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English 9
Kevin Harkins
Discrimination in Of Mice and Men
The book Of Mice and Men b !ohn "teinbeck is a sad stor abo#t a small
man and his big friend $ho has a learning disabilit% The begin b making their
&o#rne to a ne$ farm $here the 'lanned to $ork( after being r#n o#t of the to$n
the #sed to live in% )hen the reach the farm( the meet man interesting
characters $ho are discriminated against thro#gho#t the book% These characters
incl#de* +rooks( a black man $ith a crooked back( +and( an old man $ho lived on
the farm for a long time( and +#rle,s $ife( a tram' $ho flirts $ith man of the men
on the farm% Discrimination is a rec#rring theme in Of Mice and Men that affects
man characters thro#gho#t the book both 'hsicall and mentall% )itho#t
discrimination the o#tcome of the book $o#ld be ver different%
One form of discrimination that reoc#rrs in the book is race discrimination
to$ards black 'eo'le% +rooks is the onl black man on the farm( and man of the
other $hite men on the farm are ver racist to him% +#rle,s $ife said to him( -.isten
nigger( o# kno$ $hat / can do to o# if o# o'en o#r tra'012345% This 6#ote is
discriminator beca#se +#rle,s $ife is im'ling that if +rooks sas anthing abo#t
her( she $o#ld have him lnched% )hen +and $as e7'laining +rooks to 8eorge
$hen he first got on the farm( +and said( -9ice fella too 2+rooks5% 8ot a crooked
back $here a horse kicked him% The boss gives him hell $hen he,s mad12245% This
6#ote is discriminator beca#se +and is saing that the boss takes advantage of
+rooks $hen he gets mad% These 6#otes affect +rooks 'hsicall beca#se he is
isolated from the rest of the men on the farm( he is affected mentall beca#se
+#rle,s $ife threatens to have him lnched $hich scares him% Therefore( +rooks is
discriminated against thro#gho#t the book in different $as%
:nother form of discrimination that reoc#rrs thro#gho#t the book is
discrimination against $hite 'eo'le% )hen .ennie $alks into +rooks room looking for
com'an( +rooks sas( -;o# go on get o#tta m room% / ain,t $anted in the
b#nkho#se( and o# ain,t $anted in m room%12<35% This 6#ote is discriminator
beca#se beca#se the $hite men on the farm sa discriminative things to +rooks(
+rooks sas discriminative things to$ards the $hite men% )hen +#rle,s $ife is
saing mean things to +rooks( +and and .ennie( +rooks stands #' and sas( -;o#
got no rights comin, in a colored man,s room% ;o# got no rights messing aro#nd in
here at all% 9o$ o# &#s, get o#t( an, get o#t 6#ick% /f o# don,t( /,m gonna ast the
boss not to ever let o# come in the barn no more%12345% This 6#ote is discriminator
beca#se +rooks is telling +#rle,s $ife that she is not allo$ed in a colored man,s
room and he threatens to have her banned from it% Therefore( $hite 'eo'le are
discriminated against thro#gho#t the book in different $as%
: third form of discrimination that reoc#rrs thro#gho#t the book is
discrimination against mentall disabled 'eo'le% )hen .ennie and 8eorge are in the
$oods near the farm and 8eorge sas to .ennie( -;o# &#s, stand there and don,t sa
nothing% /f he finds o#t $hat a cra= bastard o# are( $e $on,t get no &ob(12<5% This
6#ote is discriminator beca#se 8eorge is calling .ennie a cra= bastard b#t it is not
.ennie,s fa#lt beca#se he has a learning disabilit% )hen +rooks and .ennie are
talking abo#t the '#'s( .ennie sas( -/ looked at >em a little "lim sas / ain,t to 'et
>em ver m#ch(12<95% This 6#ote is discriminator beca#se "lime doesn,t $ant .ennie
to 'et the '#'s beca#se he is disabled and "lim doesn,t $ant him to h#rt them%
Therefore( mentall disabled 'eo'le are discriminated against thro#gho#t the book in
different $as%
These t'es of discrimination on the small farm are meant to re'resent the
discrimination that is going on aro#nd the $orld% /n 19?@( $hen "teinbeck $rote Of
Mice and Men, the civil rights movement had not ha''ened et and man 'eo'le
$ere still racist% The racism to$ards the black 'eo'le ca#sed them to retaliate $ith
racism to$ards the $hite 'eo'le% :t the time mental disabilities $ere not #nderstood
and the $ere considered o#tsiders and $ere not a 'art of societ% :ltho#gh these
forms of discrimination are not f#ll gone( the are definatel m#ch less e7treme than
the $ere at the time the book $as $ritten%