck

    1457 Words  | 3 Pages

    Discrimination was one of the issues that caused conflict in the novel “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. One example of discrimination in the novel comes in the form of racial discrimination against Crooks, as he is an African American. Another example of discrimination is gender discrimination against Curley’s wife. Finally, there is discrimination against mentally disabled people, which is evident in Lennie’s character. The ranch hands' actions and conversations demonstrated the racial discrimination against Crooks for his skin colour, gender discrimination against Curley’s wife for her gender, and prejudice against Lennie, who was a mentally disabled individual.

    Read More

  • Justice In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    1311 Words  | 3 Pages

    Can anyone withstand the truth that here are so many innocent people in the world that justice has not been delivered to? In this world of goodness, beauty, glory and also unfairness, evil, and betrayal, not all are provided with equality; although it is not a simple task to decide, “We the People” shall not stand by and stay absent from the responsibility to fight for the justice and equality of all men and women, for if this fails to, the evils of this very world will take over the humanity of all the people in our country. The amount of people who do not have the ability to lead fair lives are seriously disregarded, and these are not just people have a bit of unfairness in their lives, but they are also people who live through a whole unjust

    Read More

More about Injustices In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Open Document