Of Mice And Men Discriminatory Quotes

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Of Mice and Men, a book written by John Steinbeck published in 1937, tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place searching for new job opportunities. Throughout the book prejudice is displayed. Many of us think that prejudice is a human fault and the manner in which Curley’s Wife, Crooks, Candy and Lennie are treated by others is to be expected. This essay will therefore discuss the levels of discriminatory behaviour and language displayed in the novel Of Mice and Men with analysing characters that experience this kind of behaviour, Curley’s Wife, Crooks, Candy and Lennie.

Of Mice and Men is not kind in its portrayal of women. Throughout the book women are treated with a sense of worthlessness, like they are not fit for living. Curley’s Wife is a great example to really show how women where treated throughout this novel. “I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.” (Curley’s Wife, Of Mice and Men) This quote informs everyone that reads the novel that Curley’s Wife is lonely, as everyone shows her a mass of discriminative behaviour because she is a female that gets into trouble. Curley's Wife represents temptation to the men that work on the farm. This si the main reason nobody really wants to go around her, as if they do something with her that Curley’s does not like or approves they will imminently be in trouble. Curley’s wife emerges as a relatively complex and interesting character. Her purpose at the start of the book was quite simple as she was portrayed being the “tramp”, “tart”, and “bitch” that wants to destroy males life’s. Her appearance starts to become more complex. When she confronts Lennie, Candy and Crooks in the barn. She admits to feeling disappointed with her self. Crooks is a black stable-hand. He receives a massive amount of prejudice for simply being different skinned colour to the rest of the workers. “You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. nobody got any right to be in here but me.” (Crooks, Of Mice and Men) This quote shows the audience that Crooks is obviously hurt quite bad as everyone looks at him differently because his black. So he isolates himself from all the other workers, and is also prejudice back on his tormentors. He shows this in the novel when Lennie visits him in his home. Crooks turns Lennie away hoping to prove a point that if he, as a black man, is not allowed in white men’s houses, then whites are not allowed in his house. The workers used words like “nigger” repeatedly to show that he is nothing. Perhaps what
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Candy throughout the novel worries constantly that the boss will soon declare him as useless and demands that he leaves the ranch. Candy’s dog used to be an impressive sheep herder, but now toothless, foul-smelling, and brittle with age. Candy lets Carson put his dog out of its misery. This clearly represents Candy’s biggest fear. In the book, Of Mice and Men, Candy over hears Lennie and George talking about their plan. Candy offers them a deal which later on Lennie and George take. For a brief time, the dream of living out his days with George and Lennie, distracts Candy of his harsh

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