Of Mice and Men Research Paper Example

“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present  inaccessible”  (Maya Angelou). In the novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck :In the novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbck, the characters' present and future dreams are threatened due to prejudice found in their society. The story takes place in the 1930s during the Great Depression on a ranch in Soledad, California. Two migrant workers called George, the one who takes after Lennie, and Lennie, a strong man with a mind of a child, look for a place of their own on their own farm. However, they struggle with their dreams due to the social prejudice against Lennie. For example, Lennie struggles to reach his dream because of his mental disability the ranch and other people don't understand him completely causing the people on the ranch to misunderstand him completely, and George struggles with prejudice of being a Migrant worker and had been called a hobo by Curley’s wife, the only woman on the ranch. Curley's wife even though she might have discriminated against the people of this ranch, she still had prejudice based on her gender.Curley's wife discriminated against Crooks, a African AMerican stable hand at the ranch. Another person that has disability prejudice is Candy, an old swamper or cleaner at the ranch who owns an old sheepdog, and Candy has a missing hand. People misjudge Candy's ability to work due to his missing hand and he also faces prejudice about his age, people think he might be useless and Candy is worried that he might be pardoned due to his disability and age.

The characters' dreams are destined to fail as a result of prejudices found within their society.

A character that experiences prejudice in their society which falters their dreams is Lennie and George. Lennie experiences ableism through the story, and ableism means that he experiences prejudice that others have against him due to his disability. He has the mind of a child and people misjudge him because of his looks and his actions even though he does not mean to do it. George tries his best to take after Lennie and work together so they can get their dream farm. Lennie’s mistakes  results in big problems such as lynching mobs, Curley wanting to shoot Lennie. Curley says, "I'm gonna shoot the guts outta that big bastard myself, even if I only got one hand. I'm gonna get 'im” (Steinbeck 98). Cruel revenge, and this prejudice lead to his death because he made a big mistake of killing Curley’s wife by accident and George thought, “I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we'd never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would” (Steinbeck 94). George dreams was crushed without Lennie after his mistake and George sees the dream as “George sees it as a way to gain independence, to work for himself rather than for others. It represents a way to gain control over his daily life” (Steffens 71). Lennie dreams was to escape from the cruel society and be surrounded with people who understand him, and be able to tend soft animals and rabbits. The reason why Lennie dies is  because other people dont understand him and society doesn't understand his disability, and is a menace to society (Noble 148). Even though he didn't mean anything to other people don't understand besides George. 

ANother chactere’s dreams is destined to fail because of discrimination in their society is Candy. Candy experiences prejudice about his disability of his missing hand and his age. They even have prejudice about Candy’s dog which leads them to kill the dog. Candy does not want Carlson to kill his dog but he gives in when nobody supports him: "Candy looked a long time at Slim to try to find some reversal. And Slim gave him none. At last Candy said softly and hopelessly, "Awright-take 'im" (Steinbeck 47). Before he hands his dog over to Carlson” They thought the dog was worthless, smelly, and useless because of its age. This reflected back to Candy as him being worthless and if they will pardon him from his job because of the prejudice about his hand and his age. (Steffens 58-59).  Also in another time when Lennie and Gorge were discussing their dream ranch and saving up money, Candy comes into the conversation and mentions that he can be a big help to their dream because he has lots of money saved up and that he can tend the chickens and clean up. But George and Lennie had; “Their plan to find a place of their own, which Candy and Crooks, outcasts on the ranch, are hungry to share, is straight out of the American Dream” (Noble 138). George and Lennie were skeptical about it because originally they wanted to do it on their own and also that Candy would not help as much because of his age. This shows that there is still prejudice about Candy and George and Lennie on the ranch. But Candy still manages to convince them to join on their dream plan.

Curley’s wife even though she might have discriminated against the people of this ranch, she still had prejudice based on her gender. Most of the people of the ranch think that she should not talk to other people because the only one she can talk to is her husband. But that is not the case, she just wants to talk because she is alone, she doesn't always want to flirt. She also wanted to gain her freedom instead of being restricted by her husband. Her dream is being an actor and when she finally has that opportunity, Curley took it away from her. This shows that dreams are destined to fail based on prejudice in society and they misjudge youurley's wife speaks about the dream she regrets that having the chance to pursue now that she is married to Curley when she says, "Coulda been in the movies, an' had nice clothes-all them nice clothes like they wear. An' I coulda sat in them big hotels, an' had pitchers took of me” (Steinbeck 89.) Dreams are destined to fail based on prejudice because Curley didnt want her to achieve being an actor because it was a common prejudice that women has to stay with their husbands no matter what and that they cant have jobs; “A common feeling during this time was that married women who were supported by their husbands ought not to take jobs that rightfully belonged to men'' (Moss and Wilson 270)” Therefore a women’s role during that time was to always stay and be supported by their husbands and not take jobs (Moss and Wilson 270). This was a common prejudice in their society and Curley’s wife's dreams were ruined due to this prejudice.

Most of the characters' dreams that experience prejudice based on whatever differences they have  in Mice and Men are destined to fail because first of all George and Lennie both experience ableism. George is trying to help Lennie but prejudice against Lennie’s disability is hurting George also and their dreams together to start a farm and their own land will fail because of prejudice. After Lennie has killed Curley’s wife by accident other people don't understand Lennie that he didn't mean to do it, but George understands. This causes their dreams to fail because people want to kill Lennie instead of George being together with Lennie to achieve their dream farm. Also Candy experiences ableism and ageism, which means prejudice against his age and disability of his hand. He worries that other people at the ranch think he will be useless, just like they did to his dog they thought they were useless and they killed Candy’s dog. HIs dream was also to help George and Lennie have their own farm but at first George and Lennie were hesitant in letting him into the dream plan. Curley’s wife also experiences discrimination against her gender because most people think she is not capale of having a job as an actor or going aroind and talking to people instead of their husbands. But she wants to achieve her dream as an actor no matter what and she wants to socialize with others, and not flirt because she is lonely just being with Curley. Thie prejudice causes her to lose her dream due to the ideas of what Curley thinks she should be like; “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present  inaccessible.”(Maya Angelou.) This talks about how prejudice can affect one's life and dreams, and confuses who you really are, and changes the present. Just like what the characters in The Mice and Men experienced. Lennie, George, and Candy experienced ableism. And Curley’s wife experienced sexism, and these prejudices are destined to interfere with their dreams.

Works Cited

Fisher, Jerilyn and Ellen S. Silber, Eds. Women in Literature: Reading through the Lens of Gender. Greenwood Press, 2003.

Moss, Joyce and George Wilson. Literature and Its Times Vol. 3. Gale, 1997.

Noble, Don. Critical Insights: John Steinbeck. Salem Press, 2011.

Steffens, Bradley, Ed. Of Mice and Men: Understanding Great Literature. Lucent Books, 2002.

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Penguin Books, 1993.