Of Mice and Men Research Paper
Diego Gomez
Period 2
10/20/2011
Segregation by Unjust Social Norms in Of Mice and Men
In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men characters in the novel are segregated by sex, race, age, physical and mental disabilities. John Steinbeck portrays the intolerance and bigotry of 1930’s America through the separation of his characters based on their handicaps. Lennie, Candy, Candy’s dog, Curley’s wife and Crooks all face social pressure from the other characters on the ranch based on their intelligence, physical disability, age, sex and color. Stereotyping based on ethnic or physical characteristics is typical to the 1930’s depression where civil rights for minority groups had not yet been addressed. Almost all of the characters who, in the 1930’s, classify as a minority in Of Mice and Men face social persecution and feel the force of society’s preconceived notions about the color of their racial and physical features. Because of this social persecution Lennie and George find that it is truly impossible to achieve the American Dream because of the segregation. This segregation causes conflict between the characters in the novel and causes those who hold the majority to not only maintain the majority but also to suppress those who comprise the minority. The most obvious of the social persecutions is that of Lennie’s mental disability. Throughout the novel Lennie is segregated from the rest of the workers. After a hard day at work the farm hands play poker and other card games. Lennie is sent away to play with the puppies because he isn’t smart enough to understand the game and segregate him because of his stupidity. In order to appear superior to Lennie characters take advantage of his gentle and gullible nature. Curley, who is the owners of the farm’s son, physically assaults Lennie just to prove that he can (although Lennie breaks Curley’s hand because George told him to fight back). Because of Curley’s high social status in the farm’s microcosm Curley
Period 2
10/20/2011
Segregation by Unjust Social Norms in Of Mice and Men
In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men characters in the novel are segregated by sex, race, age, physical and mental disabilities. John Steinbeck portrays the intolerance and bigotry of 1930’s America through the separation of his characters based on their handicaps. Lennie, Candy, Candy’s dog, Curley’s wife and Crooks all face social pressure from the other characters on the ranch based on their intelligence, physical disability, age, sex and color. Stereotyping based on ethnic or physical characteristics is typical to the 1930’s depression where civil rights for minority groups had not yet been addressed. Almost all of the characters who, in the 1930’s, classify as a minority in Of Mice and Men face social persecution and feel the force of society’s preconceived notions about the color of their racial and physical features. Because of this social persecution Lennie and George find that it is truly impossible to achieve the American Dream because of the segregation. This segregation causes conflict between the characters in the novel and causes those who hold the majority to not only maintain the majority but also to suppress those who comprise the minority. The most obvious of the social persecutions is that of Lennie’s mental disability. Throughout the novel Lennie is segregated from the rest of the workers. After a hard day at work the farm hands play poker and other card games. Lennie is sent away to play with the puppies because he isn’t smart enough to understand the game and segregate him because of his stupidity. In order to appear superior to Lennie characters take advantage of his gentle and gullible nature. Curley, who is the owners of the farm’s son, physically assaults Lennie just to prove that he can (although Lennie breaks Curley’s hand because George told him to fight back). Because of Curley’s high social status in the farm’s microcosm Curley