These four characters from Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men all suffer from some sort of prejudice or segregation. In fact, almost all of the characters in the book are somehow alienated from society.
Being a black man living on an otherwise all white ranch in the 1930's makes Crooks a victim of both racism and segregation. He lives in a room in the barn separated form the other men. He's only allowed in the...
These four characters from Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men all suffer from some sort of prejudice or segregation. In fact, almost all of the characters in the book are somehow alienated from society.
Being a black man living on an otherwise all white ranch in the 1930's makes Crooks a victim of both racism and segregation. He lives in a room in the barn separated form the other men. He's only allowed in the bunkhouse on special occasions. When Lennie enters his room Crooks lashes out at Lennie explaining the reasons for his segregation:
“’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, you all of you stink to me.”
Lennie, because he is mentally disabled, also suffers from a form of prejudice at the hands of George, Curley and Curley's wife. Even though he is Lennie's friend George sometimes treats him badly. He explains how he has mistreated Lennie:
I’ve beat the hell outa him, and he coulda bust every bone in my body jus’ with his han’s, but he never lifted a finger against me.” George’s voice was taking on the tone of confession. “Tell you what made me stop that. One day a bunch of guys was standin’ around up on the Sacramento River. I was feelin’ pretty smart. I turns to Lennie and says, ‘Jump in.’ An’ he jumps. Couldn’t swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before we could get him. An’ he was so damn nice to me for pullin’ him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in.
Curley and Curley's wife also treat Lennie poorly. Curley tries to beat him up just because he is smiling and Curley's wife calls him "nuts". In the end Lennie is truly a victim of society's ignorance and brutality. George shoots Lennie in order to avoid a punishment for his friend which Lennie would not have understood at the hands of either Curley or a justice system which made no exceptions for disabilities.
Candy is a victim of age related prejudice. He clings to the idea of the farm that is George's and Lennie's dream. He tells George that it may be his last chance to avoid a destitute old age:
“I got hurt four year ago,” he said. “They’ll can me purty soon. Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the county. Maybe if I give you guys my money, you’ll let me hoe in the garden even after I ain’t no good at it. An’ I’ll wash dishes an’ little chicken stuff like that. But I’ll be on our own place, an’ I’ll be let to work on our own place.”
Finally, Curley's wife is a victim of society's norms because she is not only a woman on a ranch full of men, but she is a pretty and flirtatious woman who yearns for attention. Her husband treats her poorly and when she looks to other men for conversation or companionship she is accused of causing trouble. On the surface, the reader may simply consider Curley's wife a "tart," but she is really a lonely character who is mistreated by a society that is male dominated. Unfortunately for her, the only man who will give her some attention accidentally kills her.
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