The Civility of Discrimination in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men Essay Example

Segregation is the act of setting someone apart purely based on their physical or mental attributes (History.com). Set in the 20th century Salinas, the novella, Of Mice and Men, displays the lifestyle of a group of migrant farmworkers, who work in desperation to achieve their very own “American Dream”. However, their hopes and dreams are crushed when they are unable to be accepted by society and treated like outcasts due to the color of their skin or their mental flaws. Lennie Small, an empty minded giant, was brought up with a mental disability, causing him to be dependent on others for day-to-day life. His mental hindrance gets him into serious trouble because of his lack of common sense. The handicap of the farmworkers forces them to face the reality of their situation and realize that they have no choice but to give up hope. In John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men, he argues about the civility of discrimination through the characters that experience societal rejection because of their race or mental capacity.

Lennie’s character is brought up as a brute who relies on pure strength and lacks common sense. He is easily startled, and in a moment of alarm, he accidentally kills Curley’s wife, who ends up lying “still, for Lennie had broken her neck.” (John Steinbeck 91). Showing that although Lennie is physically strong, he lacks the ability to control himself, causing him to panic in critical moments. Despite his illness, he displays a child-like kindness that is shown through the regret of his actions when he shouts out, “‘Why you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice.”’ (85). He realizes the mistake he has made and finds himself at fault. Society tries to ostracize him, making it difficult for him to find his place and be successful.  His mental illness, combined with his obscurity towards consequences, led to his imminent death when he was put out of his misery by his own companion. 

At the peak of racism and discrimination against people of color, Crooks was viewed as an outcast and treated as such. He was forced to live alone in the barn; a place where animals were locked up and caged for the rest of their lives. Through his isolation, Crooks begins to grow lonely and cold, eventually distancing himself from the others. This is shown when he says, “You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.” (75). Crooks feels that if the other workers can have their own place, then he should have himself a place as well. When talking to Lennie, his dream is relived, only to be quickly crushed when Curley’s wife says “‘ Listen, n word,” she said. “You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?’” (80). Crooks knows that no matter how hard he works, he can’t change the color of his skin, meaning that as long as racism lasts he would be treated this way.

In this time period, women had fewer rights than men, and Curley’s wife was no exception. She was displayed as a “tart” and treated like a possession, not even worth giving a name. Her life was short-lived, and even in the end, Curley did not care for her. Instead of staying by her side in death, Curley went out of his way to seek bloodshed. Her life choices have always been dictated by her desire for freedom, even telling her parents “‘Well, I wasn’t gonna stay no place where I couldn’t get nowhere or make something of myself,’” (88). Curley’s grasp on her is shown when she isn’t allowed to confide in others, restricting the common right of speech. She feels as though she isn’t given a choice when she says, “‘ Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways?”’ (87).  Curley’s wife has always tried to strive for freedom, despite the oppression that women faced at the time.

Through the unique depiction of Curley’s wife, Lennie, and Crooks, the author highlights the moral wrongs that society has done and the unfairness of discrimination. In the case of Crooks and Curley’s wife, they were held back by others, preventing them from reaching their dream. Crook’s skin color moved him to the bottom of the social hierarchy, where people like Curley’s wife could easily get him killed for no reason. On the other hand, Curley's wife had given up shortly after marrying Curly, realizing that Curley cared about boxing more than her. In Lennie’s case, he was killed by his fellow companion because his partner knew that his imminent fate would be worse than death. Each of the migrant farmworkers faces predetermined discrimination that prevents them from reaching their goals. Steinbeck’s message in Of Mice and Men connects to a deeper meaning of discrimination; showing that it has become a crucial issue in modern society. Even back in this time period, Steinbeck realizes the issue and tries to channel his beliefs into this novel. With almost a century’s worth of time, there have been newly founded anti-racism movements such as BLM (Black Lives Matter). What started in 2013, BLM became a worldwide movement protesting for the rights of people of color. However, although civilization has come a long way, discrimination is still very much present in everyday life and continues to corrupt the intentions of the new generation.